The song is about a child called “Ronnie”, and the lyrics revolve around a theme similar to a school shooting. The theme for the song was taken from a 1990’s school shooting in Washington state.
Ronnie is one of many songs from the Load era to have never been played live.
[Verse 1]
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
[Pre-Chorus]
Now, they all pray
"Bloodstain, wash away"
[Chorus]
He said
"Lost my way
This bloody day
Lost my way"
I heard it
He said
"Lost my way
This bloody day
Lost my way"
All things wash away
But blood stained the sun red today
[Verse 2]
I always said something's wrong
With little, strange Ronnie Long
Never laughed, never smiled
Talked alone for miles and miles and miles
"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
[Pre-Chorus]
And they all pray
"Bloodstain, wash away"
[Chorus]
He said
"I lost my way
This bloody day
Lost my way"
I heard it
He said
"I lost my way
This bloody day
I lost my way"
All things wash away
But blood stained the sun red today
Yeah
[Interlude]
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
Now we all know why
Children called him Ronnie Frown
When he pulled that gun from his pocket
And they'd all fall down, down, down
[Chorus]
He said
"Lost my way
This bloody day
Lost my way
Yeah, yeah
I heard it
He screamed
"Lost my way
This bloody day
Lost my way"
All things wash away
But blood stained the sun red today
[Outro]
(That's right)
All things wash away...
(And they'd all fall down)
But blood stained the sun today...
(Yeah, yeah)
All things wash away...
(And they'd all fall down)
But blood stained the sun today...
Ronnie was written by Lars Ulrich & James Hetfield.
Ronnie was produced by Bob Rock.