What does One mean?

Metallica: One Meaning

Album cover for One album cover

Song Released: 1989


One Lyrics

I can't remember anything
Can't tell if this is true or dream
Deep down inside I feel to scream
This terrible silence stops me

Now that the war is through with me
I'm waking up, I cannot see
That there's not much left of me
Nothing is...

  1. anonymous
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    Apr 3rd 2007 !⃝

    OK it's about the book "Jonny's Got a Gun". Plus for all you people who think Metallica writes songs about drugs... well you're right, but still this one is about the book.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  2. anonymous
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    Dec 8th 2006 !⃝

    Obviously about a soldier stepping on a land mine and losing his arms, legs, sight, hearing, and speech. As shown by the lyrics:
    "Landmine, has taken my sight, taken my speech, taken my hearing, taken my arms, taken my legs, taken my soul, left me with life in hell."
    He is incapable of keeping himself alive and must rely on machines.:
    "Tied to machines that make me be."
    The over all theme is that he does not want to live like this and wants to die, as he can't communicate with anyone he prays to God the only being that he can communicate with.:
    "Hold my breath as I wish for death, Oh God help me!"

  3. anonymous
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    Jun 27th 2006 !⃝

    It is based on the book johnny got his gun, I've seen an interview with lars where he says they based on the book since they had to read it in english class or some shit like that. as a matter of fact, the band bought the rights to the movie version of the book shortly after and justice for all was released, that's why you will never see it on dvd here in the states.

  4. Ssheska77
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    Apr 27th 2006 !⃝

    Okay, I don't remember where I read it but this song is based on a man who was in an Iron Lung. It's about total helplessness and having no will, machines breathing and feeding you. I heard the guy was in a coma, and the song also expresses that this man cannot communicate with people to tell them he is not happy being kept alive.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  5. anonymous
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    Apr 21st 2006 !⃝

    This song is a metaphor about drug and alcohol abuse, and how it will effect your life, all the lyrics about having no senses or limbs is basically saying that you have no control over your body when your under the influence.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  6. bassplayer91
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    Mar 27th 2006 !⃝

    It's about the book johnny get yoyr gon. Mrs. Wagner the English teacher told me, and she loves Metallica.

  7. Draco
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    Feb 23rd 2006 !⃝

    This song is NOT based on the movie or the book "Johnny get your gun". After the might Met wrote the song and recored it, they were told about the movie. They then got a copy of it and were supprised to find out how close the movie and the song were.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  8. Draco
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    Feb 23rd 2006 !⃝

    This song is NOT based on the movie or the book "Johnny get your gun". After the might Met wrote the song and recored it, they were told about the movie. They then got a copy of it and were supprised to find out how close the movie and the song were.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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    Feb 12th 2006 !⃝

    How can he tap "kill me" in morse code if he hasn't any limbs?

  10. xjack_oneillx
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    Jan 10th 2006 !⃝

    This song IS about a soldier that goes to war for democracy, and the trauma that he recieved from a land mine and his despair and pain, that he wants the doctors to kill him. If you listen to the Video for one, then this will make sense. during the bridge,you can hear the doctors in the background saying that the soldier is tapping "kill me" on a pipe in morse code. Check it out.

  11. anonymous
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    Jan 4th 2006 !⃝

    This song is about war and how this man thought he was going to go back home but only to wake up and find that he's on his death bed fighting for his life. He really has no strength so I believe he says pull this life off from me. Meaning tubes that are making him breath and stay alive. He hates what happenned but in other words this could all be a dream or a terrible nightmare. And by the way METALLICA IS AWSUME!!!

  12. metallica58266@msn.c
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    Nov 7th 2005 !⃝

    This song is not really about a guy who stepped on a land mine and got blown up. I am a lyricist and have a brother who was in the military. This is what I got out of the song: It is about a soldier dying from the injuries receive during war.

    In the verses of the song it explains the soldiers injuries and pain.

    in the chorus it explains how the soldier feels.

    then towards the end it shows the soldier fading away, for ex. if you really listen to this part:

    "Hold my breath as I wish for death
    Oh please god,wake me
    Now the world is gone I’m just one
    Oh god,help me hold my breath as I wish for death
    Oh please God help me

    Darkness imprisoning me
    All that I see
    Absolute horror
    I cannot live
    I cannot die
    Trapped in myself
    Body my holding cell"

    This part really shows the solder fading away.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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    Jun 19th 2005 !⃝

    This song was inspired by Johnny get your gun

  14. djcates81
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    Feb 27th 2004 !⃝

    This song is about a man who goes to war for democracy and ends up hitting a land mine which blows his arms and legs off,as well as taking away his ability to speak, hear, and see. he lies in bed and holds his breath wanting to die.

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