What does Ride the Lightning mean?

Metallica: Ride the Lightning Meaning

Album cover for Ride the Lightning album cover

Ride the Lightning Lyrics



Guilty as charged
But damn it, 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”?

Flash before...

  1. anonymous
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    Aug 10th 2008 !⃝

    This song can be interpreted in many ways, but I think it is partly based on the movie "The Green Mile". As you can hear in the song, James explains that the man strapped in the chair is an innocent man, much like "The Green Mile". Or it could simply be about an innocent man stuck in the electric chair, watching his life flash before his eyes in a hellish flame....

  2. anonymous
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    Jul 12th 2008 !⃝

    It's about burning in hell

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  3. anonymous
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    Jul 10th 2008 !⃝

    It's about a guy dying on the electric chair... Nothing more...

  4. anonymous
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    May 9th 2008 !⃝

    He was dreaming vividly of going to the chair but the dream apparently didn't include the actual crime he committed to get there.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  5. anonymous
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    Nov 23rd 2007 !⃝

    Basically, the whole song is about someone who is dying for another mans crime. I read the actual interpretation of the song and they said that's what it's about. Guilty is charged/ but it aint right. It wasnt the persons fauly. Hes dying for someone else.

  6. anonymous
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    May 15th 2007 !⃝

    It's about someone being executed in the electric chair.

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 6th 2007 !⃝

    It's about Zuess the Greek God who imitates Tony Hawk By riding the lightning with a skateboard.

  8. anonymous
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    Mar 7th 2007 !⃝

    Well its simple it's about being in jail while you hear the screams of people getting put in the electric chair and hoping that you don't get put in there....... I think

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