Religion's control over people is castigated throughout the song by James Hetfield. Hetfield's relationship with Christianity is well-established and stems from his mother's death because of her refusal to seek medical treatment for cancer because of her Christian Science beliefs. Religion is frequently discussed in other Metallica songs. In this song, the Leper Messiah of the title is someone who uses others' faith for their own personal gain and for control over them. After the first chorus, the narrator changes to a dissident of religion, asserts that religion is nothing but mental slavery and that those heading religions only do so for power and control.
Cover Versions include:
UK death/heavy metal band Afflicted on Metal Militia - A Tribute To Metallica, Compilation CD, 1994 on Black Sun Records.
Leper Messiah
Metallica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
Circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Please, please
Spreading his disease, living by his story
Knees, knees
Falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You will
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get a better seat
Bow to leper messiah
Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix
Blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Chain, chain
Join the endless chain, taken by his glamour
Fame, fame
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
We see
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get the better seat
Bow to leper messiah
Witchery, weakening
Sees the sheep are gathering
Set the trap, hypnotize
Now you follow
Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make a contribution
And you'll get the better seat
Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie
"Leper Messiah" is a song that decries religious charlatans who make false promises in return for money and power. The song starts by describing the character being discussed as "spineless" and "sucked into the part" of the "lead clown" in a circus. The next lines implore the listener to "spend their money" to "make a contribution" in exchange for a "better seat" in heaven. This individual is described as spreading his "disease" and living by his own story, which ultimately leads to the person's followers falling to their knees in order to suffer for his or her glory.
Metallica highlights the manipulative nature of religious leaders by referring to their tactics as "witchery" and "hypnotizing," and calling followers "sheep" who are "taken by his glamour." The song ends with a repeated chorus instructing people to "lie" down, effectively accepting their fate under the rule of the false messiah.
Overall, "Leper Messiah" is a critique of the dangers of blind devotion, and the manipulative tactics of those who use religion as a tool for material gain.
Line by Line Meaning
Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
You were easily influenced and fell into the role assigned to you.
Circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Your life is like a circus, and you're the star of this sad show.
Spreading his disease, living by his story
You've caught the infection and now you're living off his story.
Falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You'll suffer to bring him glory and you'll do it willingly.
Time for lust, time for lie
It's time for you to give in to your desires and start living a lie.
Time to kiss your life goodbye
You're going to say goodbye to your life as you know it.
Send me money, send me green
Give me your money, give me your wealth.
Heaven you will meet
By giving me your money, you'll be rewarded with eternity in heaven.
Make a contribution
Give me your money and be a part of something great.
And you'll get a better seat
You'll get the best spot in the house if you contribute more.
Bow to leper messiah
Submit to the powerful leader who has forsaken everyone around him.
Marvel at his tricks, need your Sunday fix
You're addicted to his tricks and you need him constantly in your life.
Blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Your loyalty is so strong that it's damaging your mind.
Join the endless chain, taken by his glamour
You're one of many who've fallen under his charm and become a part of his endless chain.
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
He's so powerful that he can infect others with his disease, and it's gone to his head.
Witchery, weakening
He's using devious tactics to weaken and control you.
Sees the sheep are gathering
He sees that you're all blindly following him like a herd of sheep.
Set the trap, hypnotize
He's luring you in and hypnotizing you to do his bidding.
Now you follow
And now you're completely under his control.
Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie
All he ever does is lie and deceive, and you'll continue to believe him.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Alan Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nino Amora
on No Remorse
im a dieharn fan of metalica