Spineless from the start, sucked into the part
Circus comes to town, you play the lead clown
Please, please
Spreading his disease, living by his story
Knees, knees
Falling to your knees, suffer for his glory
You will, you will, you will, you will...

Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make your contribution
And you'll get a better seat

Bow to Leper Messiah!

Marvel at his tricks, need your sunday fix
blind devotion came, rotting your brain
Chain, chain
Join the endless chain
Taken by this glamour
Fame, fame
Infection is the game, stinking drunk with power
We see, we see, we see, we see...

Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make your contribution
And you'll get a better seat

Bow to Leper Messiah!

Witchery, weakening
Sees the sheep are gathering
Set the trap, hypnotize
Now you follow

Time for lust, time for lie
Time to kiss your life goodbye
Send me money, send me green
Heaven you will meet
Make your contribution
And you'll get a better seat

Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie!



Lyrics submitted by elmoz, edited by RyanWolfeh

Track duration: 04:56


Leper Messiah song meanings
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88 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:Jesus had the same thoughts about organized religion that Metallica talks about in this song, Leper Messiah. He said men have corrupted religion to exploit people. Ironically, as Jesus predicted, his own murder would be used to create another corrupt religion by twisting his own teachings about the corruption of religion. Thus, the Catholic church and other Christian denominations were subsequently born and are alive today.
    Flag msp123on August 27, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This song is not anti-god. It's just about the corruption of religion. God is a personal thing that some people choose to have faith in. Metallica is talking about evil people who exploit the concept of god for personal profit, turning it into a business and a way to control people.
    Flag msp123on August 27, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction:It´s "Join the endless chain, taken by his glamour" not "taken by this leper".
    Flag karneckon April 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:If you are an atheist, or agnotic, please read this and honestly give it some thought...

    Your belief that there is no God, or belief that there is nothing, is just as much of an act of faith as a Christian's belief IN God. Just as a christian cannot "prove" the exitence of God, an atheist cannot prove that there is NO God. Are you 100% sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no heaven, hell, or afterlife when you die? Have you been dead? You belive whatever you believe based on faith. Faith that you are right. Faith that whatever knowledge and facts you used to ascertain your conclusion is correct. So there is no need to call anyone "mindless", or "morons" for practicing their faith, when that is exactly the same thing that the atheist is doing. Do you know everything there is to know? If so, you would know the intimate details of the sex life of Napolian's great-grandmother's black cat's fleas. With that as a baseline, would you say you maybe knew 1% of everthing there is to know? or even 1% of 1%? I'm just saying it would be good that you be pretty knowledgeable before you go betting your eternity on what you know, or worse, what you don't know.

    If you're a logical thinker and an atheist, I challenge you to read, "God doesn't believe in Atheists". It's filled with logical examples like this. Atheists are nothing if not logical thinkers, and this book really appeals to that kind of reader. In fact, if you are not quite sure what you are sure of regarding your belief in God and would like a copy of that book, email me at gsjones1234@gmail.com with your address or po box or whatever, and I will buy a copy from Amazon and have it sent to you, no questions asked. If only one person receives the greatest gift God ever gave us through this, then it will have been worth the money.

    For the record guys, Christianity is not about thinking you're better than anyone, or judging anyone for their sins, or trying to gather up $ from mindless masses. PEOPLE do that. Jesus did not like organized religeon for this very reason. It's not God's fault when humans do evil in the name of God. Don't condemn yourself to an eternal life away from God because you associate Him with the evil that men have done in the name of religion.

    We're all sinners. It's human. You can't be a good enough person to just go to heaven because you're a good guy. It doesn't work like that. That is not a good "fall-back" plan if you happen to be wrong about the whole atheism thing. Have you ever been wrong about anything? As much as heaven is a real place, so if hell. You need to be right about this.

    The good news is that it doesn't cost a thing. No payments to the "Leper Messiah" lol. You just have to repent, and believe. That's it. Free as the air you breathe. Pretty good deal, especially when you consider the alternative. It's all in the book mentioned above. I was serious about that offer if anyone is still reading this board. Maybe you're reading this for a reason. I did not plan to come here to write all this. Just seemed like there was a surprisingly large atheist majority here to speak to I guess.
    Flagged stepouton May 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It is about religious people trying to save others when they themselves need healing. They trick you into believing that religion will get them into heaven, and are obliged to contribute. Truth is Jesus only hated religious types too. He sat and drank with sinners, and promised a murderer eternity in paradise, but cursed the Pharisees.
    Flag brucestaron April 26, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:satans hypnotising, trapping people into conformity, and giving glory to him by suffering, the laying down of their lives, ignorantly, while enticed into this trap by energy (heaven)delivered via the power of music, like a circus, and the sheep gather there, jesus came into the world to save the lost sheep and not to condem, read matthew luke and john with an open mind and decide for yourself, or listen to satans lies and remain ignorant
    Flag Lauriceon October 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:what i think the song is talking about is the christian church selling indulgences in the protestant reformation
    Flag metallifan1324on June 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:what does leper mean?
    Flag masterofpeace3429on May 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:It is obvious that this is about evangelist preachers and their ilk asking for money etc..

    On a side note

    Someone commented that atheism was a form of repression or perhaps that it was a hatred of religion. certainly it is not the hatred of any religion, but the complete and total lack of a belief in any religion. Without the belief in intellectual superiority over others that happen to be religious, but perhaps the wish to see all of us work to focus on ourselves and on each other rather than any imaginary god or creature.

    I am an atheist and I am don't hate anyone.
    Flag Innercenteron May 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:these are good theories, but lepper messiah is virgil hetfield, james' pops. apparently he was quite the dick, though he seemed pretty tight in 'a year and a half in the life of metallica'
    Flag thrashmanon April 19, 2010   Link

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