This song is about nuclear annihilation, describing the world right before and during a nuclear apocalypse. In the song, "fight fire with fire" means fighting nuclear warfare with nuclear warfare, hence the line, "Nuclear warfare shall lay us to rest." Frontman James Hetfield wrote the lyric at a time when he was obsessed with death. Note that the album cover shows an electric chair.
Hetfield wrote the song with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and bass player Cliff Burton. Hetfield and Ulrich founded the band in Los Angeles. When they spotted Burton performing with his band Trauma, they made a full-court press to get him in their lineup and even moved to San Francisco to accommodate him. Burton was a very distinctive player and a big contributor to their songwriting. When he died in a tour bus accident in 1986, his bandmates were devastated.
"Fight Fire With Fire" kicks off Metallica's second album, Ride The Lightning. The first 40 seconds of the song is rather soothing, making more than one fan check the cover to make sure they put the needle on the right record. But then it kicks in full thrash, fulfilling the promise of the band's debut, Kill 'Em All, released the previous year. That mellow acoustic intro was written by Cliff Burton on acoustic guitar. When the band heard him play it, they knew it should open the album.
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