Metallica – All Nightmare Long

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Luck. Runs. Out.
Crawl from the wreckage one more time
Horrific memory twists the mind
Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn
Path of destruction, feel it burn

Still life...Incarnation
Still life...Infamy

Hallucination
Heresy
Still you run, what's to come?
What's today?

'Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah
Luck. Runs.

You crawl back in
But your luck runs out

Luck. Runs. Out.

The light that is not light is here
To flush you out with your own fear
You hide, you hide, but will be found
Release your grip without a sound

Still life...Immolation
Still life...Infamy

Hallucination
Heresy
Still you run, what's to come?
What's today?

'Cause we hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Luck. Runs.

You crawl back in
But your luck runs out

Then you crawl back in
Into your obsession
Never to return
This is your confession

Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long
Feel us breathe upon your face
Feel us shift, every move we trace
Hunt you down without mercy
Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah
Luck. Runs.

You crawl back in
But your luck runs out

Your luck runs out


Lyrics submitted by spacemonkey69, edited by Wyvern740

All Nightmare Long song meanings
Add your thoughts

82 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +5
    General Commentin my understanding this song is about some truma that you might have suffered and the memories of such tragedy come back and haunt you. this song is awesome metallica is amaizing
    musicislife68on December 27, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentAs MetallicA guys say, it's about historic 1908 Tunguska event and the Video Clip shows this.

    but my analysis about this song : i think it's about REINCARNATION.
    MetallicA is destructing the reincarnation thesis.

    Crawl from the wreckage one more time ==> reviving
    Horrific memory, twisting the mind, dark, rugged & . . . . ==> properties of reincarnation

    And by then the reincarnation is just a HALLUCINATION, is just INFAMY … why????
    Cause we hunt you down without mercy, hunt you down all nightmare long ==> dying, reviving, dying, reviving &. . . . Your somehow endless circulating life is compared to a NIGHTMARE.

    Try to read it once again with this point of view. That’ll work…;)


    masoud1368on December 01, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentDo you people know that this song is actually based on a novel... "the Hounds of Tindalos" of the cthulhu mythos. Their other mythos-inspired songs are (as you probably know) "The Call of Ktulu" and "The thing that should not be" James have said that he wanted to return to the mythos with this song.
    mrHaydon May 24, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General CommentTo me this song is about those who have chosen the path of destruction:

    Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn
    Path of destruction, feel it burn

    The memories of what they have done hunt them down but since they have already chosen their ways:

    Then you crawl back in
    Into your obsession
    Never to return
    This is your confession

    So they need to keep running forever fearful, thats the nightmare they forever have to live.

    loft001on April 18, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General CommentIt's about the Cthulhu mythos, about these hounds that chase you through your nightmares and can kill you from angles.
    Luy22on May 20, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationThe song may refer also to the trauma the animals in wild life suffer when the hunter is chasing.
    Cohlericoon June 06, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis is James's way of expressing his feelings to that bus driver that caused that tragic "accident" killing Cliff and injuring several others, back in 1986. James says you won't get away with this. You'll never get away. Eventually, your luck will run out. You'll get tormented by remorse, and if you ultimately kill yourself, we'll hunt you even into your dreams.
    Parichehron January 02, 2018   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI think that this song is about running away and trying to escape horrific past experience. The thought of what happened haunts your nightmares for the rest of your life until you confront it.
    AnalMagickon September 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Commenti think this song is about drugs. also how life is like a bowl of cereal...you may be able to choke on the clusters if you let the milk slide through your teeth ya know?
    this song rocks rock on
    guitarking125on September 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Commentyeah,me too... it's about drugs
    stefan333on September 04, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain