Astronomy
Metallica Lyrics


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Clock strikes twelve and moon drops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Like acid and oil on a madman's face
His reasons tend to fly away
Like lesser birds on the four winds, yeah
Like silver scrapes in May
Now the sands become a crust
And most of you have gone away (hm, yeah gone away)

Come Susy dear, let's take a walk
Just out there upon the beach
I know you'll soon be married
And you want to know where the winds come from
Well it's never said at all
On the map that Carrie reads
Behind the clock back there you know
At the four winds bar (hm, yeah)

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Four winds at the four winds bar
Two doors locked and windows barred
One door let to take you in
The other one just mirrors it
Hey, hey, yeah! hey, hey
In hellish glare and inference
The other one's a duplicate
The queenly flux, eternal light
Or the light that never warms
Yes the light, that never, never warms
Yes the light, that never, never warms
Never warms, never warms

The clock strikes twelve and moon drops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Miss Carrie nurse and Suzy dear
Would find themselves at the four winds bar
It's the nexus of the crisis
The origin of storms
Just the place to hopelessly
Encounter time and then came me

Hey, hey, hey, hey

Call me Desdenova, eternal light
These gravely digs of mine
Will surely prove a sight
And don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent

Astronomy, a star
Astronomy, a star
Astronomy, a star
Astronomy, a star





Astronomy

Overall Meaning

by Metallica is a cover of a song originally released by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult in 1974. The song tells a story of a man who is struggling with the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life. The opening lines of the song set the scene, with the clock striking twelve and the moon dropping bursts. The imagery of acid and oil on a madman's face further enhances the sense of chaos and disorientation.


As the song progresses, the man takes a walk with Susy, who is about to be married. They discuss where the winds come from, but cannot find the answer on the map that Carrie reads. Behind the clock at the Four Winds Bar, they encounter the nexus of the crisis and the origin of storms. The man introduces himself as Desdenova, eternal light, and invites them to his gravely digs to meet his dog.


The lyrics of Astronomy are rich in symbolism and metaphor, with many possible interpretations. Some suggest that the song is about the struggle between life and death, while others see it as a commentary on the cyclical nature of time. The mention of the Four Winds Bar has led some fans to speculate that it is a reference to Shakespeare's play The Tempest, in which the Four Winds are a motif that symbolizes the forces of nature.


Line by Line Meaning

Clock strikes twelve and moon drops burst
The witching hour has struck, and the moon begins to appear from its hiding place


Out at you from their hiding place
The moon is revealing itself and shining down at you


Like acid and oil on a madman's face
The madness is beginning to set in, taking over reason like corrosive substances on someone's face


His reasons tend to fly away
Logic and reasoning disappear quickly in this moment of insanity


Like lesser birds on the four winds, yeah
Thoughts and ideas scatter like small birds being tossed around by the breeze


Like silver scrapes in May
The sound of chaos and conflict echoes through the air like the shrill noise of silverware on a plate


Now the sands become a crust
The previously fluid and easy-going world has now hardened and become solid


And most of you have gone away (hm, yeah gone away)
The people and things that used to matter have now disappeared


Come Susy dear, let's take a walk
Let's set out on a journey together


Just out there upon the beach
Let's venture onto the sandy shores


I know you'll soon be married
I'm aware that you'll be settling down soon


And you want to know where the winds come from
You seek answers to things that cannot be explained


Well it's never said at all
Sometimes the answer cannot be found or identified


On the map that Carrie reads
Even the things that have been charted and chronicled may not provide the answer


Behind the clock back there you know
The truth may be hidden or obscured, even though it's right in front of us


At the four winds bar (hm, yeah)
There may be a place of reckoning, where the truth is revealed despite our best efforts to hide it


Four winds at the four winds bar
The winds of change and uncertainty blow through this mysterious place


Two doors locked and windows barred
There are only a few ways in, and they're heavily guarded


One door let to take you in
One path could lead to new discoveries and experiences


The other one just mirrors it
The other path may only serve to further confuse and confound


In hellish glare and inference
Things become more uncertain and frightening, with flaming eyes and underlying implications


The other one's a duplicate
The alternative path may just be a replica of the familiar, with nothing gained from taking it


The queenly flux, eternal light
Ultimate power and presence in the universe, an infinite source of illumination that is beyond time


Or the light that never warms
Alternatively, there may be an empty or malicious light that never brings comfort or resolution


Yes the light, that never, never warms
This chilling and unforgiving illumination creates an environment of frozen despair


The clock strikes twelve and moon drops burst
The same pattern repeats itself, as the witching hour begins again and the moon comes into view


Miss Carrie nurse and Suzy dear
These two women are still on their quest, seeking answers and resolution


Would find themselves at the four winds bar
They, too, come to the nexus of the mystery and uncertainty


It's the nexus of the crisis
This place where everything converges is at the epicenter of chaos and discord


The origin of storms
From this very point, tempests and tumultuous situations arise


Just the place to hopelessly
Although it may seem futile, this is still the best locale to search for answers and find meaning


Encounter time and then came me
In this landscape of temporality, a new player has emerged to navigate the shoals of uncertainty


Call me Desdenova, eternal light
The newcomer asserts himself and his unfading presence in this uncertain universe


These gravely digs of mine
His physical presence, his grave and enduring nature


Will surely prove a sight
His arrival will cause a stir and raise eyebrows


And don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent
This mysterious figure also has a powerful, unchanging and loyal companion


Astronomy, a star
This whole troubled journey is a study of the cosmos and its mysteries


Astronomy, a star
The stars are the focal point of attention, and the journey moves toward understanding their power and influence


Astronomy, a star
The study of the stars and the universe is a grand and boundless subject


Astronomy, a star
Looking to the skies for truth and significance is a never-ending task




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMUEL PEARLMAN, ALBERT BOUCHARD, JOSEPH BOUCHARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Nino Amora


on No Remorse

im a dieharn fan of metalica

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