Shirley J. Stankiewicz's 'Bleeding Me And Good-Bye'

There are many similarities and a few subtle differences between poetry and poetic music when broken down, hence the word poetic before music in poetic music. “Bleeding Me” by Metallica, and “Good-Bye” by Shirley J. Stankiewicz are similar in theme, format, symbolism and have subtle differences such as a repetitive chorus required in music. Some poems can be straight forward and say what is on their minds, but others like Metallica’s “Bleeding Me” and Shirley J. Stankiewicz’s “Good-Bye” can be a bit more difficult to decode. They are written in metaphors which can draw a much more vivid picture, pictures are worth a thousand words. Both “Bleeding Me” by Metallica and “Good-Bye” by Shirley J. Stankiewicz are similar in theme. They both speak of struggling with addiction. Bleeding Me is a cry out for help. The name in itself, Bleeding Me, is saying his addiction is killing him. If you bleed out too much you will die and if you abuse alcohol, you will die. This is why the chorus appropriately fits the mood and happens to be “I’m bleeding me.”(19)

When James Hetfield sings “I take the leash that’s leading me,”(28) he does not …show more content…
Well, this line explains that he planted the seeds to addiction and all addictions start with a first time. A first beer, or a first cigarette, and so on. It is the seed that he has planted. This first drink grows rapidly through time into dependency for a person. Then one day realize it has become full blown addiction. Like the small seed that grows into a full blown tree, but instead of just saying tree which can be portrayed as good he describes a tree with thorns symbolizing the sharp painful drug addiction, and what did that thorn ridden tree do? “It tears me and I Bleed!”(13) going back to drug abuse can end your life and bleed you