Fade to Black (song)

Fade To Black is a controversial song by heavy metal band Metallica. The song was recorded for their second album, Ride the Lightning (1984). The song is about a person who is contemplating suicide, which obviously creates a very dark theme. This is clarified in the lyrics "Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye," and "I have lost the will to live simply nothing more to give". However, this was not the apparent intention of the band. It was written after almost all of their equipment was stolen at a concert in Boston.

It was regarded as the first "soft" song that Metallica released. It begins with an acoustic guitar part and ends somewhat heavy. This (along with Fight Fire with Fire and The Call of Ktulu, which both begin "clean" (distortion turned off)) essentially counters the rest of the album, as the overall feel is more of a "hard and fast" metal (Ride the Lightning (song) and Trapped Under Ice demonstrate this).