Screaming Suicide

Here, Metallica frontman James Hetfield addresses suicide. In the first verse he discusses how negative thoughts result in low self-esteem. Then my voice appears Teaching you of fears Are you good enough? The interior voice adds more details, blackening his mind. Hetfield doesn't recognize they're all lies and succumbs to a harrowing depression where he's ready to give up. In the second verse, the internal voice suggests a way of escaping the all-consuming darkness. Then a voice appears Whisper in your ears "You are good enough" Throwing down a rope A lifeline of hope Thinking about committing suicide gives Hetfield hope. It is a temptation, but what this devil on the shoulder doesn't tell him is he'll die in sadness and leave his loved ones traumatized.

During, the chorus, Hetfield talks about suicide being a taboo word and how the topic is frowned upon. Don't ever speak my name Remember you're to blame Keep me inside Keep me inside My name is suicide Hetfield ends the final chorus with "screaming suicide" rather than "my name is suicide." Then on the outro, his suicidal thoughts begin to disappear after he opens up to somebody.

Hetfield and his bandmates Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo wrote the reflective and heartfelt song to reference the ubiquity of suicidal thoughts. "The intention is to communicate about the darkness we feel inside," Hetfield shared. "It's ridiculous to think we should deny that we have these thoughts. At one point or another, I believe most people have thought about it. To face it is to speak the unspoken." "If it's a human experience, we should be able to talk about it," he added. "You are not alone."