Meaning of “Leave Hell Behind” by Sevendust
In describing “Leave Hell Behind”, Clint Lowery has implied that it is about mustering up the fortitude to move on with your life rather than living in the past. But all lyrics considered, it would appear that the “hell” the vocalist is referring to is more synonymous with life on Earth, so to speak.
So when the vocalist rather implies that he’s looking forward to ‘leaving hell behind’, that may also be taken as another way of him saying that when he does leave the mortal plane, he doesn’t intend to do so with any reservations or regrets. And that’s in part because as alluded to in the bridge, he feels that the world has become compassionless.
Part of the vocalist’s confidence as far as note looking back is concerned is founded in him apparently concluding that he has already given his all, as if he has left something behind for the addressee to enjoy and/or learn from.
And his view of life is also marked by a sort of fatalism, believing that all actions are ultimately vain, in a manner of speaking. So it may also be argued that Witherspoon is depicting himself as sort of a self-sacrificing hero, one who is willing to subdue his own “sorrow” in the name of edifying his audience.
“I, I’ll feel better when it’s over
Look in my eyes
Looking back on all the sacrifice
In the end, what really mattered?
All of the time, the loss and the lifе
Time, life
I’ll go now and leavе hell behind”
Conclusively, even though we are met with statements such as the vocalist ‘dying in peace’, being ‘haunted’ by his past and ‘not deserving everything he loves’, we would not necessarily classify “Leave Hell Behind” as one of those songs we’ve that espouses suicide.
In this case, the vocalist doesn’t come off as if he actually wants to die. But he seemingly perceives death such that passing over to the other side also includes leaving the worries of the world behind.
Credits for “Leave Hell Behind”
Sevendust is a rock from the A-T-L that has been around since the mid-1990s. Its membership consists of frontmant Lajon Witherspoon, guitarists Clint Lowery and John Connolly, drummer Morgan Rose and bassist Vince Hornsby. And all of those individuals except for Hornsby are credited as the writers of this song.
The producer of “Leave Hell Behind” is Michael Baskette.
Release Date
This track was officially released through Napalm Records on 28 July 2023 with the rest of “Truth Killer”, the Sevendust album it is featured on. “Leave Hell Behind” also acted as a promotional single for the album.
