RELOAD (1997)

(Hetfield, Ulrich)

It's a black cloud over head, that's me
And the poison ivy chokes the tree, again it's me
I'm the fifthy one on Bourbon Street, you walk on by
I'm the little boy that pushes hard and makes it cry
There's a dirty needle in your child, ha-ha, stick me
Empty bottles still in hand, still dead, still me
I'm the suit and tie that breaks the street and still wants more
I'm the 45 that's in your mouth
I'm a dirty, dirty whore

Yeah, look it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus, but to old to see
Hey, look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world
Just what you want you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me

Yeah, he wants to become father now, yeah again me
The marks inside your arms still leave me alone to me
I'm a nothing face that plants a bomb and strolls away
I'm the one who doesn't look quite right as children play

Yeah, look it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus, but to old to see
Hey, look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world
Just what you want you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
It's me

Look up to me
What you've been and what you've feared
Look up to me
Look it's me, what you hear

See right through me
See the one who can't be free
See right through me
Look it's me when no one wants to see

Hmmm, now, see the black cloud up ahead, that's me
Hmmm, in this poison ivy chokes the tree, again it's me
I'm the filthy one on Bourbon Street, you walk on by
I'm the little boy that pushes, pushes, makes it cry

Yeah, look it's me
The one who can't be free
Much too young to focus but to old to see
Hey, hey, look it's me
When no one wants to see
See what you brought this world
Just what you want you want to see
Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me
Yeah
It's me

Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me



Lyrics submitted by elmoz

Track duration: 06:06


Prince Charming song meanings
Add your thoughts

20 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:I read an interview with Jaymz, something like that: when all the evil centred in one. Foolishoutlaw hit the nail.
    Flag enterspon December 29, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:my interpretation of this great song is the life of a pained individual being referred to as your child becomeing the very thing that no one wants to become due to overbearing parents and mental self torture due to ridicule from his peers. in short it is an explanation of the pain and suffering that a teenager goes through and and ends up killing themselves. it tells a sad story that comes true far too often. but feel free to try to tell me otherwise because i am open to hear, or in this case read, your arguments and input.
    Flag longshot259on August 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I just can't help but to see these lyrics as an ironic twist of the typical "bad boy" image portrayed by many teenagers and young adults. I could be way off but bear with me...As a college student i have dealt with many many immature high school burn outs and delinquents. Their idea of having fun seems to be causing trouble and bragging about it. They want everyone to know how cool they are for the amount of weed they smoke or fights they got into or how much they drink or things they've stolen. I feel like James may have put an ironic twist into the lyrics "hey ma, hey ma look it's me" as in, clearly when you cause that much trouble and brag about it you want the world to know, as if they want those people to have some respect for them or be proud of them. James satirizes this situation in his lyrics. If you want the world to know how "cool" you are, why keep it from your parents? Basically he is symbolizing the hyporcricy of young adults. "Hey ma, Hey ma look it's me.".....aren't you proud? Everyone else seems to be...
    Flag bschopon August 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song seems to have a theme similar to Dyers Eve, assuming the interpretation that it's about James' anger at his parents.
    Flag BlackSabbathon February 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it's about what happens to your kids when you're an unfit parent.
    Flag dark_eyez_666on January 14, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:you guys are retarded, Foolishoutlaw13's interpretation is spot on. If you guys ever heard "Until it Sleeps" it's about how James lost both his parents to cancer and how both refused medical treatment because they where a part of the Christian Science Faith.

    check the following link -> absoluteastronomy.com/topics/…

    This clearly would have made an impact on the band. The fact that you guys refuse to acknowledge the obvious is pretty absurd. Just because you're a hardcore atheist doesn't mean your favorite band feels "exactly" the same way. Even if they did, that doesn't mean they can't write a bad ass song about it.

    Peace
    Flag schweppesaleon February 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I believe the "Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me" is refering to a "boyfriend" of a girl that thinks he's prince charming, And meets the mother..Hey ma, hey ma, look it's me--prince charming
    Flag songanchorageon November 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ok well for the "This song is all God" dude, not dissing God or anything but I think that your perspective on the "And if you don’t think this song is about religion cause "that’s not Metallica" here are a few titles:" quote is absurd. People don't think that about Metallica. They like what they hear not what they think Metallica is about. Sure that's a little different for Metallica, but it doesn't mean people question constantly.
    Another thing, you only mentioned 3 songs, (4 if you count this one. Whatever) out of the possibly 150 songs Metallica has ever recorded. So in reality, Metallica ISN'T really too religious.

    "Hey, Ma
    Hey, Mom! Look, it's me
    (this is the only part that confounds me... I don’t understand it)"

    Perfect example that you may possibly not know what you are talking about...
    Flag Keep Searchingon February 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think for love and the last guy is close but i thinks its about him being either a man whore, a bum, or a bum/child-raper.
    Flag butonechildofHimon February 22, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Plain and Simple it is a song about Satan.

    Prince Charming is Satan, and Satan is Prince Charming

    It's a song about the Devil and all the ways he can get to you. And the forms he takes

    (BTW the posted lyrics are wrong, here is a Corrected Version, at least this sounds right to me...)

    There's a black cloud overhead
    That's me
    (Some people blame bad weather on him)
    And the poison ivy chokes the tree
    Again it's me
    (Kills Gods creation)
    I'm the filthy one on Bourbon Street
    You walk on by
    (He can take human form, or maybe one of his finished projects)
    I'm the little boy
    That pushes hard and makes it cry
    (Loves to see pain and torture)
    There's a dirty needle in your child ha-ha, stick me
    Empty bottles still in hand, still dead
    Still me
    (Drugs are one way he can get to you)
    I'm the suit and tie
    That bleeds the street and still wants more
    (Corruption in our government)
    I'm the forty-five that's in your mouth,
    (Suicide is a lot of peoples answer to their problems, and who puts that thought there?)
    I'm a dirty, dirty whore
    (Temptation or sexual impurity)

    Yeah, look, it's me
    The one who can't be free
    (He is bound to his future written in the Bible)
    Much too young to focus
    But too old to see
    (This I don't quite get this one... I think that being he was young when he waged war against God, and he is still old to us so he don’t see why he was to bow to us)
    Hey, look, it's me
    What no one wants to see
    (Nobody wants to face him)
    See what you brought this world
    (We give him power)
    Just what you want to see
    (He can take any form you want, as long as he can get you)
    Hey, Ma
    Hey, Mom! Look, it's me
    (this is the only part that confounds me... I don’t understand it)


    And he wants to be called "Father" now
    (Some women allow abusive men back in their lives when all they do is hurt them)
    Me again, me
    The marks inside your arms spell me
    Spell only me
    (Again drugs, and for dummies or Naive people, Morphine leaves yellow lines under your skin in your arms when you shoot up called “Track Marks”)
    I'm the nothing face
    That plants the bomb and strolls away
    (Killing innocent people)
    I'm the one who doesn't look quite
    Right as children play
    (Child Molester)

    Look up to me,
    (He wants you to worship him not God)
    What to be and what to fear
    (He chooses what you’ll fear and trust)
    Look up to me
    (He wants you to worship him not God)
    Look, it's me. Like what you hear?
    (Temping isn’t it?)
    See right through me
    (You know it’s too good to be true)
    See the one who can't be free
    See right through me
    Look, it's me, what no one wants to see

    There here it repeats the first part again with a few minor differences.

    I did a five page report on this song and this is the only interpretation that seems to fit.

    It can’t be about being rejected by his parents.
    "There is a dirty needle IN YOUR CHILD"?
    To me that’s Satan saying I am in control of your kid now.
    (Well ha-HA Stick me would make sense, about a kid but still that could be either end, the person saying it, or Satan is in Drug Form saying Inject me)

    He is mad at his parents, and takes it out on everyone else?
    "Hmmm, now, see the black cloud up ahead, that's me
    Hmmm, in this poison ivy chokes the tree, again it's me"
    "I'm the 45 in your mouth"
    How is that an angry child taking it out on everyone else?
    That doesn’t sound like human abilities...

    The bad things that happen are from Satan and his influence.

    I don’t see how this is about James or the band in General.
    Mama Said is defiantly about his mother.
    No argument here.
    But these things just don’t seem like anything a human can do…

    God is real, and so is Satan. You'll see eventually. I can tell you until you go deaf and so can everyone else but in the end it’s all about your faith.

    Jesus Saves. He died for you, Don't Let his death be in Vain.

    And if you don’t think this song is about religion cause "that’s not Metallica" here are a few titles:
    "Holier than Thou" (Some people have that attitude)
    "The God that Failed" (Not so much about following "the wrong God" or worshiping him wrongly, but "Let each man work on his own salvation" so really to me its about common sense and the lack thereof, (Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists don’t believe in surgery and organ transplants) I think God allowed our technology to grow so we don’t have to suffer and we can kind of help ourselves)
    "Leper Messiah" (Televangelists, and Corrupt Churches and corrupt forms of religion)
    All have a message about religion and how we got to change something. But none of them Bash religion or tell you to abandon your faith.

    Plus there are probably more that I can’t think of right now.

    Well there is my report, lol, and reasons why I think that way; I think I made it pretty clear.

    And I looked around the boards and DAMN there are A LOT of atheists on this thing! lol

    Later I hope I helped or at least put a new spin on it for ya
    Flag Foolishoutlaw13on November 06, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain