The Shortest Straw
Metallica [MuziKraft.com] Lyrics
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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
In Metallica's "The Shortest Straw", the lyrics explore the theme of injustice and persecution of innocent individuals in modern society where suspicion and discrimination are rampant. The song begins by addressing a person's name being associated with suspicion and blame, leading to dishonor and shame. The witch hunt of the modern day is determined to cause decay and disarray, leading to public disgrace and defying common place.
The song then proceeds to highlight the challenges faced by this person who feels that their liberty is being taken away. They feel downed by the law and live in infamy, with witch hunts riding through the shortest straw. The person feels like the shortest straw is being pulled for them, which means that they have been singled out and picked on unfairly. The accusations fly without reason, leading to inner turmoil and the eventual death of their inner self.
The bridge of the song focuses on how the individual's life has been upturned, with their hands tied and being ostracized. They feel like they are on their way down, with their will having disappeared. The lie has become crystal clear, and the person is forced to live with the vertigo of being blacklisted, making them dead inside. The overall message of the song seems to suggest that in a society where witch hunts and discrimination are prevalent, it is easy for innocent individuals to become victims of injustice.
Line by Line Meaning
Suspicion is your name
You are known to be suspicious
Your honesty to blame
People blame you for being honest
Put dignity to shame dishonor
Your actions have brought shame and dishonor to your dignity
Witch hunt modern day
The situation is like a modern day witch hunt
Determining decay
The process of decay is taking place
The blatter and disarray disfigure
The chaos and confusion are disfiguring everything around
The public eyes disgrace
The public is looking down on you with contempt
Defying common place
Your actions are not in accordance with common norms
Unending paper chase unending
The process of collecting evidence and building a case against you is unending
Deafening
The situation is overwhelming and deafening
Painstaking
The process of building a case against you is being done with great care
Reckoning
A time of judgment is approaching
This vertigo it doth bring
This situation is causing a dizzying loss of balance
Shortest straw challenge liberty
The situation you are in challenges your freedom
Downed by law
You have been defeated by the law
Live in infamy
You will be remembered for all the wrong reasons
Rub you raw
The situation is causing you great pain and discomfort
Witch hunt riding through shortest straw
The witch hunt is closing in on you and you have nowhere to escape
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
Your fate has been sealed
The accusations fly discrimination, why?
The accusations against you are unfounded and discriminatory
Your inner self to die intruding
The situation is causing your inner self to wither away
Doubt sunk itself in you
You are starting to doubt yourself
It's teeth and talons through
The situation is causing you great pain and discomfort
Your living catch twenty two deluding
You are in a situation where you can't win, and it's causing you great confusion
A mass hysteria a megalomania
The situation has created intense panic and delusions of grandeur
Reveal dementia, reveal
The situation is revealing your mental decline
Secretly, silently, certainly
The situation is progressing silently, but with certainty
In vertigo you will be
The situation will cause you to lose your sense of balance
Behind you, hands are tied
You have no way to defend yourself
Your being, ostracized
You are being excluded from society
Your hell is multiplied upending
Your suffering is being multiplied and you are being turned upside down
The fallout has begun
The consequences of your actions are starting to show
Oppressive damage done
Your actions have caused great harm
Your many turned to none to nothing
Your friends and supporters have turned their back on you
You're reaching your nadir
You are at the lowest point in your life
Your will has disappeared
You have lost your will to fight
The lie is crystal clear defending
Your lies have been exposed and you have no defense
Channels red
Everything is going wrong
One word said
One word could be enough to end it all
Blacklisted with vertigo make you dead
Being blacklisted while going through vertigo can be deadly
Pulled for you (shortest straw)
Your fate has been sealed
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
Your fate has been sealed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES ALAN HETFIELD, LARS ULRICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind