Metallica first found commercial success with the release of its third album, Master of Puppets (1986), which is cited as one of the heaviest metal albums and the band's best work. The band's next album, ...And Justice for All (1988), gave Metallica its first Grammy Award nomination. Its self-titled fifth album, Metallica (1991), was the band's first not to root predominantly in thrash metal; it appealed to a more mainstream audience, achieving substantial commercial success and selling over 16 million copies in the United States to date, making it the best-selling album of the SoundScan era. After experimenting with different genres and directions in subsequent releases, Metallica returned to its thrash metal roots with the release of its ninth album, Death Magnetic (2008), which drew similar praise to that of the band's earlier albums. This was followed by the band's 10th studio album, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct (2016), with its 11th album, 72 Seasons, releasing in 2023.
In 2000, Metallica led the case against the peer-to-peer file sharing service Napster, in which the band and several other artists filed lawsuits against the service for sharing their copyright-protected material without consent, eventually reaching a settlement. Metallica was the subject of the acclaimed 2004 documentary film Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, which documented the troubled production of the band's eighth album, St. Anger (2003), and the internal struggles within the band at the time. In 2009, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band co-wrote the screenplay for and starred alongside Dane DeHaan in the 2013 concert film Metallica: Through the Never, in which the band performed live against a fictional thriller storyline.
Metallica has released 10 studio albums, four live albums (including two performances with the San Francisco Symphony), 12 video albums, a cover album, two extended plays, 37 singles and 39 music videos. The band has won nine Grammy Awards from 23 nominations, and its last six studio albums (beginning with Metallica) have consecutively debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Metallica ranks as one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, having sold over 125 million albums worldwide as of 2018. Metallica has been listed as one of the greatest artists of all time by magazines such as Rolling Stone, which ranked the band No. 61 on its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list. As of 2017, Metallica is the third-best-selling music artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, selling a total of 58 million albums in the United States.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallica
Studio albums
Kill 'Em All (1983)
Ride the Lightning (1984)
Master of Puppets (1986)
...And Justice for All (1988)
Metallica (1991)
Load (1996)
Reload (1997)
St. Anger (2003)
Death Magnetic (2008)
Hardwired... to Self-Destruct (2016)
72 Seasons (2023)
Until It Sleeps
Metallica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I run but it stays right my side
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me, until it sleeps
Just like the curse, just like the stray
You feed it once and now it stays, now it stays
So tear me open but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, until I'm clean
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, so hold me
Until it sleeps (until it sleeps, until it sleeps)
So tell me why you've chosen me
Don't want your grip, don't want your greed, don't want it
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No more can you hurt anyone
And the fear still shakes me
So hold me, until it sleeps
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, holds you, holds you
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps, until it sleeps
I don't want it
I don't want it, want it, want it
Want it, want it, no
So tear me open but beware
The things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me 'til I'm clean
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No longer will you hurt anyone
And the hate still shapes me
So hold me, until it sleeps
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps
Metallica's Until It Sleeps is a song packed with lyrics that relate to different human experiences. The song talks about how pain can be stubborn and how it seems to continue to linger even when it's tried to be pushed away. The singer asks where he would take his pain as he runs away from it, but it continues to follow closely. He then expresses the desire to be torn open, and his emotions poured out so those things inside him that are screaming and shouting can be let out. He continues to sing about how pain is something that stays and holds onto a person, much like a curse or a stray. Once feeding it happens, it holds tight and becomes even harder to let go.
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics switch to the point where the singer questions someone who has chosen him, but the person comes with greed and a tight grip. He expresses the need to tear himself open to make the person and the pain gone for good. The song ends with the singer asking to be held until the pain and the dirt stain him clear, and the fear shapes him until it sleeps. Ultimately, the song speaks of a person's struggle with pain, fear, and the need to free themselves from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do I take this pain of mine
The singer is struggling with inner turmoil and is searching for a way to deal with their pain.
I run, but it stays right by my side
Despite trying to escape, the pain always seems to follow the singer wherever they go.
So tear me open, pour me out
The singer is asking for someone to help them reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings.
There's things inside that scream and shout
The artist's innermost thoughts and feelings are tumultuous and overwhelming.
And the pain still hates me
Despite trying to deal with their pain, the artist feels like the pain is still in control of their life.
So hold me, until it sleeps
The singer is asking for comfort and support to help them deal with their pain.
Just like the curse, just like the stray
The pain is like a curse or a stray animal, something that can't be easily controlled or dealt with.
You feed it once, and now it stays
The more attention and focus the pain is given, the more it seems to take hold and linger.
So tear me open, but beware
The artist is asking for someone to help them confront their innermost thoughts and feelings, but also warns that it won't be an easy process.
There's things inside without a care
The artist's innermost thoughts and feelings seem to be unfeeling and uncaring.
And the dirt still stains me
The singer's past experiences and traumas have left a permanent mark on them.
So wash me, until I'm clean
The artist is asking for help to cleanse and heal their past experiences and traumas.
It grips you, so hold me
The pain is overwhelming and all-consuming, and the singer is asking for someone to hold them through it.
It stains you, so hold me
The pain has affected those around the singer, and they are asking for comfort and support.
It hates you, so hold me
The pain is directed towards those around the singer, and they are asking for comfort and support despite that.
It holds you, so hold me
The pain is controlling and powerful, and the artist needs someone to counterbalance that and hold them.
So tell me why you've chosen me
The artist is addressing someone and asking what drew them to the artist and their pain.
Don't want your grip, don't want your greed
The singer doesn't want someone to be controlling or selfish in dealing with their pain.
I'll tear me open, make you gone
The singer is taking control of their own healing and is willing to face their inner demons to do so.
No more can you hurt anyone
The artist is taking ownership of their pain and resolving to not let it continue to hurt themselves or others.
And the fear still shakes me
Despite trying to deal with their pain, the artist is still afraid of what might happen.
So hold me, until it sleeps
The artist needs comfort and support to lessen their fear and help them deal with their pain.
I don't want it
The singer is resolute in their desire to overcome their pain and heal from their past experiences.
So tear me open, but beware
Once again, the artist is asking for someone to help them confront their innermost thoughts and feelings, but also warns that it won't be an easy process.
The things inside without a care
The singer's innermost thoughts and feelings seem to lack sensitivity or compassion.
And the dirt still stains me
The singer's past experiences and traumas continue to affect them in the present.
So wash me, 'til I'm clean
The singer is asking for help to cleanse and heal their past experiences and traumas, once again.
I'll tear me open, make you gone
The artist is resolute in their determination to confront and overcome their pain.
No longer will you hurt anyone
The artist is taking ownership of their pain and resolving to not let it continue to hurt themselves or others, again.
And the fear still shapes me
Despite trying to deal with their pain, the singer is still afraid of what might happen, again.
So hold me, until it sleeps
The singer once again needs comfort and support to lessen their fear and help them deal with their pain.
Until it sleeps
The pain and trauma that the artist is trying to confront and deal with.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Alan Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TRAYANOVA
LYRICS:
Where do I take this pain of mine?
I run but it stays right my side
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me, until it sleeps
Just like the curse, just like the stray
You feed it once and now it stays, now it stays
So tear me open but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, until I'm clean
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, so hold me
Until it sleeps (until it sleeps, until it sleeps)
So tell me why you've chosen me
Don't want your grip, don't want your greed, don't want it
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No more can you hurt anyone
And the fear still shakes me
So hold me, until it sleeps
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, holds you, holds you
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps, until it sleeps
I don't want it
I don't want it, want it, want it
Want it, want it, no
So tear me open but beware
The things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me 'til I'm clean
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No longer will you hurt anyone
And the hate still shapes me
So hold me, until it sleeps
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps
Until it sleeps, until it sleeps
@unsaintly.
Lyrics:
Where do I take this pain of mine
I run, but it stays right my side
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me, until it sleeps
Just like the curse, just like the stray
You feed it once, and now it stays
So tear me open, but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, until I'm clean
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, so hold me
Until it sleeps
So tell me why you've chosen me
Don't want your grip, don't want your greed
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No more can you hurt anyone
And the fear still shakes me
So hold me, until it sleeps
It grips you, so hold me
It stains you, so hold me
It hates you, so hold me
It holds you, so hold me
Until it sleeps
I don't want it
So tear me open, but beware
The things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, 'till I'm clean
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No longer will you hurt anyone
And the fear still shapes me
So hold me, until it sleeps
Until it sleeps
@LuisGustavo-pv6fj
Metallica - Until It Sleeps
Where do I take this pain of mine?
I run but it stays right by my side
So tear me open, pour me out
There's things inside that scream and shout
And the pain still hates me
So hold me until it sleeps
Just like the curse, just like the stray
You feed it once and now it stays
Now it stays
So tear me open, but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, until I'm clean
It grips you so hold me
It stains you so hold me
It hates you so hold me
It holds you so hold me
Until it sleeps
So tell me why you've chosen me
Don't want your grip
Don't want your greed
Don't want it
I'll Tear me open, make you gone
No more can you hurt anyone
And the fear still shakes me
So hold me until it sleeps
It grips you so hold me
It stains you so hold me
It hates you so hold me
It holds you, holds you, holds you
Until it sleeps
I don't want it, no
So tear me open, but beware
There's things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me
So wash me, 'til clean!
I'll tear me open, make you gone
No longer will you hurt anyone
And the hate still shapes me
So hold me until it sleeps
Until it sleeps
Until it sleeps
@mcvaycastaway3523
This piece resonates big time.
Anger. Hatred. Demons. Self destruction.
This song is a very indepth psychological statement of truth.
@1987TimeLord
I remember reading somewhere that its a song about cancer and what it does to people. But I agree with you that it can be interpreted as meaning so many other things.
@boekestijndaniel
I've read this and I kind of felt it like that. It's about his alcohol addiction and what it does to him and everything around him. I think he is sober for quite some time, like at least 7-10 years. And it's his wife that saved him.
@boekestijndaniel
But, yeah. Just googled it now. It's about his mom's cancer and the aftermath.
@supererikman5331
Very powerful song about James' mother's battle with cancer and her refusal to take the treatment due to her fundamentalist beliefs. You can hear James' sadness and frustration combined in this song. The video shows his blame of religion for his mother's death
@ApostolosKatsioulas
Many Metallica songs remind me of my past battles, I've suffered from dysthymic depression from 18 to 29.
@blankearth5840
Some people say that this is their worst era, but I actually like this style of Metallica a lot. The edgy make up and alternative metal esque sound has to be my favorite style of Metallica. It seems to have its own niche
@ihateeveryone8161
It's always been a good record, it's just not a good Metallica record who at the time had branded themselves as a heavy/thrash metal band where at this record and reload were much more hard/alternative rock
@a77ackeranimations20
This album is more like Southern rock
@jaybrybry
I loved Metallica since age 8 and I was 13 when this came out I carried this album in my baptist school and sketched James Hetfield during class I'm gay but man for a dude he's yummy here