The song deals with the blacklisting as a whole.
The blacklisting took place in the 1950's where everyone whose view was a little out of the ordinary was immediately labeled for being a threat to the society - a communist. In Hollywood were a lot of people whose views didn't fit in with the mainstream, so they all were shoved out of the entertainment industry just because of their convictions.
The Shortest Straw
Metallica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your honesty to blame
Put dignity to shame dishonor
Witch hunt modern day
Determining decay
The blatter and disarray disfigure
The public eyes disgrace
Defying common place
Deafening
Painstaking
Reckoning
This vertigo it doth bring
Shortest straw challenge liberty
Downed by law
Live in infamy
Rub you raw
Witch hunt riding through shortest straw
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
Pulled for you (shortest straw)
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
The accusations fly discrimination, why?
Your inner self to die intruding
Doubt sunk itself in you
It's teeth and talons through
Your living catch twenty two deluding
A mass hysteria a megalomania
Reveal dementia, reveal
Secretly, silently, certainly
In vertigo you will be
Shortest straw
Challenge liberty
Downed by law
Live in infamy
Rub you raw
Witch hunt riding through shortest straw
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
Pulled for you (shortest straw)
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
Pulled for you (shortest straw)
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
Behind you, hands are tied
Your being, ostracized
Your hell is multiplied upending
The fallout has begun
Oppressive damage done
Your many turned to none to nothing
You're reaching your nadir
Your will has disappeared
The lie is crystal clear defending
Channels red
One word said
Blacklisted with vertigo make you dead
Shortest straw
Challenge liberty
Downed by law
Live in infamy
Rub you raw
Witch hunt riding through
Shortest straw
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
Pulled for you
The lyrics to Metallica's song The Shortest Straw express the feelings of suspicion, accusation, and persecution that can result from a witch hunt. The song reflects a modern-day witch hunt that leads to the breakdown of dignity, discrimination, and social decay. The lyrics convey the message that even in a world of common sense and justice, people can fall victim to suspicion and irrationality, leading to their ostracization and downfall. The shortest straw is a metaphorical reference to the fate of people who are singled out for disdain and punishment. They are the ones to be punished first when the law comes down against them.
These lyrics seem to be very relevant to the contemporary social and political climate, where there is a growing tendency to categorize ideological opponents as enemies or "witches." The song seems to assert that this practice is not just morally and ethically wrong, but can also lead to social decay, fear-mongering, and divisiveness.
The overall composition of the song is essential in its interpretation because it communicates the emotions through its elements. It has an aggressive beat and piercing instrumentals that reflect the intensity and brutality of the witch hunt. Furthermore, the use of powerful adjectives such as "deafening," "painstaking," "reckoning," and "megalomania" convey the depth of the emotions involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Suspicion is your name
You are constantly suspected of wrongdoing.
Your honesty to blame
Your truthfulness is causing others to doubt you.
Put dignity to shame dishonor
Others are treating you with disrespect and lack of honor.
Witch hunt modern day
You are the target of a modern-day witch hunt.
Determining decay
The situation is getting worse and you are unable to stop it.
The blatter and disarray disfigure
The rumors and chaos are causing harm and damage.
The public eyes disgrace
Your reputation is ruined in the eyes of the public.
Defying common place
The situation is going against what is considered normal.
Unending paper chase unending
The process of proving your innocence seems to have no end.
Deafening
The negativity and noise surrounding you is overwhelming.
Painstaking
The process of trying to clear your name is extremely difficult and requires great effort.
Reckoning
The day of judgment is coming for you.
This vertigo it doth bring
The situation is causing you to feel dizzy and disoriented.
Shortest straw challenge liberty
Your freedom is being challenged and unfairly limited.
Downed by law
The law is against you and has set you up to fail.
Live in infamy
Your name and reputation will go down in history as infamous.
Rub you raw
The situation is causing you great pain and discomfort.
Witch hunt riding through shortest straw
The unfair and unjust treatment against you is like a witch hunt riding through the smallest possible opening.
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
You have been unfairly singled out and given the most difficult challenge.
The accusations fly discrimination, why?
You are being accused of discrimination and you don't understand why.
Your inner self to die intruding
The constant scrutiny and accusations are causing you to lose touch with your true self.
Doubt sunk itself in you
You are starting to doubt yourself and question your own innocence.
It's teeth and talons through
The situation is clawing and biting into you, causing great harm.
Your living catch twenty two deluding
You feel trapped and stuck in an impossible situation.
A mass hysteria a megalomania
The situation has caused a widespread panic and delusion among the public.
Reveal dementia, reveal
The true insanity and irrationality of the situation is becoming more and more clear.
Secretly, silently, certainly
The unfair treatment against you is happening behind closed doors and with great certainty.
In vertigo you will be
The situation is causing you to feel dizzy and disoriented.
Behind you, hands are tied
You are unable to defend yourself because you are being constrained or restrained in some way.
Your being, ostracized
You are being excluded and rejected by others because of the situation you are in.
Your hell is multiplied upending
The situation is making your life a living hell and it is getting worse.
The fallout has begun
The consequences of the situation are starting to show.
Oppressive damage done
The harm and damage caused by the situation is oppressive and severe.
Your many turned to none to nothing
You are losing the support and trust of the people who were once behind you.
You're reaching your nadir
You are reaching the lowest point of the situation.
Your will has disappeared
You are losing the strength and resolve to keep fighting.
The lie is crystal clear defending
The truth is becoming more and more obvious, despite attempts to defend against it.
Channels red
The situation has escalated and the danger is high.
One word said
A single accusation or word can have a huge impact on the situation.
Blacklisted with vertigo make you dead
You are being unfairly punished and ostracized, and the situation is causing you great harm.
Pulled for you
You have been unfairly singled out and given the most difficult challenge.
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
You have been unfairly singled out and given the most difficult challenge.
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