What does The Day That Never Comes mean?

Metallica: The Day That Never Comes Meaning

Tagged: War [suggest]
Album cover for The Day That Never Comes album cover

Song Released: 2008


The Day That Never Comes Lyrics

Born to push you around,
Better just stay down.
You pull away,
He hits the flesh,
You hit the ground.

Mouth so full of lies,
Tend to black your eyes.
Just keep them closed,
Keep praying,
Just keep waiting.

(Chorus:)...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    TheGM
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    Sep 17th 2010 !⃝

    I think this song is about all thoughts that cause separation among people. I mean the politicians, relegiuos leaders and those people who misuse from their power for own benefits. Ordinary people are just toys in their hands. They write the history and whatever they will, is going to happen! Their mouth filled with lies and they are trying to cover the truth.
    Born to push you around
    Better just stay down
    You pull away
    He hits the flesh
    You hit the ground

    Mouth so full lies
    Tend to block your eyes
    Just keep them closed
    Keep praying
    Just keep waiting
    All things we do are just waiting for someone to change the situation and obviously it is not going to happen by itself. We should do something to correct the condition.
    I'll end this day
    I'll spot a color on this gray (I will change the situation)

    The remaining part of this song is about promising to do so!

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Sep 13th 2009 !⃝

    I believe this song is about physical abuse toward a Spouse or Parental abuse toward a child. "Love is a four letter word and never spoken here" many negative and common four letter words being curses, and "love" meaning where there should be love there is not.
    Coupling "love" and the lyrics hinting abuse are what influenced my interpretation of the songs meaning.
    Also as the song reaches it's climax it suggests resolve and even revenge..a light at the end of the tunnel "I'l end this day, I'l splatter colour on this gray" and "Gonna make them pay, take it back one day"

  3. anonymous
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    Nov 9th 2021 !⃝

    This sounds to me like a victim of modern slavery. A person is kept indoors, beaten and isolated for what feels like forever.

  4. anonymous
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    Apr 22nd 2021 !⃝

    So my take on this songs lyrics are probably biased based on my own experience growing up, however to me, it sounds like they are singing about child abuse, both mental and physical, and trying to cope. The lyric "Hide in yourself crawl in yourself" specifically (at least from my experience) denotes to the self withdraw that can come from a guardian abusing a child. Eventually they just dont care and seclude. You'll have your time could refer to the child gaining retribution.

    The rest of the lyrics are pretty self explanatory imo

  5. anonymous
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    Apr 6th 2020 !⃝

    Frontman James Hetfield spoke on the lyrics of the song and also the radical difference of the song lyrics and vision intended to the music video.

    “ "That's the beauty, I think, of writing vague but powerful lyrics – that someone like a movie director can interpret it in his own way and obviously, someone creative is able to take the metaphors and apply them to whatever he needs in his own life," the frontman explained. "The main [theme of the video] is the human element of forgiveness and someone doing you wrong, you feeling resentment and you being able to see through that in the next situation that might be similar and not take your rage or resentment out on the next person and basically keep spreading the disease of that through life...The one thing that I wasn't keen on here was Metallica plugging into a modern war or a current event [that] might be construed as some sort of political statement on our part... There are so many celebrities that soapbox their opinions, and people believe it's more valid because they're popular. For us, people are people – you should all have your own opinion. We are hopefully putting the human element in what is an unfortunate part of life. There are people over there dealing with situations like this, and we're showing the human part of being there."

  6. anonymous
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    May 4th 2017 !⃝

    I think this song is about abuse, as some others have said. Either in a romantic relationship or a parent/child relationship. But I tend to lean more towards believing that this is a parent/child relationship. Maybe it's because I've lived this hell that I interpret it in this way...
    Waiting for the day that never comes, when you feel warmth: the warmth of love of others, self-worth, like life is worth living, that you have something to look forward to. That live IS a prison, it's gray. You withdraw into yourself, keep your head down and try not to cause trouble ("better just stay down", "hide in yourself; crawl in yourself").
    Even though the video shows a war scene, the idea that this song is about war or anything political literally makes no sense.

  7. anonymous
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    Feb 8th 2017 !⃝

    I believe it is a message "mouth so full of lies tend to black your eyes" means that you have been told ugly things that arent true that you begin to believe those hateful things that you dont see beauty at all but feel worthless. "Push you cross that line, just stay down this time crawl in yourself youll have your time" youve gone to a point of no return there is no going back withdrawl within yourself just hide within yourself dont get up and keep trying to make something work that you know deep inside isnt meant to be. You will get your chance just be patient you will be happy just trust in me"Ill splatter color on this grey" the grey is the point of existence you are not alive nor dead but just there suspended with no emotions left in your heart, i will change this existence and give you reason to live again. "Love is a four letter word never spoken here love is a four letter word here in this prision means so many people assume the world by using that word with no meaning it is often a prision as to why you feel trapped in the wrong relationship. Ill put an end to this I swear the sun will shine this I swear is promising to put an end to a current affair that one isnt planning to be in long term but only for the moment to fill ones physical needs that one isnt getting from the current relationship one feels trapped in due to time and children involved. To be with the one true love that exists in the heart that has been abused in her life and carries deep wounds and has withdrawn within herself paitiently awaiting her true love so he will make the sun shine in her life n make sure she has her time for him to make the sun shine for her. "God ill make them pay take it back one day" he will make them regret the day they ever hurt her he regrets that day and wishes he could take it back.

  8. anonymous
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    Sep 23rd 2012 !⃝

    I think it's about waiting till the day all wars are over (as referred to in the video). I think it's very probable that this is to be seen as the day of Jesus coming back, and the hope of him coming back fading away further with every killed man during the wars.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
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    Aug 17th 2012 !⃝

    Well to me I know this. James said it an interview himself, "Really the song is about a son waiting for the day when his father will be proud of him. Appreciate him. But he never does. He just keeps pushing him around and ignoring him. Therefore it's a day that will never be for the son." He also said something about how he wasn't too fond of the video because its very pollitical

  10. anonymous
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    Aug 11th 2012 !⃝

    In my opinion it is all about a man in a War Zone who is scared about that one man, one bullet that is going to end it all. and scared about leaving his family!

  11. anonymous
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    Jun 11th 2012 !⃝

    this song can have multiple interpretations. but it is clear that its about a man who waits for his suffering to end. one situation that could apply is a man in prison who is waiting for his sentence to end, another that could apply is like in the video, with the soldiers waiting for the war to end. it isn't like "one" by them, where there is the specific story line, this song could have multiple interpretations.

  12. anonymous
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    Apr 12th 2012 !⃝

    I think this song is about the devil telling us that Jesus will never come and how the devil pushes us around making us do his will and not Gods."Waiting for the one!
    The day that never comes!
    When you stand up and feel the warmth!
    But the sunshine never comes!" The one is Jesus and the devil is saying that day will never come, but he knows that jesus will come like in the part
    "This I swear!
    This I swear!
    The sun will shine!
    This I swear!
    This I swear!
    This I SWEAR!!!"
    the devil knows Jesus is coming back and he knows he lost

  13. anonymous
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    Apr 3rd 2012 !⃝

    man check the lyrics again: all your quotes are wrong...and even if the video shows war doesn't mean that's what the song says

  14. anonymous
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    Feb 16th 2012 !⃝

    I think this is about anti-war. First of all, the music video is in a war type scenario. When he says mouths so full of lies tend to block your eyes, I think he means the government is telling us what we want to hear about war even though they are keeping the bad things covered up. I think what he means by the day that never comes is the day when everyone can be peaceful and theres no more war. Also when he says he hits the flesh you hit the ground this can be pretty literal, like a guy gets shot and dies. Maybe that lyric along with some others are showing the horrors of war. Finally I think the love is a four letter word part is saying that there is no such thing as love in war and that its completely gone: "Never spoken in hell," or "Here in this prison." Prison could be a metaphor for war.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  15. anonymous
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    Jul 1st 2011 !⃝

    Think its about abusive relationships. Or abuse against woman. Metallica has the charity for woman who've been in abusive relations. They're highly against that.

    Verse one.. I take it as. Insted of stayin in the relationship. Let it go. Don't keep running bak to the same thing

    Verse two.. don't believe the lies told to you. Don't let them keep you from the reality of things. Close them n listen to your mind from within..

  16. anonymous
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    May 24th 2011 !⃝

    I think the song is referring to a young boy who is having a terrible childhood facing abuse and severe neglection. As the song goes on, it tells how his resentment grows and he wants pay back. If nothing else he wants to at least get out of that enviorment towards "the sunshine." Its taking so long that it feels like it is quote quote, a day that will never come. :)

  17. anonymous
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    May 10th 2011 !⃝

    Ummm u know the music videos usually DONT go along with the song right? :P Like lots by Killswitch Engage... their songs are about life, and their music vids are about.. NOTHING xD its just another way for them to make money. So looking at the music vids wont give u the answer. U gotta use ur heart and ur brain to figure out what it all means.... orrrrr just go ask them urself :P

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