Metallica covered the song as their contribution to the 1990 compilation album "Rubáiyát – Elektra's 40th Anniversary. This cover version was later used as a B-side of their "Enter Sandman" single and subsequently won a Grammy Award; it also appeared on their covers/b-sides album Garage Inc.
The Metallica version of the song is more aggressive than the original; they also slightly altered the lyrics, adding two uses of the word "F**k" and changing the more humorous lines for more violent lyrics, such as "walking down the street/shooting people that I meet/with my fully loaded tommy gun".
James Hetfield once sang it together with Queen & Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath fame (singing Metallica's altered lyrics) at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Metallica also played the song as an encore during their 1991-'93 Black Album tour; it appears on the live CD Live S**t: Binge & Purge. Hellyeah played Metallica's version of Stone Cold Crazy on the 2007 Family Values Tour, sometimes referring to it under the title "Stone Cold Wasted".
Stone Cold Crazy
Metallica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was dreamin' I was Al Capone
Rumor goin' round gotta clear outta town
Smellin' like a dry fish bone
Here come the law gonna break down the door
Gonna tear me away once more
Never never never want it any more
Crazy
Stone cold crazy yeah
Rainy afternoon got a killer typhoon
Playin' on my saxaphone
Anymore anymore cannot take it anymore
Gotta get away from the stone cold law
Crazy
Stone cold crazy (lets go)
Walkin' down the street
Shootin' people that I meet
Fully loaded Tommy gun
Here come the deputy tryin' fuckin' gettin' me
Gotta fuckin' get up and run
They got the sirens loose
I run right outta juice
They're gonna put me in a cell if I can't go to hell
Lemme go to hell
Crazy
Stone cold crazy yeah
In Metallica's song Stone Cold Crazy, the singer shares a story of a Saturday morning where he dreams he is Al Capone, but wakes up to a rumor that he needs to leave town. He compares the smell of himself to that of a dry fish bone. The law arrives and barges through the door, taking him away again. He sings about how he never wants to experience that again and how he needs to get away from the "stone cold law."
Later in the song, the singer is playing his saxophone during a rainy afternoon, but can't take it anymore and needs to get away from the law once again. He later walks down the street and shoots people he meets with his fully loaded Tommy gun. The deputy tries to capture him and he needs to run away so he doesn't end up in a cell. He begs to be sent to hell instead. The repeated lines of "stone cold crazy" emphasize the singer's mental state and behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleepin' very soundly on a Saturday morning
I was sleeping comfortably on a Saturday morning
I was dreamin' I was Al Capone
I was dreaming about being the infamous gangster Al Capone
Rumor goin' round gotta clear outta town
There is a rumor going around that I need to leave town
Smellin' like a dry fish bone
I smell terrible, like a dried fish bone
Here come the law gonna break down the door
The police are coming to break down my door
Gonna tear me away once more
They will take me away again
Never never never want it any more
I don't want to go through this again
Gotta get away from the stone cold law
I need to escape from the cold, heartless law enforcement
Crazy
I feel insane
Stone cold crazy yeah
I feel completely insane
Rainy afternoon got a killer typhoon
It's a rainy afternoon with a destructive typhoon
Playin' on my saxaphone
I am playing my saxophone
Anymore anymore cannot take it anymore
I can't handle it anymore
Gotta get away from the stone cold law
I must escape from the harsh, unrelenting justice system
Crazy
I feel insane
Stone cold crazy (lets go)
I feel completely insane (let's do this)
Walkin' down the street
I am walking down the street
Shootin' people that I meet
I am violently shooting people I encounter
Fully loaded Tommy gun
I have a Tommy gun fully loaded and ready to use
Here come the deputy tryin' fuckin' gettin' me
A deputy is coming after me, trying to apprehend me
Gotta fuckin' get up and run
I must quickly get up and run away
They got the sirens loose
The police sirens are sounding
I run right outta juice
I quickly become exhausted from running
They're gonna put me in a cell if I can't go to hell
If I cannot escape, they will imprison me
Lemme go to hell
I would rather die than go to jail
Crazy
I feel insane
Stone cold crazy yeah
I feel completely insane
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nino Amora
on No Remorse
im a dieharn fan of metalica