Dyers Eve

Album: …And Justice for All (1988)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Metallica singer James Hetfield had a difficult upbringing in small-town California. His truck driver father walked out on the family whilst his Christian Scientist mother's beliefs led to her dying young from cancer after refusing treatment. In this song, Hetfield's anger at his family comes out. He told Rolling Stone magazine that there is "a lot of blame in that song." He added that he blamed his family for "Insulating and alienating, which happened a lot with our religion [Christian Science]. That song was about being in a cocoon, and now that I'm out on my own, oh, my God, the world is shocking me. I don't know how to deal with this stuff. I don't know how to deal with grief, poverty, confrontation. How to live on my own, after father leaving, mother dying."
  • The band did not perform this live in its entirety until March 5, 2004 when they played it at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles during Metallica's Madly in Anger with the World tour.

Comments: 9

  • Kiera from CanadaIt’s actually a like rant at James parents. It’s him expressing the frustration he had growing and with his parents strict Christian Scientologist and he thought it was wrong. Especially when his mom died. She got cancer but because of their religion they didn’t take her for chemo etc. so lines like “what is this hell you have put me through” is what he felt.
  • Alienspecies from Montreal, CanadaJames Hetfield is a master at song writing. I hear some of his lyrics have been used in poetry class at the university of California.
    If you like his lyrics you might also like Till Lindemann's for Rammstein.
  • Stephen from Connecticut Some real stuff right thurr
  • Paulo Pereira from Yonkers, NyDoes anyone know what the title refers to?
  • Zander from Los AngelesRaw Thrash.
  • Ian from Ragama, Sri Lanka (ceylon)Well I' lucky I don't have parents like that. I too feel deeply sorry for the things James lost. But in a twisted way I feel happy for those losses. The reason I'm saying this is that if he didn't suffer like that in his childhood we will not have a artist like James or as a matter of fact a lot of the artists who struggled in their lives.
  • Rickey from Lansing, Mii realy connect to this song, its a great song
  • Ronnie from Herning, --You really feel the anger and Jaymz' disappointment in this song. The riff is aggresive, the solo is wild and untamed and also aggresive, his singin' is great!!

    The lyrics speaks for them selves - not much to analyse...


    5/5 - Dyers Eve is great!!
  • Adam from Yarmouth, MeThis song is very good and I am sorry for James loses.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?