One of Metallica’s most hit tracks is Nothing Else Matters. Everyone recognizes the song when Kirk Hammett plucks out that iconic guitar riff. James Hetfield, the band’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist, wrote the song solely for his enjoyment. In Village Voice interview, James says he didn’t want to play the song for us at first.
It was never his intention for Metallica to cover it. To him, it didn’t sound like anything they would normally play. In retrospect, it isn’t easy to fathom, given that Nothing Else Matters is one of their biggest songs ever.
Yet, ballads were never popular in that era. In any case, they didn’t sing about emotional experiences. Read on to find out Hetfield’s inspiration for the song and what he has said about it since its creation.
Verse 1
This verse’s opening lines are influenced by that phone call, in which the lyricist assured the recipient that they were “near no matter how far” apart they truly were. He goes on to say that this kind of bond is the apex of love. What matters most, he argues, is that they trust each other like children.
He then tells the listener it is the first time he has been so open about his feelings, but he hopes the honesty will strengthen their bond. The singer promises a happy partnership if the listener is brave enough to see things differently.
Chorus
The chorus continues the idea of “nothing else mattering,” like the vocalist declares that he isn’t concerned about the outer world. To the external world, he says, “them.”
Verse 2
Like in the opening verse, the songwriter praises his and the listener’s affection. He repeats, “forever trusting who we are,” implying that despite everything, they shouldn’t question or resist the feeling because it is so pure and sincere.
Alternative Meanings
James said the track was about his partner, but the main topic is genuine friendship, not just among blood relations but between friends and family. On the Stern Show (2013), James affirmed that the song was not all about his partner but also about brotherhood.
We can interpret the song as about absence rather than romance because the lyrics do not reference a female character. Due to Hetfield’s contradictory claims at various points, the song’s meaning is open to debate. It could be a song about absence or love, possibly romantic.
Hetfield was thinking about both when he composed a song about mental well-being. He was estranged from two families, two friends, and his fiancée. The song was originally written for him, and he had no plans to submit it to Metallica. But he played the opening riff and lyrics for drummer Lars Ulrich, who liked them and proposed they be included on the next album.
At first, James was hesitant since he considered the song to be personal. Nevertheless, after much persuasion from album producer Bob Rock, James recorded the song. This turned out to be an excellent choice in retrospect.
Conclusion
The main themes of this song are a conflict between two worldviews. The first is the closeness between the songwriter and the listener, which physical barriers cannot break. Second, the lyricist subtly encourages the reader to embrace and even foster this feeling by placing their trust in the connection (and particularly the lyricist) and mostly tuning out the rest of the world who may be harshly judging them (the poet’s and the listener’s) emotional state.
Lyrics
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
It 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
I 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, yeah, yeah
So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: James Alan Hetfield / Lars Ulrich
Nothing Else Matters lyrics © Creeping Death Music
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