Ronnie

Album: Load (1996)
Play Video
  • Story starts, quiet town
    Small town boy, big time frown
    Never talks, never plays
    Different path, lost his way
    Then streets of red, red, I'm afraid
    There's no confetti, no parade
    Nothing happens in this boring place
    But, oh my god, how it all did change

    Now they all pray
    Bloodstain, wash away

    He said, lost my way this bloody day, I lost my way
    I heard it
    He said, lost my way this bloody day, I lost my way
    Oh, please wash away
    But blood stained the sun red today

    I always said there's something wrong
    With little, strange Ronnie Long
    Never laughed, never smiled
    Talked alone for miles and miles and miles
    The gallows calls, son, I say
    Keep your smile and laugh all day
    Think once again in this boring place
    For little boys, how they soon change

    Now they all pray
    Bloodstain, wash away

    He said, lost my way this bloody day, I lost my way
    Yeah, I heard it
    He said, lost my way this bloody day, I lost my way
    Oh, please wash away
    But blood stained the sun red today, yeah

    Yeah, well all the green things died
    When Ronnie moved to this place
    He said, don't you dare ask
    Why I'm cursed to wear this face
    Well, now we all know why children called him Ronnie frown
    When he pulled that gun from his pocket
    And they all fall down, down, down

    He said, lost my way this bloody day, I lost my way
    Yeah, yeah, I heard it
    He screamed lost my way this bloody day, I lost my way
    Oh, please wash away
    But blood stained the sun red today

    That's right, all things wash away
    And they all fall down
    But blood stained the sun today, yeah, yeah
    All things wash away
    And they all fall down
    But blood stained the sun today Writer/s: James Alan Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
    Publisher: Word Collections Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

  • Dan Gillespy from Courtenay BcA good blues influenced Metallica song.
  • Angel from LondonCharlie Decker vs US reality.
    A song that makes this band one of the greatest, along with Fixxer and few more "non-Metallica" masterpieces.
  • Glen from Washington StateFeb 2nd 1996

    Frontier Junior High School, Moses Lake Washington

    Barry Loukitias
  • Shane from Melbourne, Australiatreat us all as equal coz thats what we are, nothing special about anyone!! each to there mother f--kin own!!
  • Camille from Semi, LaThe lyrics to "Ronnie" are actually based on a school shooting in 1995 in the state Washington. The shooter was Ron Brown (or: "Ronnie frown" in the lyrics).
    see when he says
    " Now we all know why
    The children called him Ronnie Frown
    When he pulled that gun from his pocket
    They all fall down, down, down "+

    and then Metallica cleverly refer to his real name when they say
    "Small town boy, big time frown"
  • Steven from Viking, CanadaThe guitar is a bit different then usual metallica, but i like it
  • Joseph from Marikina, Otherreminds me of the columbine shooting incident
  • Mark C from Saratoga Springs, NyThe guitar line is almost identical to "Woodstock" by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
  • Ian from Hamilton, CanadaI always loved this song. Sounds very Skynyrd-esque
  • Patrick from Bardstown, KyAn awesome song. One of my favorites. It goe sto show what happens when you traet otehr people like crap.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. Televangelists

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. TelevangelistsSong Writing

When televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart took on rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, the rockers retaliated. Bono could even be seen mocking the preachers.