About The Song
“Fade to Black” is a song and the first power ballad by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released as the first promotional single from their second studio album, Ride the Lightning (1984). The song was ranked as having the 24th best guitar solo ever by Guitar World readers.
The song peaked at number 100 on Swiss Singles Chart in 2008. The song is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. In March 2023, Rolling Stone ranked “Fade to Black” at number 35 on their “100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time” list.
A review by Gina Boldman described “Fade to Black” as “one of the few Metallica tracks to get radio airplay in the mid- to late ’80s.”
Since its release, “Fade to Black” has been a fixture in Metallica’s live performances. It was also the last song that Metallica performed live with former bassist Jason Newsted before he left the band, which occurred at the VH1 Music Awards on November 30, 2000. It was one of his favorite Metallica songs, and was said to be of great sentimental value to him, although it had been written before he had joined the band. His previous band, Flotsam and Jetsam, performed a song called “Fade to Black” on their 1986 album Doomsday for the Deceiver before he left to join Metallica.
While on the Guns N’ Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour on August 8, 1992, Hetfield accidentally stepped into the path of one of the chemical flames that had been rigged to shoot from the lip of the stage while playing “Fade to Black”. Hetfield’s guitar protected him from the full force of the blast; however, the fire engulfed most of his left side, burning his hand, both arms, eyebrows, face and hair. He suffered second and third-degree burns, but was back on stage 17 days later, although his guitar duties were delegated to former guitar tech and Metal Church guitarist John Marshall for four weeks while he made a full recovery.
“Fade to Black” was the last song to be played on the Los Angeles heavy metal radio station KNAC, which went off the air on February 15, 1995. It would later sign off fellow longtime rock stations 94 WYSP in Philadelphia on September 2, 2011, and Power 97 in Winnipeg on January 29, 2015.
Video
Lyrics
Life, it seems, will fade away
Drifting further, every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters, no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free
Things not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly loss, this can’t be real
I cannot stand this hell I feel
Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness, taking dawn
I was me, but now he’s gone
No one but me
Can save myself
But it’s too late
Now I can’t think
Think why I should even try
Yesterday seems as though
It never existed
Death greets me warm
Now I will just say goodbye
Bye…