"Master of Puppets" translation

[vonjackhelln]

Hey guys,
I am currently translating Metallica's lyric "Master of Puppets" into Norwegian, as part of an essay about my favourite track. As the lyric contains some pretty obscure passages, I just wanted to ask some of you native speakers what they might possibly mean. Only the verses pose a difficulty, probably because they have been truncated for rhythmic reasons.


"Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear

Leading on your death's construction"


1. What does "sucking darkest clear" mean? What is sucked clear? And what sucks? (well, my questions maybe, but wtf)

2. "Leading on your death's construction" - does "lead on" mean the same as "to prepare", "to pave the way for", "lead to"?

"Needlework the way, never you betray"

3. I read/interpret this as "the work of the needle is the way (to ruin your life)," a path that infallibly leads to self-destruction. Needless to say, "Needlework the way" sounds quite enigmatic. How do you read this verse?

4. "never you betray" - who is the 'you' in question? The needle, the drug addiction?

"Neverending maze, drift on numbered days

Now your life is out of season"

5. "Drift on numbered days" - do you read 'drift' as a verb, meaning that the 'you' in the lyric drifts on days that are numbered? Or is it more natural to think of it as a noun, i.e. 'someone's drift on numbered days'?

6. "Now your life is out of season" - my first reaction was to think of this as "now your life is out of fashion", but I realise that is not entirely correct. Is this expression similar to "being unavailable"? I would really have written "Now your life is out of fashion", but obviously "out of season" makes a great rhyme with "rhyme without a reason".

Thanks a mill for your answers! Cornelius

 

[razoredge]

I know the languages translate hard but I would somehow try sticking with the actual words.

Out of season, yes it means out of season and it is somewhat of an American expression, meaning your days or ways have passed you by. It seems to me to be a drug song so its all about what drug addiction becomes. When addicted to drugs you become out of season, your days and time are wasted

Drift in the US means for someone to wander aimlessly, still I would use the word drift, if you have one.

who is "you", thats open to interpretation, could be the drug and its effects, could be you never betray the taking of the drug (addiction),,, Id go for the last.

Needle work the way... is about someone living their life on the needle (addiction)

lead on - means the same as say a general leads men to war, your addiction is leading you to death

Veins that suck with fear - an addict that doesnt have his fix become fearful of that, they act in a fearful manor that their world is coming to an end if they dont get their fix.

Sucking darkest clear - ??? well ??? could be word play for how those that become addicts were looking to numb some pain they couldnt deal with, place a darkness on whatever burns them. Or it could be "sucking dark is clear... Leading on your deaths construction" that one is clearly sucking the darkness of death due to being addicted.

this is my interpretation and may not be correct but as I said earlier I would try to stick with exact words because that is part of the beauty of poety or lyrics, to envoke thought and of course the word play of the writer working their wit.

** sorry for going in reverse order but once I started I was too lazy to edit it.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

Should really move this thread to General Metal Discussion... since this song is not a non-metal song... also some Norwegians in that forum or people who know Norwegian who can help ya...

 

[DarkBliss]

"Sucking darkest clear" could mean inhaling the purest drug, with darkest meaning the devastating effect that this practice will produce in the long-term.
Or similarily,
"sucking darkest clear" taking one of humankind's darkest creations( the drug) in its pure form. Or taking it all in one dosage until nothing is left(clear).

 

[arg]

Metallica lyrics (and most metal lyrics) are whack anyway

 

[~Derek~]

I heard the song's about doing cocaine.