Ride the Lightning

Track 2 on Ride the Lightning (Deluxe Edition)

Producers

Metallica’s gut-wrenching “Ride The Lightning” is about spending your final moments in an electric chair. The title was taken from Stephen King’s The Stand. We just got… Read More

Jul. 27, 19841 viewer311K views

Ride the Lightning Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Guilty as charged, but dammit, it ain't right
There's someone else controlling me
Death in the air, strapped in the electric chair
This can't be happening to me
Who made you God to say
"I'll take your life from you"?

[Chorus]
Flash before my eyes
Now it's time to die
Burning in my brain
I can feel the flame

[Verse 2]
Wait for the sign to flick the switch of death
It's the beginning of the end
Sweat, chilling cold, as I watch death unfold
Consciousness, my only friend
My fingers grip with fear
What am I doing here?

[Chorus]
Flash before my eyes
Now it's time to die
Burning in my brain
I can feel the flame

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[Bridge]
Someone help me
Oh please, God, help me
They're trying to take it all away
I don't want to die

[Guitar Solo]

[Bridge]
Someone help me
Oh please, God, help me
They're trying to take it all away
I don't want to die

[Verse 3]
Time moving slow, the minutes seem like hours
The final curtain all I see
How true is this? Just get it over with
If this is true, just let it be
Wakened by horrid scream
Freed from this frightening dream

[Chorus]
Flash before my eyes
Now it's time to die
Burning in my brain
I can feel the flame

Embed

About

Genius Annotation

Metallica’s gut-wrenching “Ride The Lightning” is about spending your final moments in an electric chair. The title was taken from Stephen King’s The Stand.

We just got into some social topics. The death penalty was a big question and the electric chair. That’s heavy. What if that was you, mistakenly? That’s what that song was about, being accidentally found guilty and put to death with no way to stop it. It was just a matter of putting myself into other people’s situations and trying to get these feelings out.

—James Hetfield, Rolling Stone

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Metallica say about "Ride the Lightning"?

Genius Answer

“Ride the Lightning” is a song about being trapped in a situation you can’t get out of. Big Brother, The Man, fear, and manipulation. Those sort of things became the lyrical tentpoles over the next couple of records.

—Lars Ulrich, Metal Hammer

I was the one who spotted the phrase ‘Ride the lightning’. It was when we were recording the first album when we were staying the house of this guy named Gary Zefting. I was reading the book The Stand by Stephen King, waiting to do my parts, and I read that phrase. It stuck in my head, so I wrote it down and told James. He was, like, ‘Whoah, cool…’

—Kirk Hammett, Metal Hammer

Is there a live performance of "Ride the Lightning" by Metallica?

Genius Answer

Who produced “Ride the Lightning” by Metallica?

When did Metallica release “Ride the Lightning”?

Who wrote “Ride the Lightning” by Metallica?

Ride the Lightning (Deluxe Edition) (2016)

Metallica

1.
Fight Fire with Fire
2.
Ride the Lightning
3.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
4.
Fade to Black
5.
Trapped Under Ice
6.
Escape
7.
Creeping Death
8.
The Call of Ktulu
9.
The Ecstasy of Gold
10.
Fight Fire with Fire (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985)
11.
Ride the Lightning (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985)
12.
Phantom Lord (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
13.
(Anesthesia)-Pulling Teeth (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
14.
For Whom The Bell Tolls (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
15.
No Remorse (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
16.
Fade To Black (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
17.
Seek & Destroy (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
18.
Creeping Death (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
19.
Am I Evil? (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
20.
Motorbreath (Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - Mar. 10th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
21.
Creeping Death (Creeping Death EP Version)
22.
Am I Evil?
23.
Blitzkrieg
24.
Ride The LIghtning (Studio Demo) (Missing Lyrics)
25.
When Hell Freezes Over (The Call Of Ktulu) [Studio Demo] (Missing Lyrics)
26.
Creeping Death (Studio Demo) (Missing Lyrics)
27.
Fight Fire With Fire (Studio Demo) (Missing Lyrics)
28.
Ride the LIghtning (Garage Demo) (Missing Lyrics)
29.
When Hell Freezes Over (The Call of Ktulu) [Garage Demo] (Missing Lyrics)
30.
Fight Fire With Fire (Garage Demo) (Missing Lyrics)
31.
Ride the Lightning (Boom Box Demo) (Missing Lyrics)
32.
Blitzkrieg (Rhythm Track Rough Mix) (Missing Lyrics)
33.
Am I Evil? (Rhythm Track Rough Mix) (Missing Lyrics)
34.
Fight Fire with Fire (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
35.
Ride the Lightning (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
36.
Phantom Lord (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
37.
The Four Horsemen (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
38.
(Anesthesia)-Pulling Teeth (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
39.
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
40.
No Remorse (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
41.
Fade to Black (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
42.
Creeping Death (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
43.
Guitar Solo (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
44.
Am I Evil? (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
45.
Motorbreath (Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA - Mar. 15th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
46.
Phantom Lord (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
47.
The Four Horsemen (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
48.
(Anesthesia)-Pulling Teeth (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
49.
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
50.
No Remorse (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
51.
The Call of Ktulu (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
52.
Seek & Destroy (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
53.
Whiplash (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
54.
Creeping Death (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
55.
Guitar Solo (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
56.
Metal Militia (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK - Dec. 20th, 1984) (Missing Lyrics)
57.
Creeping Death (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
58.
Ride the Lightning (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
59.
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
60.
The Four Horsemen (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
61.
Fade to Black (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
62.
Seek & Destroy (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
63.
Whiplash (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)
64.
Motorbreath (Live at Castle Donington, UK - Aug. 17th, 1985) (Missing Lyrics)