The song is a tribute to Layne Staley, lead singer of rock band Alice in Chains, who died of a heroin/cocaine overdose in 2002.
[Intro]
Rebel, grip your bottle tight
Just float away
Rebel, is it hard to leave
What makes you stay?
Go take your poison ink
Sign life away
Then take your dirty spoon
And dig your grave
Dig your grave
[Verse 1]
Rebel grips the bottle tight
Just floats away
Rebel finds it hard to leave
What makes you stay?
He takes the poison ink
Signing life away
Then takes the dirty spoon
And digs his grave
[Bridge]
Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr
Going to die young
Going to live forever
Kill me one more time
[Hook]
Rise up
Rebel of Babylon
[Post-Hook]
Rise up
Rise up
Resurrection
[Verse 2]
Renegade fights the fight
That no one wins
He claims a crown of thorns
To pierce the skin
He climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
Thinks they'll remember him
After he's gone
[Bridge]
Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr
Going to die young
Going to live forever
Kill me one more time
[Hook]
Rise up
Rebel of Babylon
[Post-Hook]
Rise up
Rise up
Resurrection
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
This rebel fights the fight
That no one wins
To claim a crown of thorns
To pierce his skin
Climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
He loses consciousness
The myth lives on
[Bridge]
Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Tonight
Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo martyr
Going to die young
Going to live forever
Kill me one more time
[Hook]
Rise up
Rebel of Babylon
[Post-Hook]
Rise up
Rise up
Resurrection
Rebel of Babylon was written by James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett & Robert Trujillo & Lars Ulrich.
Rebel of Babylon was produced by Rick Rubin.
Metallica released Rebel of Babylon on Tue Dec 13 2011.