There's absolutly now reason to reduce metallica songs to alcohol, heroine or any other drugs, like I always find in comments about this and other metallica songs. One of my first experiences with metallica was in my youth when a friend of mine, living in a small chamber with really BIG speakers, pushed the volume up, playing ride the lightning. The song that struck me in my heart was creeping death of course.
Reviewing the biblical and historical context of this and other songs, we cannot read the text of "The house that jack built" without reviewing the origin of the expression, which comes from a poem from the 16'th century, which makes even more sence, when you think of metallica as of musicians who made themselves well knowing and loving J.S.Bach (1685-1723). The original poem tells us about a a house that is quite badly build, affecting all and anything living within, with it's bad nature.
Yes, it might be alcohol, it might even be Jack Daniels that makes the destroys this house which is "my body my temple". It might also be any "other demon that I meet".
For me this song takes us much farther, describing the agony of the whole life that makes us "open the doors" for the demons like heroin and jack daniels. It just makes no difference what makes you "twist away, away, away". This like much other songs written by james hetfield is again a cry for salvation from this life, for some "place to hide" from it.
Note also that the body the temple "this temple it tilts", will tilt anyway, no matter what kind of demon makes the temple tilt, no matter how high you are, how far you went, you will fall and you will have to crawl back. But back to where? What is the meaning, the aim of this life, in this badly build, detructed house ? I don't know if hetfield had an answer to this question, but at least he asks the question. And he asks you !
There's absolutly now reason to reduce metallica songs to alcohol, heroine or any other drugs, like I always find in comments about this and other metallica songs. One of my first experiences with metallica was in my youth when a friend of mine, living in a small chamber with really BIG speakers, pushed the volume up, playing ride the lightning. The song that struck me in my heart was creeping death of course. Reviewing the biblical and historical context of this and other songs, we cannot read the text of "The house that jack built" without reviewing the origin of the expression, which comes from a poem from the 16'th century, which makes even more sence, when you think of metallica as of musicians who made themselves well knowing and loving J.S.Bach (1685-1723). The original poem tells us about a a house that is quite badly build, affecting all and anything living within, with it's bad nature. Yes, it might be alcohol, it might even be Jack Daniels that makes the destroys this house which is "my body my temple". It might also be any "other demon that I meet". For me this song takes us much farther, describing the agony of the whole life that makes us "open the doors" for the demons like heroin and jack daniels. It just makes no difference what makes you "twist away, away, away". This like much other songs written by james hetfield is again a cry for salvation from this life, for some "place to hide" from it. Note also that the body the temple "this temple it tilts", will tilt anyway, no matter what kind of demon makes the temple tilt, no matter how high you are, how far you went, you will fall and you will have to crawl back. But back to where? What is the meaning, the aim of this life, in this badly build, detructed house ? I don't know if hetfield had an answer to this question, but at least he asks the question. And he asks you !
@ikrabbe The best comment here, man. Mainly for the relation with the poem.
@ikrabbe The best comment here, man. Mainly for the relation with the poem.