Metallica – No Leaf Clover

My InterpretationThe song starts out massive, sounding like something big is about to happen. It then lowers, almost as if its sneaking up but then BAM. It's there.

"And it feels right this time
On his crash course with the big time"

He's basically saying that he feels good that his time to be "big" has arrived. Yo
u feel his anticipation in the rhythm.

"Pay no mind to the distant thunder
New day fills his head with wonder, boy"

He chooses not to focus on the risks of his decision because its distant. Instead ponders the rewards the new day is going to give him.

"Says it feels right this time
Turned it 'round and found the right line"

He's assuring himself that his time to be "big" has come. He's glad he turned his life around, and he found the "right line".

"“Good day to be alive, sir
Good day to be alive,” he says"

His excitement and assurance is palpable.

"Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train coming your way"

Tunnels are like a shortcut, so instead of working hard to climb over the hill, he decided to take the shortcut and go through it. The light at the end of his tunnel wasn't the beginning of a new better life, but that of a train. The train was the risk he chose to ignore.
The second time this verse is repeated, the beat picks up, and he's realizing that his decision wasn't well thought out.

"Don't it feel right like this?
All the pieces fall to his wish"

He comes to the realization that this was what he was asking for. He hadn't thought it through. Any shortcuts to something this big aren't going to come without risk. Everything had gone down to this moment, and now he has nothing.

"“Sucker for that quick reward, boy
Sucker for that quick reward,” they say"

Other people ridicule him for not thinking.

"Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train coming your way
Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train coming your way
It's coming your way"

He knows its going to hit him, and hard.

"Then it comes to be
Then it comes to be"

It's happening. He losses everything.

This song is about knowing what your getting into. Any shortcut to a rich life comes with big risks. You have to think things through before you delve into them, otherwise it will come back to bite you.

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  @alexseaman
  +2

  This song is a masterpiece.

  Flag alexseamanon February 12, 2013  

  +3

  Dude, i made an account just to reply to you, this is a very well done explanation of the song...thank you so much!! it IS a masterpiece.

  Flagged fswaidon May 02, 2013  

General CommentI would not say "unexpected". See the third line:
"Pay no mind to the distant thunder"
That means the storm is coming, he should have foreseen it, but instead, he just is too focused in another things:
"Beauty fills his head with wonder, boy..."
It's liek some guy who has a good time, and thinks that nothing can go wrong, but because of this optimism he fails to see the signs that something bad is going to happen, so he is unprepared.

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  @Nacho

General CommentIt describes an unexpected change from good luck into bad luck. As an opposite
of the good luck which represents a four leaf clover, a no leaf clover stands for
having bad luck.

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  @Boonechic_21
  0

  The song was written about Frank Garrett who was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, Unforgiven was also written about him.

  Flag rpm1978on August 22, 2009  

  0

  I'm fairly certain all three Unforgiven songs were written dealing with James' alcohol abuse problems. At least, if I remember Some Kinda Monster correctly..

  Flag TaneMardukon November 09, 2011  

General CommentMasterpiece
Masterpiece
Masterpiece

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  @AidinLSW

General Commentdo not always think that the light means good. maybe it is coming to defeat you.

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  @shumul

General CommentPerfect.

A couple years ago, when I first heard this song I was getting invovled with an ex-girlfriend.

"Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
is just a freight train coming your way"

That pretty much sums it up... it was almost propehtic.

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  @rhink

My OpinionI think it's about someone living life thinking it's all good & nothing could go wrong until all of the sudden it all does in fact go wrong. Don't walk through life blindly I think is the warning message here.

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  @EternalTearsOfSorrow

General Commentit always gives me the image of a buisiness man who essentially sells his soul to get promoted. (i don't mean actually, but figuratively, say he ignores his family) his life then crashes and burns.

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  @DrivenInHiFi

General Commentto me...it seems like someone who has been down on their luck for some time, they've been traveling through a dark tunnel in their life so to speak. this kid finally gets a break and things start to look up for him, everything is falling into place after all his pain and suffering. he finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel. so excited is he that he "pay no mind to the distant thunder". the thunder ultimatley being the sound of the frieght train coming at him. by the time he realizes he is getting screwed again it is to late...the break he thought he had was his ruin. this is my favorite song as it perfeclty describes my life. every time i think i see something good about to happen i crash and burn...

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  @no leaf clover

General CommentThe song is about knowing what's happening next (in this case something negative) and not caring since it doesn't matter (no luck).

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  @Necroth