Rebel grip your bottle tight
Just float away
Rebel is it hard to leave
What makes you stay?

Go take your poison ink
Sign life away
Then take your dirty spoon
And dig your grave
Dig your grave

Rebel grips the bottle tight
Just floats away
Rebel finds it hard to leave
What makes you stay?

He takes the poison ink
Signing life away
Then takes the dirty spoon
And digs his grave

Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight

Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr

Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up
Rebel of babylon

Renegade fights the fight
That no one wins
He claims a crown of thorns
To pierce the skin

He climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
Thinks they'll remember him
After he's gone

Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight

Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr

Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up
Rebel of babylon

Rise up
Rise up
Resurrection

The rebel fights the fight
That no one wins
To claim a crown of thorns
To pierce his skin

Climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
He looses consciousness
The myth lives on

Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Tonight

Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr

Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up
Rebel of babylon

Rise up
Rise up
Resurrection


Lyrics submitted by sepultura1987, edited by Ashram

Rebel of Babylon Lyrics as written by Kirk L. Hammett James Alan Hetfield

Lyrics © Word Collections Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Rebel Of Babylon song meanings
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8 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    If this is supposed to be about Layne, it's definitely not a tribute. More of a spitting on his grave, for the way he threw his life away with drugs. The sarcastic line "Gonna die young, gonna live forever" and the last verse really laugh in the face of the grunge generation sympathizing with Kurt Cobain's misinterpretation of Neil Young and "it's better to burn out than to fade away".

    F2B&Gon December 14, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This is NOT the song about Staley (Shine). At Night #2 of Metallicas San Francisco shows, they played Just A Bullet Away. Right before starting, James said that the working title for it has been "Shine". So Shine is in fact Just A Bullet Away. Rebel Of Babylon seems to be about religious martyrs..

    SwissWolvon December 23, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    you guys gotta check your facts, on night four (December 10th, 2011) of the Fillmore concerts, after the debut of this song, James stated "there was a lot of talk about lyrical inspiration on death magnetic, talking about falling brothers and sisters dying too young, specially in the rock n roll lifestyle, and that one was inspired by Layne Staley and his lifestyle and we miss him"

    caiowatanabeon January 23, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is based on Staley

    Perrysron May 03, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Honestly I think this is about those who martyr themselves in the name of a religion. Doesn't seem to be about Layne at all.

    MetallicaGhoston December 14, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Cool Song! Love it

    MrX666Maggoton December 16, 2011   Link
  • -1
    My Interpretation

    This isn't the song about Layne Staley.

    I believe this is a recovery song... Essentially, this song refers to selling your soul for rockn'roll (Sign life away) along with the alcohol and drugs that come with it (The bottle and the spoon)

    Hetfield has refereed to himself as a rebel in other lyrics (Mama said, for example) He is the rebel selling his soul for a rock-star lifestyle. He submits himself to that crucifix of an addict lifestyle. He does this all in the sake of being immortalized thru his music (gonna die young, gonna live forever/ thinks they'll remember him)

    The last line "resurrection" may signify his resurrection from that life, his recovery and release from addiction and/or possibly even being saved.

    These lyrics seem to use imagery of the New Testament gospels in The Bible. Mr. Hetfield seems to be a Christian, tho I cannot confirm or deny this explicitly...

    Neosquidon February 20, 2015   Link
  • -2
    General Comment

    I remember reading an interview somewhere where James (I think) said that they wrote a song about Layne Staley called "Shine". I think this is it. Great song

    BobbyjointRitualon December 13, 2011   Link

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