Fixxxer

Album: ReLoad (1997)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is about child abuse and how a person seeks to heal themselves after being abused when young. Similarly, the lyrics deal with a person breaking the chain of hatred/abuse and not mistreating their own loved ones the way they themselves were mistreated - the whole 'Sins of the father passed down to the son' idea - Can you break away from the malice? Will you be like the father who hurt you, or will you be your own man and make things right? James Hetfield goes a long way in comparing voodoo ritual concepts to the idea of breaking away from the hatred and pain that one may be exposed to. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Anthony - Melrose park, IL
  • Metallica played the song live for the first time at San Francisco's Chase Center on December 17, 2021. The metal veterans performed it at the first of two fan club-only concerts celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band.

Comments: 21

  • Jowell from PhilippinesThe song I think is about a person suffering from pain or illness and how he is trying to break free and escape from it.
  • JowellThe song I think is about pain or illness of a person and how he suffers for it and trying to break free from it.
  • Jacob from Jackson, TnAlso, I think James's father was an alcoholic, so that could have been insparation for this.
  • Jacob from Jackson, TnI'm guessing the "xxx" represents alcohol, as that often contributes to an abusive relationship.
  • Brett from Charlottetown, Pe@ john from colorado sorry to say but this song has never been played live other than a very short and quiet jam http://www.metallica.com/timeline.asp?page=tour&id=2174

    @omar from charlotte the war was over in '75 i do believe and james would only hace been 12 but the other stuff i am pretty sure is true.
  • Omar from Charlotte, Ncman James have gone through a lot I was reading his father left them at 13, then at 16 his mother died & then he went to Vietnam, I bet he needs psycho therapy bad, but at least his traumatic experiences made him the hell of a composer he is thumbs up 4 Metallica.
  • Garry from Novosibirsk, Russia Federationto jose from san salvador
    actually Megdeth created not less beautiful music on Youthanasia
  • Ryan from Portland, OrNo, this song is not about alcohol abuse or any 'sins of the father' undertones. This is James rebuking God. The 'pins' are the problems God creates in peoples lives. In the first paragraph the 'you' he is referring to is God. The 3 X's in the song is because "Three X's for the stone." It is a reference to Hendrix in which God chooses the location for Earth, the 3rd stone from the sun. "Shell of shotgun, pint of gin" this is what James used to escape the 'pins' in his life, such as his mother dying of cancer. And finally "Can you heal what father's done, Or fix this hole in a mother's son" the 'fathers done' part is about his dad encouraging his mother to refuse treatment, and the hole in the mothers son is the hole that was left when she died. This has to be one of my favorite songs!
  • John from Colorado Springs, CoWhen I saw them play live 1 Sept 1998 they played this song.
  • Rj from Rushville, NeI love this song!
    The lyrics are amazing... The fact it was used for the documetery of paradise lost (the childhood murders at robin hood hills) is great...
    Cause the kids were murdered in a satan ritual type way, so this relates very much!
  • Jose from San Salvador, OtherPeople who stopped listening to metallica because they changed their music style are totaly insane, how can you miss this song, no way you cannot listen to this song and think they're the greatest band ever, just imagine how difficult is for a band that plays thrash and heavy to create music like this, ask slayer or megadeth to create music as beatiful as this, no way MetallicA still king of rock.
  • Andy from Brest, EuropeDoes James really like Fixxxer and The Thing That Should Not Be the most?? Really?
  • Shane from Tipperary, Irelandthis along with the thing that should not be are james hetfields fav.songs!
  • Laura from Perth, West Australia, United StatesMetallica are by far one of the greatest bands of my time. i saw them live in 2004 and it was the best experience. the lyrics to Fixxxer are deep and meaningful to so many, and i think its great a band like metallica can hit that cord with people. the best song i heard them play live was 'unforgiven', pure genius! James is awesome!
  • Kevin from Calgary, CanadaThe three x's represent liquor. In cartoons (I'm not sure about in reality vis a vis history) a bottle with three x's as a label is a generic representation for alcohol.
  • Industrial_dolphin from Wakefield, EnglandThis song breaks me emotionally.the vocals are absolutley amazing and after over a thousand listens how James sings the first 2 verse's still sends shivers down my spine. definitly one of the best. a true testament to the depth of metallica's talent
  • Steven from Viking, CanadaCan anyone tell me what's with the 3 X's?
  • Joseph from Marikina, Otheryet another underrated Metallica song. one of the best imo.
  • Serkan from Ankara, TurkeyThe best song of Re-Load...The final song? The song never played live? Well, Metallica don't like to play their best songs live unfortunately(!)
  • Gabriel from Mhafb, IdFixxxer is my all time favorite Metallica song its meaning and the way it was performed just helped me on my way in life to know that i wasnt the only one being mistreated and to not take it out on others just to listin to the song and everything became alright in that8 minutes and 15 seconds of pure joy that every thing would be alright
  • Sebastian from New York, Nyit has the same structure as "The outlaw torn" on the E.P. "LOAD". the fading-in intro is mixed with several effects...think, they have never played it live...:(
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