Who among the fans of the metal band Metallica does not know the stories about how James Hetfield composed the intro to the song Nothing Else Matters. Allegedly, while on tour, he was talking on the phone with a girl and playing the guitar at the same time. One of his hands was occupied with a pipe, so he could only touch the open strings. And so, unobtrusively, a wonderful work of one of the best musical groups of its genre was born.
The story of creation and meaning of Nothing Else Matters
But this is far from the only interesting fact about Nothing Else Matters. Here is what James Hetfield said in an interview with Mojo:
At first I didn’t even want to play it to the guys. I thought the only thing Metallica could be was the four of us. These are songs about destruction, head banging to the music, blood in front of the crowd and so on, but not about chicks and fast cars, although we just loved it. At the time, this song was about a girl. As it happens, it has become quite a successful song.
However, with the main idea of the song Nothing Else Matters is not so simple.
To the same magazine, James Hetfield told the following:
It’s about traveling when you miss someone who stayed at home, but it was written in such a way that it turned out to be connected with many people. It wasn’t just about two people, it was about connecting with your higher power, about many other things…
Mojo, 2008
Also widely known is an interview with Hatfield, in which he explained the meaning of the ballad:
The words of Nothing Else Matters are about a long journey, about how you miss a girl, being so far away from her. As they say… Girls come and go, but a song will mean a lot to different people. She has a spirit of brotherhood. For the four of us, this is important … Everyone understands love in their own way: for some it’s just a bed, others just want to be close to someone, but for me it’s an opportunity to always trust someone, especially when we are on the road. You can really get lost there.
Here we can’t help but recall that in recent years, members of the Metallica group have increasingly directly stated that the song Nothing Else Matters is dedicated to their fans. Like, what could be more important than the people who support them.
Recording and release
A demo version of Nothing Else Matters was recorded in August 1990 at Lars Ulrich’s home studio. They say that it was he who first heard it and convinced Hatfield to include the song in the band’s repertoire.
The ballad Nothing Else Matters was released as the third single from the band’s fifth studio album, entitled Metallica. It rose to the top 10 of several European charts and peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks.
Video of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
The music video for Nothing Else Matters for Metallica was directed by Adam Dubin.
Cover versions
Nothing Else Matters has been performed by dozens of bands. One of the most famous and popular versions was released by the Apocalyptica group.
Interesting Facts
- This is one of the few songs by the band to feature James Hetfield as the guitar solo.
- Due to posters of nude girls seen in the video for Nothing Else Matters, the video was not aired during the daytime on MTV. These pictures were later deleted.
- In the clip, Lars Ulrich throws darts at an image of Kip Winger.
Nothing Else Matters Lyrics by Metallica
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
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
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know
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
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
So close no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
Nothing else matters
Lyrics Nothing Else Matters by Metallica Alternative
So close, no matter how
Can’t be sincere
Forever believed in who we are
And the rest doesn’t matter
Never opened up like this.
Life belongs to us and we live our way
I don’t just say all these words
And the rest doesn’t matter
I’m looking for trust and I find it in you
There is something new for us every day
Look at life from a different angle
And the rest doesn’t matter
I never gave a damn what they do
I never gave a damn what they know
But I know
So close, no matter how
Can’t be sincere
Forever believed in who we are
And the rest doesn’t matter
I never gave a damn what they do
I never gave a damn what they know
But I know
Never opened up like this.
Life belongs to us and we live our way
I don’t just say all these words
And the rest doesn’t matter
I’m looking for trust and I find it in you
There is something new for us every day
Look at life from a different angle
And the rest doesn’t matter
I never gave a damn what they say
I never gave a damn what games they play
I never gave a damn what they do
I never gave a damn what they know
And I know
So close, no matter how
Can’t be sincere
Forever believed in who we are
And the rest doesn’t matter
Quote about the song Nothing Else Matters
I remember I went to the Hells Angels club in New York and they showed me a movie they made about one of the fallen brothers and Nothing Else Matters was playing there. Gosha. It means a lot more than my longing for a girlfriend, doesn’t it? This is a brotherhood. This song could have been used by the army. It has a decent amount of power.
James Hatfield
