For Whom The Bell Tolls
Metallica Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey
On they fight, for the right, yes, but who's to say?
For a hill, men would kill, why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

Take a look to the sky just before you die
It's the last time you will
Blackened roar, massive roar fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now are his eyes to this mystery
Hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see

For whom the bell tolls




Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

Overall Meaning

The song For Whom the Bell Tolls is focused on the senselessness of war and the tragedy of the loss of human life. The song is set in the early days of a battle on a hill with soldiers fighting relentlessly despite their wounds and the constant danger. The soldiers fight for a cause that even they may not fully understand, risking their lives for the sake of a hill. The chorus of the song reinforces the idea that time is always marching forward, and that the bell symbolizes the inevitability of death.


The second verse of the song is particularly haunting, as the perspective shifts to a soldier who is dying on the battlefield. The imagery used in the lyrics is vivid and bleak, describing a blackened and crumbling sky and shattered goals. The soldier's eyes, once filled with determination and hope, are now distant and unknowing as he hears the deafening silence around him. The verse ends with the soldier realizing the brutal reality of war and the inevitably tragic consequences that come with it.


Line by Line Meaning

Make his fight on the hill in the early day
A battle begins atop a hill at the break of dawn


Constant chill deep inside
An unshakable fear grips those involved in the battle


Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey
The sounds of gunfire echo through the battlefield as soldiers charge forward through the smoke and haze


On they fight, for the right, yes, but who's to say?
Soldiers fight for what they believe is right, but the objective morality of their cause is uncertain


For a hill men would kill, why? They do not know
People are willing to kill for territory, even though they may not understand why they are fighting


Stiffened wounds test their pride
Injuries dampen the morale and confidence of the soldiers


Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Despite the chaos and danger of the battlefield, some soldiers survive and press on


Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
Some individuals become mentally unstable due to the physical and emotional trauma of war


For whom the bell tolls
The ringing of the bell signifies the inevitability of death, which looms over everyone involved in conflict


Time marches on
Despite the violence and bloodshed, life continues to move forward


Take a look to the sky just before you die
In one's final moments, they reflect on the beauty of the world around them


It's the last time you will
Death is permanent, and once we die, we can never experience life again


Blackened roar, massive roar fills the crumbling sky
The explosions and sounds of war darken the sky and create a sense of destruction and chaos


Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
A soldier's mission may be lost or unattainable, causing intense emotional distress and anguish


Stranger now are his eyes to this mystery
The brutality of war can transform a person's perspective on life, making the world seem more mysterious and uncertain


Hears the silence so loud
Amidst the chaos, moments of silence can be deafening and overwhelming


Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
At the start of a new day, everything that has happened in the past is forgotten, and all that remains is the desire to survive


Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see
Those who survive will have to live with the memories of the tragedy - they may not have foreseen this before the conflict began




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Clifford Lee Burton, James Alan Hetfield, Lars Ulrich

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Rika

i can safely say that a small croud makes metallica more energetic.

James hitting them plates

Lars with his faces

Lars and Kirk start playing dirty window, after a st anger snare joke by James

So cool :)



Natan Morone

@Kris Manfredini I would say it is "It tolls for thee" a reference to John Donne's Poem 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' which is cited at the very beginning of Hemingway's book of the same title which this song was inspired by.


No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.



ProfessorChernobyl

Make his fight on dhe hill in dhe early day
Constant čhill deep inside
Šhouting gun, on dhey run through dhe endless grey
On dhey fight, for dhey/re right, yes, ¿but who/s to say?
For a hill, men would kill, ¿why? Ðhey do not know
Stiffened wounds test dheir pride
Men of five, still alive through dhe raging glow
Gone insane from dhe pain dhat dhey šurely know
For whom dhe bell tolls
Time marčhes on
For whom dhe bell tolls
Take a look to dhe sky just before you die
It/s dhe last time he will
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills dhe crumbling sky
Šhattered goal fills his soul widh a ruthless cry
Stranger now are his eyes to dhis mystery
HI HIЯZ ÐØ SAJLØNS SOW LAWD
Crack of dawn, all is gone except dhe will to be
Now dhey see what will be, blinded eyes to see
For whom dhe bell tolls
Time marčhes on
For whom dhe bell tolls



All comments from YouTube:

Justice

35 years ago, four wild youngsters composed this masterpiece. The world still not ready to appreciate

Frann098-

Me declaro fan de la improvisacion que mete Rob en 0:31 , una locura

Dion Lewis

I loved the James and lars duet

tinyjazzhands

+Dion Lewis I always love when James Joins Lars at the drums

Rika

i can safely say that a small croud makes metallica more energetic.

James hitting them plates

Lars with his faces

Lars and Kirk start playing dirty window, after a st anger snare joke by James

So cool :)

Nama Saya Joko

I know dude,, love it

Cristhian Zapata

He was having a lot of fun !

David Mackeown

The greatest band and the greatest frontman that will ever be. Long live Metallica. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

multiestonian

0:56 THAT FUCKING RIFFFF, It's nice to see James enjoy playing that riff so much.

Anthony C.

I agree! That is my favorite riff from any band....ever. The best description I've heard is it's like the sound of Godzilla stomping through your town.

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