Unforgivin October 31st, 2007 09:47PM  
This song is easily the story of the Exodus from the Old Testament. The members of Metallica were raised christian, mostly Catholic or Christian Science, and according to Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield often used the Bible for lyrical insperation. In general, the song portrays the events of the first passover and the preceding plagues inflicted on the Egyptians to pressure the Pharoah into releasing the Isrealites from bondage, culminating with God sending the destroying angel, refered to as "Creeping Death" who comes to kill the firstborn children in Egypt. In order to escape this, the Isrealites are instructed to carry out the first passover and to sprinkle blood from the passover lamb above their doorway (lamb's blood painted door, I shall pass.) As they frequently do, Metallica is using the story of the first Passover as a metaphor for a desire to escape from a corrupt and decadent society and create a better one, much like the Isrealites left Egypt to create their own nation. Most of the songs on this album have similar meanings.

anonymous October 13th, 2008 04:27AM  
It's about the book of exodus in the bible. Cliff and James were watching The 10 Commandments and came up with the idea for the song.

anonymous July 4th, 2009 02:49PM  
Besides being totally awesome (METALLICA OWNS!!!!), It is about The bokk of Exodus in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is about the Jewish people being slaves in Egypt, and Moses, sent by God ("I'm Sent here by the Chosen One") asks the pharaoh to let them go. He says no, so God curses Egypt with Ten Plagues. a coulple are mentioned throuought the song, like the water of the Nile turning to Blood (" Blood Running red and strong down the nile"). And, James is singing as the Angel of Death, the Tenth Plague, God sent to kill every first born son in egypt ("Let it be done To kill the First born pharaoh son"). Cliff Burton heard this story, and said "Woah... It's like CREEPING DEATH." There You Go Biatches!!!!!!!!

anonymous October 5th, 2009 07:32PM  
This song is obviously about the enslavement and freedom of the Isrealites by the Egyptian pharaoh. It speaks of the plagues on Egypt after 400 years of enslavement. Metallica only mentions a few plagues, the Nile turns into blood, three days of darkness, and hail. Other plagues mentioned in the Bible but not in the song is frogs, knats, locusts, disease, boils, etc. The main plague in the song is the last/10th plague, the death of the first-born son. The angel of death, known in the song as creeping death, flies over every house that does not have lamb blood smeared on the door and kills the first-born/eldest son of the family. After this plague the pharaoh finally gave in to Moses' request to free the Israelites. So really it is not talking about the Exodus, the Exodus is about their travels after Egypt. It also never talks of Passover. Passover was the dinner they ate in preparation for the 10th plague. The only reference would be the blood "painted" on the doors.

Metallicamaniac666 November 28th, 2009 04:49AM  
Actually for those who did not know there are two versions to this song because b4 Kirk joined he was in a nd called exodus and he took the guitar part and the lyrics from Paul Baloff and yes it is about the plagues in exodus chapter 7-11 but it mainly focuses on the killing of the first born men as in the chorus and the bridge right b4 the solo where james is singing "Die,by my hand. I creep across the land, killing first born men."