Fuel – English Lyrics

• By: Metallica
• Album: Reload

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Metallica's "Fuel" offers a high-energy lesson in English. The song's repetitive and anthemic chorus, "Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire," is easy to remember and helps learners grasp the rhythm and pronunciation of English words. The vivid, action-oriented lyrics related to speed and intensity provide a dynamic vocabulary lesson. What makes "Fuel" special for language learning is its raw power and clear, forceful delivery by James Hetfield, making it an exciting and memorable way to engage with the English language.

[English]

Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire

Ooh!

Yeah!

Turn on, I see red

Adrenaline crash and crack my head

Nitro junkie, paint me dead

And I see red

A hundred plus through black and white

Warhorse, warhead

Fuck 'em man, white-knuckle tight

Through black and white

Ooh, on I burn

Fuel is pumping engines

Burning hard, loose, and clean

And on I burn, churning my direction

Quench my thirst with gasoline

So gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire

Yeah

Turn on beyond the bone

Swallow future, spit out home

Burn your face upon the chrome

Yeah-he-hey, oh yeah

Take the corner, join the crash

Headlights (head on), headlines

Another junkie lives too fast

Yeah, lives way too fast- oh-oh

Ooh, on I burn

Fuel is pumping engines

Burning hard, loose, and clean

And on I burn, churning my direction

Quench my thirst with gasoline

So gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire

Ooh, ye-heah

White-knuckle tight

Give me fuel (on I burn, on and on)

Give me fire (on I burn, on and on)

My desire (on I burn, on and on)

Ooh, on I burn

Fuel is pumping engines

Burning hard, loose, and clean

And on I burn, churning my direction

Quench my thirst with gasoline

Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire

Ooh

On I burn

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fuel /fjuːəl/ B1	noun - a material that is burned to produce energy
fire /faɪər/ A2	noun - the burning of something that produces heat and light
burn /bɜrn/ B1	verb - to produce flames and heat when something is on fire
adrenaline /əˈdrɛnəˌlin/ C1	noun - a hormone that increases heart rate and energy in response to stress
thirst /θɜrst/ B1	noun - a feeling of needing or wanting to drink
chrome /kroʊm/ B2	noun - a shiny, silver-colored metal used for plating
direction /dɪˈrɛkʃən/ B1	noun - the path along which something moves or points
junkie /ˈdʒʌŋki/ B2	noun - a person who is addicted to drugs or something
crash /kræʃ/ B1	verb - to collide violently with something
join /dʒɔɪn/ A2	verb - to connect or come together with something
fast /fæst/ A2	adjective - moving or capable of moving at high speed
clean /kliːn/ A2	adjective - free from dirt or impurities
hard /hɑrd/ A2	adjective - solid, firm, and resistant to pressure
white-knuckle /ˈwaɪtˈnʌkəl/ C1	adjective - characterized by extreme tension or fear
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of wanting something

Key Grammar Structures

• Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase "Gimme" is an informal way of saying "Give me," which is a command.

• Adrenaline crash and crack my head

  ➔ Noun phrase

  ➔ The phrase "Adrenaline crash" acts as a subject, describing a sudden rush of adrenaline.

• Burn your face upon the chrome

  ➔ Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The phrase "upon the chrome" indicates the location where the action occurs.

• Quench my thirst with gasoline

  ➔ Infinitive phrase

  ➔ The phrase "with gasoline" describes the means by which the thirst is quenched.

• Another junkie lives too fast

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The verb "lives" is in the present simple tense, indicating a habitual action.

• Turn on, I see red

  ➔ Compound sentence

  ➔ This sentence combines two independent clauses: "Turn on" and "I see red."

• Fuck 'em man, white-knuckle tight

  ➔ Colloquial expression

  ➔ The phrase "Fuck 'em man" is a colloquial way of expressing frustration or anger.