Metallica and Guns N’ Roses were two of the biggest rock bands in the world during the early 1990s. They both had massive releases in the late 1980s. Metallica released the thrash classics Master of Puppets (1986) and Ride the Lightning (1984), and followed them with …And Justice for All (1988). GNR had one of the best-selling debut albums of all time with Appetite for Destruction (1987). Then, they kicked off the new decade with Metallica and Use Your Illusion I & II in 1991. As a result, their 1992 co-headlining tour was a no-brainer.
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On paper, having two of the biggest bands in the world share stages in dozens of cities sounded like a fan’s dream come true. However, it wasn’t a great time for everyone involved. As Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has since pointed out, the Bay Area thrashers weren’t happy with how Axl Rose conducted himself during the tour. Other reports have stated that Rose was a bit of a diva, ending sets early, showing up late, and insulting the fans.
After the tour, Metallica returned to business as usual. Guns N’ Roses, on the other hand, fell apart. They released one more album, The Spaghetti Incident? (1993), before going on a long hiatus. Much of the reason for the band’s breakup rests on Rose’s shoulders.
All of this has led many to believe that Metallica wrote “King Nothing” from Load (1996) about Rose.
Did Metallica Write “King Nothing” About the Guns N’ Roses Frontman?
Fans and critics alike have interpreted “King Nothing” as a dig at Axl Rose. To an extent, the song fits the Guns N’ Roses frontman’s actions on and after their co-headlining tour.
Tensions rose in Guns N’ Roses before the aforementioned tour ended. In the end, the frontman did all he could to re-shape the band in a new image, firing members, bringing in a new guitarist, and amplifying the behavior that fans saw from him on the road. As a result, after the band recorded their 1993 covers album, they split for more than a decade. The long-awaited Chinese Democracy dropped in 2008.
One of the main things that points to Metallica writing “King Nothing” about Rose is the chorus. Many of the lines in the chorus point to someone whose behavior is self-serving. However, the line But the castle’s crumbled and you’re left with just a name, seems to be the nail in the coffin. Guns N’ Roses’ star had fallen, but Rose retained the rights to the band’s name.
Other Interpretations of “King Nothing”
Not all interpretations of “King Nothing” point to the feud between Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. Instead, some believe that it was an introspective song. The overarching theme of “be careful what you wish for” could relate to the band’s meteoric rise to fame and the behind-the-scenes costs. After all, three of the band’s four members went through divorces around the time they started working on their 1991 self-titled album. Those lyrics could just as easily be a mirror of their lives as an indictment of Rose’s behavior.
Recently, James Hetfield said they wrote the song as an ode to “Enter Sandman,” the song that helped them become one of the biggest metal bands in history.
No matter what interpretation you follow, “King Nothing” is a great song that delivers a message anyone could learn from.
Featured Image by Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
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