"The God That Failed" is the tenth track from Metallica's 1991 self-titled … Read Full Bio ↴"The God That Failed" is the tenth track from Metallica's 1991 self-titled album. This was the first song of the album to be heard by the public. The central theme of the song is faith and human reliance on it, and of unrewarded belief in a God that fails to heal. The lyrics and song material were inspired by Hetfield's anguish on the circumstances surrounding his mother's death. She died of cancer after refusing medical attention, solely relying on her belief in God to heal her. Hetfield felt that had she not followed her Christian Science beliefs, she could have survived. Hetfield does not celebrate God's failure in the song, but instead blames God, through his mother's faith and death, for contributing to the meaninglessness of life.

The God That Failed
Metallica Lyrics

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Pride you took
Pride you feel
Pride that you felt when you'd kneel
Not the word, not the love
Not what you thought from above

It feeds it grows
It clouds all that you will know

Deceit deceive
Decide just what you believe
I see faith in your eyes
Never your hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Find your peace
Find your say
Find the smooth road in your way
Trust you gave
A child to save
Left you cold and him in grave

It feeds it grows
It clouds all that you will know
Deceit deceive
Decide just what you believe
I see faith in your eyes
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed

I see faith in your eyes
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by the deepened nail
Follow the god that failed

Pride you took pride you feel
Pride that you felt when you'd kneel
Trust you gave a child to save
Left you cold and him in grave

I see faith in your eyes
Never you hear the discouraging lies
I hear faith in your cries
Broken is the promise, betrayal
The healing hand held back by deepened nail
Follow the god that failed
Follow the god that failed
Broken is the promise, betrayal, betrayal yeah

Overall Meaning

"The God That Failed" is a song about the loss of faith in God and religion. It talks about the pride one feels while kneeling and praying, and how that pride can be clouded by deception and betrayal. The song implies that the belief in God can be a source of comfort and healing, but it can also be a source of pain and disappointment, especially when promises are broken and trust is betrayed. The song encourages listeners to find their own way and to decide what they truly believe in, rather than blindly following a god that may have failed them.

The lyrics also touch on the theme of sacrifice, as the singer sacrifices their own pride and trust in exchange for the hope of saving a child. However, that sacrifice ultimately results in betrayal and tragedy, leaving the singer questioning their faith and the existence of a loving god.

This song is deeply personal to Metallica's frontman, James Hetfield, as it was inspired by the death of his mother due to her refusal to seek medical attention for religious reasons. Hetfield's lyrics express his anger and frustration with the idea that someone's faith could lead to their own demise.

Line by Line Meaning

Pride you took Pride you feel
You felt proud for taking pride

Pride that you felt when you'd kneel
You felt prideful even when you were supposed to be humbling yourself

Not the word, not the love
You didn't understand the true meaning of religion, which is love and compassion

Not what you thought from above
Your idea of religion was not what was actually intended by a higher power

It feeds it grows
Your pride grows as you feed it

It clouds all that you will know
Your pride blinds you from seeing the truth

Deceit deceive
Lies deceive

Decide just what you believe
You must determine what you truly believe

I see faith in your eyes
You appear to be faithful

Never your hear the discouraging lies
You don't listen to those who try to discourage you

I hear faith in your cries
Your cries show that you still believe