The Metal
Tenacious D Lyrics
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The metal will live on
Punk rock tried to kill the metal
But they failed, as they were smite to the ground
New wave tried to kill the metal
But they failed as they were stricken down to the ground
Grunge tried to kill the metal
They failed, as they were thrown to the ground
Ah, yeah
Ah, yeah
No one can destroy the metal
The metal will strike you down with a vicious blow
We are the vanquished foes of the metal
We tried to win, for why? We do not know
New wave tried to destroy the metal
But the metal had its way
Grunge then tried to dethrone the metal
But metal was in the way
Punk rock tried to destroy the metal
But metal was much too strong
Techno tried to defile the metal
But techno was proven wrong
Yeah
Metal
It comes from hell
The lyrics to Tenacious D's song The Metal are a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the enduring power of heavy metal music. The repeated refrain of "You can't kill the metal, the metal will live on" speaks to the idea that despite various attempts to supplant it with other genres, heavy metal remains a beloved and enduring musical form.
The song's verses namecheck various other genres such as punk rock, new wave, grunge and techno, all of which are portrayed as having failed miserably in their attempts to destroy or co-opt the power of heavy metal. The chorus comes back in to emphasize the point that "No one can destroy the metal," and that it will "strike you down with a vicious blow." The final lines of the song suggest that heavy metal has diabolical origins, famously declaring that "It comes from hell."
Taken as a whole, the lyrics to The Metal are a loving parody of heavy metal and the culture that surrounds it, acknowledging its bombast and occasional silliness while also celebrating its staying power and iconic status in the world of music.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't kill the metal
The metal is an indestructible force that cannot be eliminated.
The metal will live on
The metal will continue to exist eternally, forever standing strong and powerful.
Punk rock tried to kill the metal
The punk rock genre made an attempt to overthrow the metal genre and put an end to its reign.
But they failed, as they were smite to the ground
Their attempt to destroy the metal was unsuccessful, as they were defeated and brought down by the strength of the metal.
New wave tried to kill the metal
The new wave movement attempted to take down the metal, hoping to replace it with their own genre.
But they failed as they were stricken down to the ground
Their attack on the metal proved futile, as they too were knocked down by its might and superiority.
Grunge tried to kill the metal
The grunge genre made an effort to eliminate metal and take its place as the superior genre.
They failed, as they were thrown to the ground
The metal fought back and proved too strong for grunge to succeed, causing them to fall and fail in their endeavor.
No one can destroy the metal
The metal is unbeatable and cannot be destroyed by any other musical genre or force.
The metal will strike you down with a vicious blow
The metal will hit hard and fierce, taking down any who dare to challenge its authority and strength.
We are the vanquished foes of the metal
As challengers of the metal's superiority, we have been defeated and overthrown.
We tried to win, for why? We do not know
We fought against the metal out of uncertainty and confusion as to why it held such power and influence.
New wave tried to destroy the metal
The new wave movement made an attempt to crush and abolish the metal genre.
But the metal had its way
The metal emerged victorious in its battle against new wave and maintained its dominance.
Grunge then tried to dethrone the metal
Grunge sought to overthrow the metal and take over its position as the most dominant genre.
But metal was in the way
The metal stood strong and resolute, blocking the path of grunge's attempt to topple it.
Punk rock tried to destroy the metal
Punk rock made an attack on the metal's power and authority, attempting to take it down for good.
But metal was much too strong
The metal's strength and force proved to be too superior for punk rock to prevail against it.
Techno tried to defile the metal
The rise of techno encouraged an attempt to corrupt and tarnish the reputation of the metal genre.
But techno was proven wrong
The metal proved techno's inferiority and prevented it from succeeding in taking away its success and popularity.
Metal
The metal music genre; a powerful and unmatched musical movement.
It comes from hell
The metal is dark and intense in nature, descending from a place of aggression and destruction.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Robert King, Jack Black, Kyle Richard Gass, John S. Konesky
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind