Metallica song Nothing Else Matters: lyrics, translation, analysis and meaning

Nothing else matters It is a song by the band Metallica. It was composed by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield. The song is included in the iconic 1991 album also called Metallica, better known as The Black Album due to the design of its cover, a tribute to the album The White Album by The Beatles.

Metallica represents the genre of thrash metal par excellence, which derives from heavy metal. It is characterized by tempos faster; greater use of the technique of palm mute; greater aggressiveness in riff of the guitar; deeper, punchier bass and alternative uses of drums, like two kick drums or double footswitches. Added to this are letters that, as a general rule, address social issues and open complaints.

In particular, The Black Album It was a turning point in the history of metal, as it marked an international trend. With this album, the group definitively established itself as one of the four greats of thrash metal along with Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.

No wonder that, in 1992, Nothing else matters has become one of the immortal successes of the band, and that its origin has been the cause of much curiosity on the part of its admirers.

According to the testimony known to date, the lyrics of the song are inspired by the last words that James Hetfield heard from his grandfather before he died: Nothing else matters ('nothing else matters').

On the musical motif, it seems that he had the genesis of it during a phone call that Hetfield had with his girlfriend. As collected in the documentary Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica, James Hetfield himself admits that, having one of his hands occupied, he plucked the strings in the air until he found the musical motif that he identifies to the piece.

Lyrics of the song

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
and nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

CHORUS

Never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

CHORUS

Never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

INSTRUMENTAL I

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us, something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

CHORUS

Never cared for what they say
never cared for games they play
never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
and I know

INSTRUMENTAL II

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters

Translation

So close, no matter how far away
Couldn't be more of the heart
Always trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

I never opened up this way
This life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I do not say to say
And nothing else matters

I look for trust and I find it in you
Every day brings something new to us
The mind opens to a different point of view
And nothing else matters

CHORUS

I have never cared about what others do
I never cared what they know
But I know...

So close, no matter how far away
Couldn't be more of the heart
Always trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

CHORUS

I have never cared about what others do
I never cared what they know
but I know...

INSTRUMENTAL I

I never opened up this way
This life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I do not say to say
And nothing else matters

I look for trust and I find it in you
Every day brings something new to us
An open mind to a different point of view
And nothing else matters

CHORUS

I have never cared about what others say
I never cared what they play
I have never cared what they do
I never cared what they know
But I know...

INSTRUMENTAL II

So close, no matter how far away
Couldn't be more of the heart
Always trusting who we are
And nothing else matters.

Analysis

The announced form is that of the genre power ballad: a soft guitar introduction, to which the rest of the band later joins, without fanfare, until the climactic moment arrives.

At the beginning, the guitarist (James Hetfield) plucks the strings in the key of E minor (Em). With this tonality, the listener is introduced into a nostalgic and meditative atmosphere.

James Hetfield's baritone voice voice makes its entrance with the rest of the band, that is: bass, second guitar and drums. In the text, as if it were a confession, the lyrical subject exposes his vulnerabilities and, at the same time, the strength that he has found in this love that, despite the distance, offers a refuge, a world of its own governed by trust between the two and autonomy in the face of interference from the society. If love remains, nothing else matters.

The entrance of the full band underlines the character of the text, which is first evoked as an inner thought expressed in piano (In this case, we refer to the musical term that describes a delicate low intensity sound).

The intensity rises from verse to verse, reaching the forte (great volume intensity) in the third, at which time the song reveals the features of a power ballad, full of passionate and expressive force.

All the instruments participate resolutely in this atmosphere. Bass provides depth, drums provide energy, and guitars evoke states of mind.

After this first exposition of the topic, which ends when the chorus is repeated for the second time, begins a first instrumental starring the two guitars, but the character returns to intensity piano. In this way, the expressive force of the chorus or chorus gives way again to intimacy or a certain sensuality. It seems like a foreplay that prepares the listener to go through the different states of a waiting loving soul.

Behind the second exposition of the topic, we heard the second guitar solo, one of the few played by James Hetfield himself, in an intensity very strong. This time, the foreplay has opened the groove to passion: the guitar solo gives sound to a deafening, open passion, whose energy seeks to be released, as if from a climax it was. It is, in fact, the high point of the subject.

At the end, that energy disperses and passion returns to its initial state. The accompanying instruments are muted to leave voice and guitar back. With the voice turned off, just as the guitar began, this is how it ends: alone, in the key of E minor (Em). The essence of a convinced love remains in the environment, which does not ignore the circumstances that surround it. Nostalgia invades everything again.

Metallica Biography

Metallica is a thrash metal band that emerged in 1983 in the city of Los Angeles, United States. Its founders are musicians Lars Ulrich (battery) and James Hetfield (Rhythmic guitar).

Along with them, the initial line-up was attended by Dave Mustaine (lead guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass). McGovney allegedly resigned as a result of Mustaine's aggressiveness. This, affected by alcoholism, became unbearable for the band and was fired. It was thus that Mustaine decided to found the group Megadeth.

Mustaine was replaced by Kirk hammett on lead guitar and McGovney was replaced by bassist Cliff Burton, who integrated very well into the group. Sadly, Burton was killed in the band's 1986 bus accident.

After Burton's death, bassist Jason Newsted joined, but in 2001 he resigned on the grounds that he never felt treated like a true member of the group. After a long season of auditions, the current bassist joined the band. Robert Trujillo, of Mexican descent.

Trujillo already had extensive experience as a bassist in bands like Black Label Society and Suicidal Tendencies, as well as those of Jerry Cantrell and Ozzy Osbourne. In addition, at the audition he had shown great coupling capacity with the musicality of Metallica.

Metallica has ten studio albums, in addition to live recordings, collaborative albums, compilations, reissues, singles, documentaries, and other audiovisual materials. His main albums include the following:

• Kill 'em all (1983)
• Ride the lightning (1984)
• Master of Puppets (1986)
• Garage Days Re-Revisited (1987)
• ... And Justice for All (1988)
• Metallica (1991)
• Live Shit: Bingre & Purge (1993)
• Load (1996)
• ReLoad (1997)
• Garage Inc. (1998)
• YE (1999)
• St. Anger (2003)
• Death Magnetic (2008)
• Lulu (2011), this produced in collaboration with Lou Reed, Hal Willner & Greg Fidelman.
• Metallica Through The Never (2013)
• Hardwired... to Self-Destruct (2016)

Nothing Else Matters Official Video