Metallica: Wherever I May Roam Meaning

Song Released: 1992

Wherever I May Roam Lyrics

...and the road becomes my bride
I have stripped of all but pride
So in her I do confide
And she keeps me satisfied
Gives me all I need

...and with dust in throat I crave
Only knowledge will I save
To the game you stay a slave
Rover...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Aug 8th 2009 !⃝

   I'm about %99.99 sure that this song is about Metallica. When bands tour, they move around alot. So when he says "And the road becomes my bride" I'm sure he means that he spends most of his life on the road. And traveling? Nomad, Vagabond, Roamer, and Wanderer all pretty much mean "Traveler" Which is what the band does. All. The. Time. "Carved upon my stone, My body lies" I'm sure references that they will do this until they die, or even after they die. (metaphorically, of course) So the song is basically metallica's life. Traveling.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   BiGSal

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   Dec 8th 2008 !⃝

   the song is about a guy who is a loaner. why do people think that every song is about drugs? rover, wandere, nomad,vagabond, call me what you will? oh the dudes on drugs! c'mon people!

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   BiGSal

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   Dec 20th 2008 !⃝

   the song is about a dude that has passed on in this life and is wandering is the next life. Carved upon my stone my body lies but still i roam. cearly states that he is a ghost nothing about drugs, where do you think he says that?
4. anonymous

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   Mar 27th 2022 !⃝

   The life of immediate ready force US Infantrymen (Army and USMC) and the life of Special Operators (Army, Navy, USAF, USMC, Tier 1 JSOC, and SAC-SOG Ground Branch. The constant deployments, challenges, and the ability to improve, adapt and overcome in the face of odds and in fast paced ever-changing situations. Also, the employment of an ODA as a force multiplier for indigenous militias and on foreign internal defense roles. The analogy comparing the swiftness and deadliness of a kill team and a pit sand viper. Spending days in hostile environments and hostile terrain outnumbered and surrounded. Always coming short. Ready to accomplish the mission even though you end up being the lone survivor. The transcendence of death when your actions become a legacy for future generations to follow. Screwing down deep in your brain that selection never ends.
5. anonymous

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   Mar 30th 2020 !⃝

   You know if your in the know. He expresses the internal conflicts one experiences on the road to self discovery. After your eyes are opened you realize everything you think you "know" are actually "beliefs". Knowledge and belief are 2 separate aspects of the mind. With lies interwoven in the socially acceptable belief systems that's presented to us on a silver platter we take a quick look around, everyone seems ok, and a little deductive reasoning shows you this belief fits perfectly within your unaware, intentionally structured mind. Your mind has basically been locked in a room built with malicious intent. Lies force fed to you as beliefs with explanations acting as the trojan horse fit perfectly with the narrative.
   
   Hint: the narrative everyone is a part of prevents original thought processes from a young age and sets you on a course to accept only what is presented to you by someone with a title(teacher, scientist, book..lol). This process actually puts your mind in a structured system. Giving whomever built the structure control over what lies within. So if the majority of you have little to no cognitive function, and the little you do have is only enough to fuel the only way you have to think. The early programming from school, tv, family remains the only viable outcome of cognition within a well structured environment. It plays out like a record. Once the music stops it requires a reset of the needle in order to replay.. repeat.. becoming so medial in the process almost resembling a command in place of thought.
   Now answer this.. from birth were fed lies, we speak in spells, allow numbers to divide us, always prepared to regurgitate explanations and reasoning if confronted. It all seems to make sense to you, it's supposed to.. inquiries of the mindset almost instinctively produce its foundation, being the core makeup of the belief in question your foundation holds up everything you hold dear. A house of cards. One breath and your world comes crashing down. Dont breath, attack. All the while casting your fears on them, hidden within your anger.
   With all these self fulfilling prophecies housing the structure that is you. Are you even real... or just part of the illusion, satisfying the senses in any effort to feel alive. How can you be alive if you've been dead since birth.
6. anonymous

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   Apr 11th 2018 !⃝

   This song is about the minority on the palnet earth, the white race. How can the minority of the planet earth conquer and rule every other race?The wanderer that stuck a flag in the dirt of every nation he stepped foot upon and claimed it in blood.The vagabond who couldn't even speak language until they evolved and stole from every culture.

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

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   Dec 6th 2017 !⃝

   This song is about the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes. Throughout his life he lives as a vagabond and does not obey to any social rules.
8. ZardoZ

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   Jul 31st 2017 !⃝

   It is about Cliff Burton who is still wandering on Earth although his body lies....as curved on his tombstone
   "...cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home...".
9. anonymous

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   May 3rd 2017 !⃝

   Yeah I don't think there's any drug reference to this song but I think cocaine is in the mix you have to do cocaine and listen to this song to know yes about the road but a lot of the rock stars did cocaine on the tour bus so they can stay up the dust in throat that they crave is cocaine you can't get dust in your throat when you're on the fucking bus so you could have both meanings just my Oh Pinyan every time me and my friends did cocaine we put this song before we rolled out this was the cocaine song

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

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    Apr 23rd 2017 !⃝

    The song deals with the U. S. Military, stationed in Iraq, prior to and during Desert Storm. Wander, nomad, vagabond, call me what you will. Wherever I may roam, where you are stationed. Out in the middle of nowhere. Why can there not be military references when the U.S. Government subsidizes rock bands and rappers to give them fight songs to kicking butt. Should of had more during Vietnam.
11. anonymous

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    Oct 3rd 2015 !⃝

    It's about being in a band and living your life on the road, from all the touring
12. anonymous

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    Jun 25th 2014 !⃝

    I think it's about reincarnation.

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

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    Jun 10th 2014 !⃝

    When I first heard this song back n the '90s (I know, I'm old) I thought it was about bikers
14. anonymous

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    Jun 30th 2012 !⃝

    This might be me, but I think its about that book Into the Wild, because James sings and my ties are severed clean, and only knowledge will I save, off the beaten path I stray, and then goes on about nomad vagabound, and all the other traveler names. Well, the main character in Into the Wild (Chris McCandless) severs all connections with family (and my ties are severed clean), destroys all his possessions (cash, cars, etc.) and James sings only knowledge will I save and lastly he says "off the beaten path i reign" and in the book Chris wanders off into the Alaskan wilderness by himself. So, it could be about the book. Or just metallica and their touring and whatnot but it dosent seem right to me.
15. anonymous

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    May 18th 2012 !⃝

    the song is about not giving a fudge what people think of you.. its a about being bad...it gets me so pumped when teachers are talkin smack to me...and when they do so i blast this song to the max
16. anonymous

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    Apr 4th 2012 !⃝

    NOT DEATH OR DRUGS AT ALL
    he says there might be the saying on his grave some day. but not yet.
    it's about a person who moves/travels a lot, someone who can adapt easily to anywhere and doesn't care what others think about it.
    He's not atached to anything and doesn't depend on anyone.
    So basically: someone self suficient, independent, adaptable and with some need or passion to move frequently. He can feel at home anywhere but never stays too long.
17. anonymous

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    Apr 2nd 2012 !⃝

    This song was written after one of there band members died while they were on tour.
    
    Nomad, Vagabond call me what you will. -They're traveling
    
    The road becomes my bridge. -They're always traveling
    
    And the earth becomes my throne
    I adapt to the unknown
    Under wandering stars I've grown
    By myself but not alone
    I ask no one - This is their dead band member, he's still with them in spirit but he's in a grave.
    
    And my ties are severed clean
    Less I have the more I gain
    Off the beaten path I reign - In a grave. He's dead.
    
    Carved upon my stone
    My body lies, but still I roam,
    Yeah yeah! -More Obvious that he is in a grave. He still roams with the band.
18. Alan Johnston

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    Oct 4th 2011 !⃝

    Its about someone that has had everything but lost it all and is now a "nomad" basically a homeless guy with nothing "i have stripped of all but pride" and is alone on his jurney of self discovery and is happy to be that way as the earth provides everything he needs there is no!!!!! drug referance in any!!!! way he is just out of luck and he will keep roaming even after he has gone.

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