Metallica – Master of Puppets

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  Song Meaning:Quite obviously this song is about how drug addiction takes over somebody, and eventually ruins their life. The 'Master' being the drug, and the 'Puppet' being the user.
  
  End of passion play, crumbling away
  I'm your source of self-destruction
  
  Person is starting to experience the negative effects of drugs, the addiction. It's no longer to feel good, but to stop feeling bad.
  
  Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear
  Leading on your death's construction
  
  Afraid to lose the 'good' feeling drugs give, but also constructing their own death.
  
  Taste me you will see
  More is all you need
  Dedicated to
  How I'm killing you
  
  Come crawling faster
  Obey your Master
  Your life burns faster
  Obey your Master
  Master
  
  The craving for the next high is symbolised here, how you'll crawl faster and die faster by 'Obeying' the 'Master'; giving in to your next dosage.
  
  Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
  Twisting your mind, smashing your dreams
  Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
  Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
  Master
  Master
  Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
  Master
  Master
  
  Chorus is pretty straight-forward, drugs ruin one's life, totally blinded and screaming for more. 'Master, master!', the puppet screams.
  
  Needlework the way, never you betray
  Life of death becoming clearer
  Pain monopoly, ritual misery
  Chop your breakfast on a mirror
  
  You'll find yourself doing drugs for breakfast, 'chopping' one's breakfast on a mirror symbolises the way cocaine is taken in, being 'chopped' up into a line using a straight razor and then inhaled through the nose. Doing so on a mirror is to symbolise how one watches his own destruction, due to this.
  
  Here the song breaks down, going into a calm, instrumental bit until it builds up to a fierce guitar solo. You can assume here that the Puppet has tried to free himself from his Master's reign, by no longer using the drugs. But because the craving for another high rises, the song speeds up and becomes more aggressive, showing the Puppet has been tied by his Master's strings again.
  
  Master, Master, where's the dreams that I've been after?
  Master, Master, you promised only lies
  Laughter, laughter, all I hear or see is laughter
  Laughter, laughter, laughing at my cries
  Fix me!
  
  "Fix me!", kinda shows the user was feeling broken without his daily dose, and therefore gives in again to the Master.
  
  Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
  Just a rhyme without a reason
  
  Here the Master soothes its Puppet into believing his addiction is a good thing.
  
  Neverending maze, drift on numbered days
  Now your life is out of season
  I will occupy
  I will help you die
  I will run through you
  Now I rule you too
  
  Addicted again, the Puppet is assumed to be dead at the end of the song as we hear laughter, mocking the Puppet for ever giving in to the Master of Puppets.

  Flag RyanWolfehon December 18, 2012   Link

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    I was a heavy drug user mainly a cocaine user and when he scream "FIX ME" I suppose its why we wanna be fixed to what we were before meet the drug couse w theres never a cure once u use cocaine you have to carry that on for the rest of your life... sry for my bad english

    Flag Playboyzon March 18, 2013  

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    ive never looked at it form this angle I always took the puppet and the master literly, but it makes more sense now.

    Flag jjwilkoon May 09, 2013  
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  My Opinion:This is one of thee greatest songs of all time . Its very clear that this song is about "ADDICTION" and I say this with experience. I believe this song to be about COCAINE. It may start off as harmless fun but it eventually controls you and you live for it as it strips you of everything... "dreams" including, eventually your life. Just listening to this song gets me pumped! The taste of cocaine has that "metallic" taste to it.
  "Needlework the way, never you betray
  life of death becoming clearer
  Pain monopoly, ritual misery
  chop your breakfast on a mirror"
  Yes cocaine can be injected and you'll never turn your back on it or say no
  And as you begin to realize that you can't go without, its too late...you're addicted
  As your LOW (coming down) increases, you feed your appetite taking more
  the cycle continues through until you find yourself snorting a line for breakfast.
  
  
  Taste me you will see
  More is all you need
  You're dedicated to
  How I'm killing you
  
  Come crawling faster (faster)
  Obey your master (master)
  Your life burns faster (faster)
  Obey your master (master)
  Master, master
  Master of puppets, I'm pulling your strings
  Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
  Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
  Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream
  Master, master
  Its pretty cut and dry and easily desyferred if you're any type of addict.

  Flag Liqwd10shnon October 12, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:This part of the song really spoke to me:
  
  Needlework the way, never you betray
  life of death becoming clearer
  Pain monopoly, ritual misery
  chop your breakfast on a mirror
  
  The first line is about working your way to the devil through a series of sins, and the next line is realizing the fact that you are going to hell, or a "life of death." The third line struck me as playing a game with pain and your parents, and repeatedly causing them pain. Chopping your breakfast on a mirror is obviously a sign of drugs, most likely cocaine, and signifies rock bottom, which could mean hell. So basically this is a four step process to hell.

  Flagged mrusnak21on August 15, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:You guys are actually so stupid, it's clearly about bruised bananas!

  Flagged murchu27on May 04, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:honestly ppl have different feelings and perceptions about things, especially politics religion (no brainer there..) and music. to me this song is about drugs and drug addiction and honestly I could care less about what specific drug it's refering to...it also makes me think of drug dealers -("I'm pulling your strings"..."I will help you die".."just call my name"....etc.)-and way back in the dark ages (lol) I actually knew a few who sang that song constantly it seemed.....I only read the 1st bit of comments, so someone may've mad this point already...addiction is addiction ppl,it matters not what one's drug ( or whatever) of choice is...this song is a wake up call to those who listen in my humble opinion. -L
  p.s. pls excuse typos. and as 4 the comment about satan, ppl should take accountability for their actions/choices in life. u should check out crossroad blues (robert j if i remember right).

  Flag lgkkelion April 29, 2012   Link

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    Agreed

    Flag Liqwd10shnon October 12, 2012  
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  Song Meaning:I agree on the many coments over that this song is about drug abuse, more is all you need...
  there's a lot that hint's twords that in this song.

  Flag CarlBlusson March 27, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:I think Master of Puppets is about drug use and addiction. However, the drug itself is not a master of anything. The drug is a means to an end. Compulsions are the life-sucking thoughts. The drug gives the compulsion a mask to wear, in blame, because the real thing looks like wicked shit.
  
  Drug addiction feels really alone, lost and helplessly pulled along. I think that drugs don't kill people but people kill themselves whenever they choose to allow social participation to devolve into unwinding obsession and desperation.
  
  Whether Metallica meant anything else lurking below the drug-laiden theme of the song...it is in there; a tranquil looking pool you'd not want to jump into. I'm sure some survivors can attest.
  
  Drugs are just drugs - the biting teeth of a worst nightmare.
  
  Unless it's pot - that just makes one unaccomplished, but not dead. Undead, yeah maybe a zombie.

  Flag jscasey5on November 15, 2011   Link

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    pot is not a drug

    Flag Liqwd10shnon October 12, 2012  
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  Lyric Correction:I created an account just so I could say this...whatever idiot said that the lyric is "Face Me!" is not a real metallica fan or hasn't listened to this song enough. I've heard many different versions of this song...and they all say "FIX ME" not "Face Me"
  
  FIX ME!!!!!!!!

  Flag HistoryRocks88on October 07, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I get the main message of the song, but the last verse is a bit confusing to me…

  Flag Danny84on August 01, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:To me it is clear. The song is about drugs and how they control you.
  
  The song starts with a junkie on some sort of drugs. During the song the junkie has had enough. He silences the voice in his head(the master) by refusing to do drugs any longer and because he is now clean his life becomes silent and peacefull(the silent part of the song).
  
  Unfortunately the beautifull part doesn't last forever.
  As time goes on he becomes more and more desperate and he calls out for the master
  "Master, master, where's the dreams that I've been after?
  Master, master, you promised only lies
  Laughter, laughter, all I hear and see is laughter
  Laughter, laughter, laughing at my cries"
  
  He is not completely free from the master's grasp and he is once again captured when he shouts:
  "Fix me"
  
  The we have the fast solo. It is faster and harder than the other parts of the song because he has been clean for some time now and he has gotten used to being clean.
  
  After the solo he is addicted once again and he eventually dies at the hands of the master(thus the laughter at the end).

  Flag terosanon July 11, 2011   Link

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    That's the most accurate interpretation i've seen. Nice work, terosan, you've nailed it!

    Flag Nytstalkon October 03, 2011  

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    This is excellent, though "junkie" is a bit derogatory. Also your example of being clean and then addicted once again needs to be understood... Once an Addict ALWAYS an Addict. Some Addicts bounce around from drug to drug or gambling or sex or even food to confuse and trick their minds into believing that they have control over one particular addiction only to revert back into the same visciouis cycle but just a bit more intense than the previous encounter. Its a repetitive, tormenting life to live but it sounds as though you'll be just fine.

    Flag Liqwd10shnon October 13, 2012  

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