Metallica: Sad But True Meaning

Song Released: 1992

Sad But True Lyrics

Hey (hey)
I'm your life
I'm the one who takes you there

Hey (hey)
I'm your life
I'm the one who cares

They (they)
They betray
I'm your only true friend now

They (they)
They'll betray
I'm forever there

I'm your dream, make you...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   curtus1

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   Jun 4th 2009 !⃝

   This Song Is about the stages of manipulation and seduction from a variety of different topics. My favorite interpretation of the song is that this is the evil inside of you (or Satan) and how it or he controls you and leads one down the path of evil. Another interpretation is that how Drugs can control you and take you over and eventually can become a part of you. one other interpretation is that this song is about someone blaming god for his/her problems.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Apr 21st 2017 !⃝

   This song is about life itself and how life actually controls you. It's not about manipulation or anything like that. The simple explanation is usually the right one. The lyrics clearly say it
   (Hey
   I'm your life
   I'm the one who takes you there
   Hey
   I'm your life
   I'm the one who cares
   They
   They betray
   I'm your only true friend now
   They
   They'll betray
   I'm forever there)
   
   It is how your past and decisions build you and have a result over your future. And it is "Sad but true" that you can't escape your past and your fears build by it and that the future has already been written by your past decisions. The song itself puts the story from the POV of your "life" (future and past). It has nothing to do with religion or drugs or anything.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Aug 30th 2019 !⃝

   It is about your conscience.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 25th 2022 !⃝

   They clearly say there is no hidden message or meaning on the song, so it speaks by itself.
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcYfjCpaydE
   
   Dark, loneliness, sad. It's where you find yourself within you and nothing more, surrendered. ....no one to blame...
   
   
5. anonymous

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   Feb 26th 2022 !⃝

   Dear dipshit brigade! I hope this letter finds you fell. Sitting here amongst, what I hope are the final flakes of winter... IT'S DRUGS!
6. anonymous

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   Sep 3rd 2021 !⃝

   Para mi habla de la batalla eterna entre lo que freud llama el ello, el yo y el super yo, siendo el ello, lo que maneja la satisfaccion de los deseos(en este caso supongo las adicciones), quien le habla-canta, me imagino que a James Hetfield..
7. anonymous

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   Jun 24th 2021 !⃝

   The confident "Gemini Twin" who completes and protects the more vulnerable "Gemini Twin" in life's circumstances. The last two words at the end of the song is, "I'm you".
8. anonymous

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   Apr 19th 2021 !⃝

   Multiple personality disorder
9. anonymous

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   Mar 23rd 2021 !⃝

   To me it sounds like the dialogue of a narcissistic father, obsessive partner, and then perhaps addiction. I don't actually agree that it's the dialogue of the first person perspective; it is from an external source or influence.
10. anonymous

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    Nov 19th 2020 !⃝

    I can see why people think this is about manipulation or coercive control and, in some ways, this is true. But that coercion is from within. This song is about depression.
    
    It's painfully obvious to anyone that struggles with depression, that this is all about how your mind twists things and turns you against the world.
    
    Depressed brain twists people's words and actions to make you think they betray you. Depressed brain makes you feel hatred when all you want is the touch and comfort of love. Depressed brain keeps you dwelling in pain even when you are numb to the outside world. Depressed brain tells you that nothing is fair, that you are paying the price for the bad person you are. If controls your actions and you are the one that takes the blame for it, because you are one and the same, yet still trapped within it.
    
    Depressed brain lies to you and, because it is from within, you see it as the truth. The distorted reality you weave for yourself. This reality becomes your truth and is used as excuses to isolate from the world.
    
    But it's all just you.
    
    
11. anonymous

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    Oct 29th 2020 !⃝

    The song makes the most sense when you interpret it as being about addiction. I would go a step further and say alcohol addiction knowing James past. The point of view is the substance telling the user what their current state is.
    
    The chorus is what really makes this thought clear. “I’m your eyes when you must steal. I’m your pain when you can’t feel” - describing that even though they may think the substance is taking away the pain and perhaps bad decisions. The pain was still there and the bad decisions still happened. And at the end of the day those things were still happening to the user even if the substance was to blame. Sad but true.
12. anonymous

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    Oct 3rd 2020 !⃝

    uhhhh its totally about yknow the thing. the thing its uh called "travis scott burger" and how it controls you.
13. anonymous

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    Jan 12th 2020 !⃝

    To me it's about a narsicistic relationship. The first verse is how the abuser draws in the victim. Telling them that they care, the only one, the isolation from friends and family. Then the next verse is about how they use the victim. They project their wrongs into the scapegoat. And towards the end "I'm your hate, when you want love" it's how they control by withhold their love until they get what they want. And at the vary end " open your eyes I'm inside " it's how they make the victim feel that they are the bad one, the wrong one. Because they now are the victims life and they now have nothing else.
14. anonymous

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    Feb 11th 2019 !⃝

    A lot of people who have sold their souls talk about being taken over and being trapped inside screaming while satan is making them famous etc..
    Michael jackson talks about for example how he would just go to sleep and wake up with a new songs. Lots of metallica lyrics I believe are a description of the feeling of them being taken over . A lot of song from the black album the master of puppets album. Black whole sun by soundgarden even speak of these feelings.it just all comes out through their lyrics. Satan is also referred to as the rainman and sandman. Just my belief. Regardless metallica is my favorite band of all time.
15. anonymous

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    Dec 27th 2018 !⃝

    Heroin addiction.
16. anonymous

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    Jun 16th 2018 !⃝

    This song clearly is about the alterego alterego inside on you or alterego outside an other person who is your other side completes you.your other ego who wants to get out your other self who you want to be but you not are is like tyler durden fight club
17. anonymous

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    Apr 21st 2018 !⃝

    I think this song is about Karma. “ Repay”

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

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    Jan 22nd 2018 !⃝

    I always think it is about satan or something like that.
    Your evilside who take care of you.
    They betray, im your only true friend.
    Etc

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