What do you think Unforgiven 3 means?

Metallica: Unforgiven 3 Meaning

Album cover for Unforgiven 3 album cover

Unforgiven 3 Lyrics

How could he know this new dawn's light
Would change his life forever?
Set sail to sea but pulled off course
By the light of golden treasure

Was he the one causing pain
With his careless dreaming?
Been afraid
Always afraid
Of the things...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jan 28th 2010 !⃝

    Think of the three unforgiven songs as a trilogy. the first song a man blames a group of people for ruining his life or causing him is problems. the second song the same man blames a single person for the problems. the third song he finally blames himself for all the problems.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    TheGM
    click a star to vote
    May 2nd 2010 !⃝

    How he could recognize his new dreams can change his life completely?
    So, he built a ship by his dreams and wishes to sail through the sea of problems. He was motivated by temptation of his dreams (the light of golden treasure).was he the one who causing troubles for himself and the others by been wishful. He always afraid what will happen next. Then he decided to continue up to the end.
    How can I be lost, when I have lost everything I had and got no place to go. And how following my dreams (seas of gold) could be so difficult that hurt me?
    And how can I forget what I have done when everyday I remember them?
    And how can I blame the others when it is me that did the wrongs?
    My life gradually getting difficult and dim, outside it is like a hell and inside tempting so I can’t decide what to do!
    He is falling into the darkness and loosing his will (He's run aground. Like his life, Water much too shallow. Slipping fast, down with his ship, fading in the shadows.) After all, his ship is wrecked and his dreams have gone away and he is alone and should do something to save himself. Also he has conflict with his conscious and it doesn’t forgive him (Forgive me not. Forgive me. (Forgive me) Why can't I forgive me?)

  3. anonymous
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    Aug 21st 2022 !⃝

    Set sail to sea but pulled off course
    By the light of golden treasure

    Alcohol is often golden-coloured and it's no secret James has had his troubles there. Look at Sweet Amber from St. Anger

  4. anonymous
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    Aug 13th 2012 !⃝

    I think this song, at least for the 1st part, is deeply rooted in lars' experience. "How could he know this new dawns light would change his life forever" - How could lars know the decision he'd made to move to america would change his life forever.
    "Set sail to sea but pulled off course by the light of golden treasure" - His move to america was in pursuit of becoming a professional tennis player, but he was pulled off course when he formed metallica with james, and the light of golden teeasure symbolises metallica's sudden popularity, and the possibility of becoming world famous.
    "Was he the one causing pain with his careless dreaming" - Was lars' careless dreams of metallica becoming famous causing pain and anguish among his family who moved to america to allow him to pursue a career on tennis.
    That's all i got

  5. anonymous
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    Apr 4th 2012 !⃝

    MY VIEW OF THE TRILOGY
    on 1: he blames his parents for the restrict way they raised him, turning him bitter and never letting him be his true self
    on 2: he seems to find someone he can share all those stuff and even maybe someone with the same problems ("Lay beside me Tell me what they've done Speak the words I wanna hear to make my demons run"). Something he can relate to. And then he starts blaming this person.
    on 3: he sees everything he blamed on someone else (a lover maybe) on 2 was also inside him. Also he blames himself for "searching the seas of gold" and kinda getting lost on this search. He then sees he was always blaming the others for what he was and not taking responsability for his acts.

  6. anonymous
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    Dec 30th 2011 !⃝

    I agree very much that The Unforgiven, The Unforgiven II, and The Unforgiven III are a trilogy. I think that these three songs are about forgiveness, or learning how to forgive. In the first song, the guy is unforgiving of a group of people. in the second song the guy is unforgiving of one person. In the third song the guy finally realises that he has been blaming all his problems on other people and that he needs to learn how to forgive himself as he drowns in his own misery

  7. anonymous
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    Jun 26th 2011 !⃝

    james was dream about tommorow and he suffer of what he had done,causing of his lyric, he knows the advantage of life what he holding,,outside like a hell..if you go outside of the city really like a hell,,inside toxicating if you go inside aircondition room really toxicating because aircon absorbs any of pollution of the city then you smell,,its harm to you you smell gas and toxic so go run a ground down with a ship,,so get your bigbikes and ride it, go away until you can smell the fresh air and then forgive me meaning forgive himself because of toxic area,forgive me not just because of his ship blows of gas and toxic..james not blame on one or people,, how can i blame you when its me i cant forgive,,james he got tired and suffer of this situation

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 26th 2011 !⃝

    james was dream about tommorow and he suffer of what he had done,causing of his lyric, he knows the advantage of life what he holding,,outside like a hell..if you go outside of the city really like a hell,,inside toxicating if you go inside aircondition room really toxicating because aircon absorbs any of pollution of the city then you smell,,its harm to you you smell gas and toxic so go run a ground down with a ship,,so get your bigbikes and ride it, go away until you can smell the fresh air and then forgive me meaning forgive himself because of toxic area,forgive me not just because of his ship blows of gas and toxic..james not blame on one or people,, how can i blame you when its me i cant forgive,,james he got tired and suffer of this situation

  9. anonymous
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    Mar 19th 2011 !⃝

    James in my opinion suffers from borderline personality disorder,sev songs def give me the feel he has it,i suffer from,am a male borderline aswell not many of us,and I am according to my experiences,the dsm-iii and personality disorders in modern life 2nd ed,the songs id quote from metallica as borderline songs
    -the 3 unforgiven songs
    -sad but true
    -dyers eve
    -fade to black
    -harvester of sorrow
    -the day that never comes
    -the struggle within
    -wherever I may roam.

  10. anonymous
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    May 7th 2010 !⃝

    You do have to think of them as a trilogy. James, first blames his parents for what is wrong, II he blames a significant other, and for this one he realizes that the blame is on him.

  11. Gehniss
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    Apr 14th 2010 !⃝

    I never looked at them as the trilogy but now that I did it makes sense...thanks anon.

  12. CelticKing
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    Sep 28th 2009 !⃝

    I believe that this song is about James's addiction
    His sinking life
    Outside it's hell
    Inside, intoxication

    His inability to deal with his emotions
    Was he the one causing pain
    With his careless dreaming?
    Been afraid
    Always afraid
    Of the things he's feeling

    He got no where to turn to b/c he feels as though no one understands him:
    How can I be lost?
    In remembrance I relive
    And how can I blame you
    When it's me I can't forgive?

    These days drift on
    Inside a fog
    It's thick and suffocating


    His inability to forgive himself & his final redemption & road to sobriety:

    How could he know
    This new dawn's light
    Would change his life forever?

    Welcome to a new dawn's light James :)


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