Killing Time (song)

Song

Tour Dates

Killing Time is the twelfth track off of American Heavy Metal band Metallica's cover album Garage, Inc. disc two.

About

Originally performed by the Northern Irish band Sweet Savage, not to be confused with the American band of the same name, it was first covered by Metallica on the B-side of the The Unforgiven single.

Live

• "Killing Time" has been performed live 18 times as of January, 2025.
• "Killing Time" was first performed live on March 14th, 1982, in Anaheim, California, at Radio City, for Metallica's Live Debut.
• It was last performed live on December 7th, 2021, in San Francisco, California, at the Fillmore, during the 30th Anniversary Tour.

Trivia

• This was the first song Metallica ever performed in E-flat tuning, having done so for this song ever since their 1982 Whisky Audition Tape (the other song, "Let It Loose", was in standard tuning).

Lyrics

    Sound of gunfire comes through the night
    Killing and hatred it's a terrible sight
    Reports come in of a heavy attack
    Message received, we're moving back
    
    Preparations are made for the journey back
    Hints on survival, supplies are packed
    No more nights in this eternal hell
    Destination is simple, we move out
    
         Killing time
         Your life's on the line
         Killing time
         Your turn to kill
         Killing time
         What'd ya say?
         Killing time
         The killing time
    
    Ingenuity needed to keep us alive
    No time for cowardice, kill and survive
    Like a killer kid with a switchblade knife
    Nasty word, he'll take your life
    
    The silence is over the attack again
    The killing and hatred, drive me insane
    Reports come in of a heavy attack
    Message received, we're moving back
    
         Killing time
         Your life's on the line
         Killing time
         Your turn to kill
         Killing time
         What'd ya say?
         Killing time
         Killing time
    
    Sound of gunfire comes through the night
    Killing and hatred it's a terrible sight
    Reports come in of a heavy attack
    Message received, we're moving back
    
    Ingenuity needed to keep us alive
    No time for cowardice, kill and survive
    Like a killer kid with a switchblade knife
    Nasty word, he'll take your life
    
         Killing time
         Your life's on the line
         Killing time
         Your turn to kill
         Killing time
         What'd ya say?
         Killing time
         The killing time