Metallica – Thorn Within

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned
Find me guilty of the life I feel within

When I’m branded, this mark of shame
Should I look down, disgraced, or straight ahead and know that you must blame?

I am the secret
I am the sin
I am the guilty
And I am, I am the thorn within

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned
Find me guilty when true guilt is from within

So point your fingers, point right at me
For I am shadows and will follow you, one and the same are we

I am the secret
I am the sin
I am the guilty
And I am, I am the thorn within

I do your time, I take your fall
I’m branded guilty for us all

So point your fingers, point right at me
For I am shadows and will follow you, one and the same are we

I am your secrets
I am your sin
I am your guilty
And I am, I am the thorn within

I am the thorn within
I am the thorn within


Lyrics submitted by elmoz, edited by Ashram

Thorn Within song meanings
Add your thoughts

38 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Commenthave any of you read the scarlet letter. it reminds me a lot about that.
    thedeadwalkon October 01, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Commentall these are really good and reasonable.
    but
    i think its about James being the black sheep of his family. if u look at other songs , like Mama said, u get that he left his devoutely religious family for his rock lifestyle. he scorned them with songs like The God That Failed and Leper Messiah and made them ashamed of him.
    now as u know he went to his mothers funeral and the procedings and such, where his faimly was, as u know if u've ever been to a funeral.
    He is the thorn within because he is the pain and shame of his family and he's in the failmy.

    thats my take on it, hope it helps.
    Outlaw Tornon August 01, 2006   Link
  • +2
    My InterpretationThis song is a deeply personal expression of James' feelings. It's a song that any person who has experienced religious abuse would really relate to.

    Regardless of how you personally may feel about religion there are always people who use it as a way of controlling others and that is what this song is about. It's about having a father who judges and punishes you for having a flaw built into your nature.

    "Forgive me father, for I have sinned. Find me guilty of the life I feel within."

    It's such a powerful line describing how some will use religion to shovel blame, guilt and negativity onto others. Whether it's accusing someone of being bad for the type of music they listen to or the length of their hair or the books they read religion can be used to shame someone rather than to inspire and set them free. The idea of being stifled is often expressed in Metallica songs.

    As often happens in these kind of abusive relationships a kid can get picked on repeatedly by a domineering parent who might keep the true extent of how abusive they are being as a secret from the rest of the family, leaving the kid feeling like they are a sin and they are living in a state of constant punishment.

    "I do your time, I take your fall, I'm branded guilty for us all."

    This kind of abuse is a sin itself and so the author of the song ends up paying for the sins of the abuser. As often happens the child becomes the black sheep of the family, the scapegoat when things go wrong.

    It's a powerful indictment of the religious concept that sin is inherent in us and we must suffer to overcome it. Rather than viewing our behaviours as natural responses to our environment this idea that we are fundamentally flaw and must be punished to pay a penance is common among the religiously inclined.
    DirtyRottenImbon December 01, 2016   Link
  • +1
    General CommentJaymz plays the solo in this song.
    King Nothingon June 11, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentOk, it's easy to figure out what this song is about.

    "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned, find me guilty of the life I feel within"

    He's talking about life, not a baby inside, he's talking about how he lives. The same way you say "Wow, the party really came to life when you got here" is the way he's asking forgiveness for the life in him, because he's doing bad things.

    He's also saying that he knows his father must give blame, although he is merely shadowing things his father has done in the past.
    SomeKindofMonsteron April 09, 2004   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +1
    General CommentGreat song by the way nice and heavy...i think it has to do with james feeling guilty about something he has done in the past
    soulbleed073107on February 11, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI believe this song is about taking the fall for someone else. Being the hated one for another's actions and simply accepting it.
    JDF2376on July 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentEven though I read another comments, to me this song can be talking about a young girl, a teen, that gets pregnant. I don't think this song puts the blame on the girl but on the society that makes her feel guilty instead of helping her or encouraging her to live on.
    Cthulhu The Greaton December 03, 2001   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthats deep i like it i like it alot!!!!
    sweetlilibugon June 12, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentPersonally, I can see the relation between this song's lyrics and the mother of a bastard, but I don't think that's what it is. Looking at the other songs on the same disk, I would gather that the writer feels guilty. It could be anything, drugs, sex, disrespecting parents. I really don't know for sure.

    On a side note, I like the how the confessional scenerio is set up.
    edguardon June 21, 2002   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