A Reddit user asked ChatGPT to re-write the lyrics to Metallica’s classic track Ride the Lightning – and it did a pretty decent job.
The same Reddit user, who goes by the ominous name of Nutstrangler, also used an artificial intelligence deepfake program to have the new lyrics sang in the style of Metallica frontman James Hetfield.
And while the lyrics turned out just fine, they don’t quite fit into the track all that well. You can hear the alternate version on this Reddit thread.
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) program that allows users to ask it to write anything. It generates the text based on information it finds online.
In Metallica’s 1984 version of Ride the Lightning, taken from the album of the same name, Hetfield doesn’t actually sing the song title. In this ChatGPT version, it appears multiple times.
The lyrics generated by ChatGPT are:
“My mind is racing with fear and doubt, as I wander this endless route. Ride the lightning, feel the shock. The thunder roars, the lighting flashes. As I stand alone in this darkened abyss, my thoughts drift to a distant past, when life was simple and love would last.”
Some of the comments on Reddit praise the AI’s lyric writing, but most agree that when they appear in the recorded song, they don’t quite hit the mark.
One user comments: “If Ride the Lightning appeared on Lulu.”
Another says: “Not gonna lie, those are some pretty good lyrics.”
Commenting on the deepfake audio of the lyrics, one user writes: “Hey robot, don’t quit your day job.”
Metallica’s 12th studio album, 72 Seasons, will be released on April 14, 2023. It will be supported by a widespread world tour.
Apr 27, 2023: Amsterdam Johan Cruijff Arena, HOL
Apr 29, 2023: Amsterdam Johan Cruijff Arena, HOL
May 17, 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France, FRA
May 19, 2023 – Paris FR – Stade de France, FRA
May 26, 2023: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, GER
May 28, 2023: Hamburg Volksparkstadion, GER
Jun 08, 2023: Download Festival, UK
Jun 10, 2023: Download Festival, UK
Jun 16, 2023: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, SWE
Jun 18 2023: Gothenburg Ullevi Stadium, SWE
Aug 04, 2023: East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium, USA
Aug 06, 2023: East Rutherford NJ MetLife Stadium, NJ, USA
Aug 11, 2023: Montreal Stade Olympique, CAN
Aug 13, 2023: Montreal Stade Olympique, CAN
Aug 18, 2023: Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium, USA
Aug 20, 2023: Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium, USA
Aug 25, 2023: Inglewood, CA SoFi Stadium, USA
Aug 27, 2023: Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium, USA
Sep 01, 2023: Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium, USA
Sep 03, 2023: Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium, USA
Nov 03, 2023: St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center, USA
Nov 05, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – The Dome at America’s Center
Nov 10, 2023: Detroit, MI Ford Field, USA
Nov 12, 2023: Detroit, MI Ford Field, USA
May 24, 2024: Munich Olympiastadion, GER
May 26, 2024 – Munich DE – Olympiastadion, GER
Jun 7, 2024: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, FIN
Jun 9, 2024: Helsinki Olympic Stadium, FIN
Jun 14, 2024: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, DEN
Jun 16, 2024: Copenhagen Parken Stadium, DEN
Jul 05 2024: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, POL
Jul 07 2024: Warsaw PGE Narodowy, POL
Jul 12, 2024: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, SPA
Jul 14 2024: Madrid Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, SPA
Aug 02, 2024: Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium, USA
Aug 04, 2024: Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium, USA
Aug 09, 2024: Chicago, IL Soldier Field, USA
Aug 11, 2024: Chicago, IL Soldier Field, USA
Aug 16, 2024: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, USA
Aug 18, 2024: Minneapolis US Bank Stadium, USA
Aug 23. 2024: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, CAN
Aug 25, 2024: Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, CAN
Aug 30, 2024: Seattle, WA Lumen Field, USA
Sep 01, 2024: Seattle, WA Lumen Field, USA
Sep 20, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 22, 2024 – Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 27, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX
Sep 29, 2024: Mexico City Foro Sol, MEX