Fight Fire With Fire by Metallica

Album: Ride The Lightning (1984)

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This song is about nuclear annihilation, describing the world right before and during a nuclear apocalypse. In the song, "fight fire with fire" means fighting nuclear warfare with nuclear warfare, hence the line, "Nuclear warfare shall lay us to rest." Frontman James Hetfield wrote the lyric at a time when he was obsessed with death. Note that the album cover shows an electric chair. >>
Suggestion credit:
Aaron - Ventura, CA
Hetfield wrote the song with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and bass player Cliff Burton. Hetfield and Ulrich founded the band in Los Angeles. When they spotted Burton performing with his band Trauma, they made a full-court press to get him in their lineup and even moved to San Francisco to accommodate him. Burton was a very distinctive player and a big contributor to their songwriting. When he died in a tour bus accident in 1986, his bandmates were devastated.
"Fight Fire With Fire" kicks off Metallica's second album, Ride The Lightning. The first 40 seconds of the song is rather soothing, making more than one fan check the cover to make sure they put the needle on the right record. But then it kicks in full thrash, fulfilling the promise of the band's debut, Kill 'Em All, released the previous year.

That mellow acoustic intro was written by Cliff Burton on acoustic guitar. When the band heard him play it, they knew it should open the album.
Metallica started working on this song during their first tour, the Kill Em' All For One Tour, in 1983. After that tour, they played some shows in their San Francisco area stomping grounds, including one on Halloween 1983 at a club called The Keystone, where they premiered "Fight Fire With Fire." They also played three other new songs that night: "Ride The Lightning," "Creeping Death," and "When Hell Freezes Over," which eventually became "The Call Of Ktulu."

Comments: 6

Dan Gillespy from Courtenay BcA good and fast Metallica classic.
Yd from CanadaThe title/lyric (Fight fire with fire) is tongue-in-cheek and is actually to put the spotlight on the tit-for-tat attitudes prevalent amongst the nations of the world (fight-fire-with-fire attitude) which is only going to get the universe blown into nothingness. Awesome lyrics!
Zero from Nowhere, NjI heard that the beginning was Cliff playing a 12-string guitar could someone confirm this?
Kyle from Calgary, AbThis is Flea's (the bassist from the red hot chili peppers) favourite Metallica song. He inducted the band into the rock n' roll hall of fame with an excellent speech that every Metallica fan should watch, in my opinion.
Cory from Akron, American SamoaThis has always been one of my favorite songs by metallica and its so great how it starts out so peaceful in the begining then it goes dark.
Zachary from Nashville, TnI think this song is about the truth of war and how back in the 1980's nuclear war was a big fear and how if nuclear war was to come upon us no one would survive. If one country started nuclear war, we would bomb back. (Do Onto Others As They've Done To You) If nuclear war were to come, our time would go away as soon as it came. (Time Is Like A Fuse, Short And Burning Fast)

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