Moral messages in Metallica songs

These songs express and show that Metallica is not just loud music with head bangers.  It is a smart band that have used their popularity to express important messages through their songs, while still keeping a loud and metal theme!  The following songs best show Metallica’s ability to express important messages in their work…

Fixxxer – Reload

The last song on Metallica’s album Reload is a melody of emotion and passion.  The songs deals with child abuse and invites the listener to understand and appreciate the horrors of this cruel act.  James unleashes his soul while singing and you can truely tell he is feeling the anger and sadness that he is expressing.

Until it Sleeps – Load

Written shortly after James’ mother died from refusing life-saving medication because of the belief that “God would save her”.  James shows the arrogant stupidity of these claims.  This song plays with the conflicting ideas between science and religion.

Hero of the Day – Load

Written to deal with the media, this song caters to those that choose role models like Brittany Spears and Lindsay Lohan.  They ask the listener to respect and admire true hero’s like firefighters and the police, and not look to media heros as role models.

Disposable Heros – Master of Puppets

A great song when thinking of the war.  Metallica mocks the political leaders by immitating their apparent wishes.  Claiming that, “one soldier down, mothers son, but he served us well” is catering to the idea that government leaders must be woken up to the horrors they are inflicting, for usually their own personal gain.  Disposable heroes deals with the fact that some treat our heroes as disposable.

King Nothing – Load

Materialism is not left unchecked by Metallica.  King Nothing expresses the important fact that, although those with power and material objects feel in charge or important, they are no more important than anyone else.  This song also deals with pride and personal egotism.  Lyrics like “where’s your crown king nothing?” show that although these people feel like kings, they have no honor or real importance.