Metallica - Blackened

Metallica - Blackened - Meaning of the song

"Blackened" is about the end of the world as it is described in the Bible. Pollution, deforestation, and other social issues are also addressed.

This is one of three Metallica songs co-written by Jason Newsted, who played bass for the band from 1986 to 2001. The others being "My Friend Of Misery" and "Where the Wild Things Are."

And Justice for All was his first studio album with the group, and "Blackened" was the first song he contributed to.

Composing the song with James Hetfield was a memorable experience for Newsted, who was still star-struck and ecstatic to be bouncing ideas off the Metallica frontman. According to Jason Newsted,

My one-bedroom apartment was where we were. We were jamming on our guitars, just playing through some riffs, and I had my little four-track Tascam set up in the corner of the bedroom. "Dude, what is that?" he says after hearing the "Blackened" riff. Because that was completely insane. The original is an extremely quick alternating item. It's actually quite difficult. I mean, the one that wound up on the record is difficult as well, but the original is even more difficult.

That was caught up on by him, and we videotaped it. "Let's build it to this, and build it to this," he says. It was a beautiful moment. "This is going to be a Metallica song," James from Metallica said as I was writing a song with him. That was a life-changing experience for me. I had a huge Damage Inc. tour banner on my bedroom wall, just above my small station with my speakers, my little four-track, and the two or three guitars in my collection, because we had already been on tour together.

And there we were, I could clearly paint that scene for you. It was a watershed moment for me because I was obtaining approval from The Man to have one of my tunes included on a Metallica album for the first time. That was a very special time in my life.

Blackened - Lyrics

Blackened is the end

Winter it will send

Throwing all you see

Into obscurity

Death of Mother Earth

Never a rebirth

Evolution’s end

Never will it mend

Never

Fire

To begin whipping dance of the dead

Blackened is the end

To begin whipping dance of the dead

Color our world blackened

Blistering of earth

Terminate its worth

Deadly nicotine

Kills what might have been

Callous frigid chill

Nothing left to kill

Never seen before

Breathing nevermore

Never

Fire

To begin whipping dance of the dead

Blackened is the end

To begin whipping dance of the dead

Color our world blackened

Blackened

Opposition...contradiction...premonition...compromise

Agitation...violation...mutilation...planet dies

Darkest color

Blistered earth

True death of life

Termination...expiration...cancellation...human race

Expectation...liberation...population...lay to waste

See our mother

Put to death

See our mother die

Smoldering decay

Take her breath away

Millions of our years

In minutes disappears

Darkening in vain

Decadence remains

All is said and done

Never is the sun

Never

Fire

To begin whipping dance of the dead

Blackened is the end

To begin whipping dance of the dead

Fire

Is the outcome of hypocrisy

Darkest potency

In the exit of humanity

Color our world blackened

Blackened