The Often-Forgotten Country Songs of Metallica

The words “country” and “Metallica” are rarely ever said in the same sentence. Why would they be? Metallica is one of the most famous heavy metal acts of all time, if not the most popular mainstream metal act of all time. They’re not exactly known for country music or anything even closely resembling country music. However, the band has had their experimental phases, and a few of those experiments involved producing songs that many would actually consider country music. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?

“Mama Said”

This standout track from the 1996 record Load, one of Metallica’s most genre-diverse releases of their career, is an acoustic song that blends together a country music setting with almost bluegrass influences, such as the pedal steel guitar and the use of harmonizing vocals. The music video, likewise, definitely has a country vibe to it. Hetfield sits in the back of a car, strumming on his acoustic guitar, as he drives through what appears to be a highway in the beautiful Southwestern United States.

Most would describe “Mama Said” as a country rock ballad, complete with some outlaw country inspirations. 

“Ronnie”

Another great song from Load, “Ronnie” definitely has a country music beat. This song has a bit more of a country groove to it than other songs on the album. Plus, James Hetfield’s vocals seem to be looser on “Ronnie”. And that solo? The country vibes are indisputable.

“Ronnie” was written about a tragic shooting that took place in Washington state back in the mid-1990s. Many fans also believe the song was written about Ronnie Long, a Black American man who was imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit in 1976.

“Low Man’s Lyric”

If Load was genre-diverse, Reload was even more of a hodgepodge of inspirations. One of the album’s best songs, the country-leaning tune “Low Man’s Lyric”, shows Metallica in a stripped-down, simple, folksy setting. There’s no denying it; this song really is country-inspired, complete with the use of an old-school hurdy-gurdy. I’d say “Low Man’s Lyric” might lean more toward folk than country, but Hetfield’s songwriting is definitely on the country side on this one.

This song is about a homeless man who is frustrated with the world, and features David Miles on the hurdy-gurdy and Bernardo Bigalli on the violin.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images