Metallica: No Leaf Clover Meaning

Song Released: 1999

Get "No Leaf Clover" on MP3:

Get MP3 from Amazon

No Leaf Clover Lyrics

And it feels right this time
On his crash course we're in the big time
Pay no mind to the distant thunder
Beauty fills his head with wonder, boy

Say it feels right this time
Turned around, found new high lights
"Good day to be alive,...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 20th 2014 report

   This song is about a young man who sells his soul in exchange for a "quick reward" which is fame & the lime light. He chooses not to listen to his conscience and "the distant thunder", which are the warnings he hears from other people about his "distant" future. Just when he is beginning to enjoy his newly found short-lived success he says its a "Good Day to be alive, Sir" to an Angel of Death, and then Death suddenly overcomes him.
   
   He then finds himself falling down inside a Tunnel (Abyss) and sees a warm soothing light at the end of it. He later realizes that this "soothing light" that he's falling towards is actually a portal down into the 2nd dimension (Tartarus/Hell/Gehenna/Hades).
   
   In Tartarus all of the souls that fall down through this tunnel/wormhole opening "fall to his (Lucifer's) wish" into a everlasting lake of fire. The demons in the 2nd dimensions then mock this young man upon his arrival by saying "Sucker for that quick reward, boy!"
   
   "No Leaf Clover" is a simple cryptic way of saying "Your luck has just run out."

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 4th 2014 report

   This song is really about someone's life looking amazing (the light at the end of the tunnel) then unexpectedly taking a turn for the worse (the light being a freight train). Basically, it means that even though things look great ahead, it might not always be smooth sailing to get there.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   May 21st 2007 report

   I beleive the song is about a soldier whos run out of luck...
   " says it feels right this time" everythings gunna be fine he's ready and out of any direct danger.. Think the mission will be a success
   
   " were the big time" any unit that gets sent out has confidence and determination drilled into them.. everyone thinks there are invincible till the shit hits the fan.
   
   " good day to be alive sir" last words to his commanding officer.
   
   " suck up for that quick reward".... There are many people who sign up for that big 10,000 dollar sign on bonus.. or it could be sucking up to the commanding officer for a field promotion.
   
   "pay no mind to the distant thunder" we've all seen it in movies when the new guy gets worried, about loud explosions, and the old timer will say no worries that's at least a couple of miles away were not in harms way
   
   " all the pieces fall to his wish..."..... Sounds an awful lot like guys blaming there predidents and leaders when things are goin wrong overseas."
   
   "Yeah then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel is just a freight train coming your way,"..........
   you think that reinforcements are coming... To save the day... until you realize its the enemy and there comeing from both sides.....
   
   i realize my interpretation of the song is farfetched but as a solider myself and having been overseas its all I can think of when I hear the song. ~Irish~ NH
4. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   May 7th 2022 report

   I like all the interpretations here. For myself it makes me think of what Gen. Custer might have thought "It feels good this time" Sneaking up without being detected, only to run in and see that its a mistake and the end closing in.
5. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Feb 1st 2021 report

   Says it feels right this time: inferring he (the unnamed protagonist) has labored and failed many times in the past. But things are different now. He seems to believe he has it all figured out THIS TIME. All the pieces fall to his wish. He's the master of his universe or so he believes. Throws caution to the wind and recklessly pushes forward despite warnings. He's high with his newfound success so he is ignoring risks. Good day to be alive...Sucker for that quick reward. Living in the moment but catastrophe is clearly heading his way. This song has the ring of all bands who fall into drugs after they get some success and things start to hit for them. On top of the world...for now. Disaster is always on the horizon and they eventually destroy themselves. Same old story. Hetfield writes from experience here.
6. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 15th 2019 report

   This song is just about life and how hard it is. Things look up for a second and you get excited, but it's just a nothingness; a brief flicker of hope is followed by a kick in the bollocks. And THAT, is real life!
7. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   May 21st 2018 report

   This song is like any other song in the sense that the meaning is different for everyone. As a painter anyone who views my work will interpret the scene in many different ways, a song is the same. This song to me is very special, I can relate to the lyrics in many aspects of my own life. Many times the light at the end of the tunnel was just a freight train heading right for me. Always been a sucker for the quick reward only to realize the consequences later. Peace and love out
8. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Oct 30th 2017 report

   It means that the soothing light is death, thankfully removing you from this hell that is life.
9. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Apr 27th 2014 report

   I think it's a song about a very happy day in someone's life. Like pay no mind to the distand thonders. And the soothing light at the end of your tunnel is a fright train coming your way. It's like today is your day and your strong and have no fears.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Feb 28th 2012 report

    it means there will be no chance .you are optimistic but also you think some thing bad is going on,you feel premonition
11. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 14th 2011 report

    Umm the song is obviously about the beef tupac shakur had with biggie smalls, the soothing light refers to tupacs dreams and aspirations and the freight train refers to biggies large dick because biggie doesnt allow tupac to get anywhere and tupac loses all hope, the distant thunder refers to the day tupac knows he'll get shot, sir reffering to biggie. the title no leaf clover is referring to the bad quality weed that almost ends biggies career when he nearly ends up in jail.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
12. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Dec 25th 2010 report

    This is a prophetic song is about james' deal he cut with satan, the prince of lyrics.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. Lowden6

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Aug 21st 2010 report

    Someone's life is falling apart, thive gone broke, family died,Ect. They think it's gonna get better, "light at the end of your tunnel, is just a freight train coming your way." It dosn't get any better.
14. Metallicamaniac666

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Nov 28th 2009 report

    It kinda is a follow up to ain't my bitch with a person bothering them yet again and sucking up to them to get free stuff kinda like a groupie but its a dude instead eventually his luck runs out as he got trapped in a tunnel with a freight train ready to run over him ending his life.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Aug 30th 2009 report

    Well it's not about solders, not about happy days and it's definitely not about relationships.
    
    It's about someone who's life was wasted on quick rewards of life on earth. Someone who forgot to prepare for the next life. On the Judgement Day "it was good to be alive again and it feels right this time that there won't be a second death" "it was good to be alive"! But then hit with the truth, eternity is gonna be in Hell.
    
    "Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? (103)
    
    "Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds! (104)
    
    "They are those who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight. (105)
    
    "That shall be their recompense, Hell; because they disbelieved and took My Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and My Messengers by way of jest and mockery. (106)
    
    Quran Surah Al-Kahf (103-106/18)
16. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Aug 11th 2009 report

    "The soothing light at the end of the tunnel is just a freight train coming your way" meaning your life is over faster than you think.
17. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Jun 11th 2009 report

    Masoud747 - Karaj
    well i think that the lyric refers to man whom has no goodluck and everything goes unlikely around as it says "was just a frieght train comin' your way"
    and by the time passes it seems to be ok. and we see that at the end of the lyric the repetition of the lne "then it comes to be HERE yeah" focuses the happyending of the event. by the way every where it is written "then it comes to be yeah, yeah" while its true concept is "then it comes to be HERE, yeah"
    totally it is one of the best lyrics by metallica which will remain with the next generations too.
    goodluck and have four leaf clover !

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
18. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Mar 13th 2009 report

    In my opinion this song is about someone having a really hard time, but later on that person sees hope and a solution to his/her problem, but the "solution" is worse that the original problem. I relate this song to what's going on in my life, sometime ago I met a really pretty girl a thought she was the light at the end of the tunnel but she was a freight train coming my way.

Latest Articles

• 
  Song Analysis Corner: Snoopy vs. the Red Baron | The Royal Guardsmen
• 
  Eurovision Contest Winners part 1
• 
  KISS SUXX!
• 
  You Haven’t Met Your Last Reefer Man
• 
  Ruth Underwood and the “Zappa sound”
• 
  Catchy Commercial Earworms | vol 2