Cyanide

Metallica's song 'Cyanide' delves deep into the themes of death, despair, and the longing for release from suffering. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who feels dead inside, yearning for the finality that death promises. The opening lines, 'Sleep and dream of this / Death angel's kiss / Brings final bliss / Completely,' set the tone for the song, suggesting that death is seen as a form of ultimate peace and escape from the emptiness of life.

The recurring plea, 'Empty they say / Death, won't you let me stay?' highlights the protagonist's struggle with feelings of emptiness and their desire for death to take them away. This is further emphasized in the chorus with lines like 'Suicide / I've already died / You're just the funeral / I've been waiting for,' which suggests that the person feels as though they are already dead inside and that death would merely be a formality, a release from their current state of living death.

The metaphor of 'Cyanide' as a means to break free from the 'empty shell' of existence is powerful and evocative. The imagery of 'death black wings' and 'concrete angel' adds to the dark and somber mood of the song. The lyrics also touch on the cyclical nature of suffering with lines like 'The crying, weeping, shedding strife / Year after year, life after life,' indicating a sense of perpetual pain and the longing for it to end. Ultimately, 'Cyanide' is a haunting exploration of the desire for death as a means to escape the torment of life, capturing the essence of despair and the search for peace.