“One”

Metallica
From …And Justice For All
(Hetfield/Ulrich)

I cant remember anything

cant tell if this is true or dream
deep down inside I feel to scream
this terrible silence stops me

now that the war is through with me

I'm waking up, I cannot see
that there's not much left of me
nothing is real but pain now

hold my breath as I wish for death

oh please God, wake me

back in the womb it's much too real

in pumps life that I must feel
but can't look forward to reveal
look to the time when I'll live

fed through the tube that sticks in me

just like a wartime novelty
tied to machines that make me be
cut this life off from me

hold my breath as I wish for death

oh please God, wake me

now the world is gone I'm just one

oh God, help me hold my breath as I wish for death

darkness imprisoning me
all that I see
absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
trapped in myself
body my holding cell

landmine has taken my sight

taken my speech
taken my hearing
taken my arms
taken my legs
taken my soul
left me with life in hell
Metallica is the 7th biggest selling act in American history.

The band recorded their fourth full-length album, ...And Justice For All, released in August
1988. The explosion that had been threatening for sometime finally happened. It reached #6 on
the US charts, received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal/Hard Rock album, the band blew
headliners Van Halen off-stage during the Monsters Of Rock tour and subsequently embarked
upon an enormous worldwide tour. It was even the moment they finally delved into video
territory, although the footage for 'One' was most certainly the most 'anti' video video of its era.

The "One" video:

"One" is Metallica's first video ever. It has been shot on December 6th 1988 in a Los Angeles
warehouse.

The movie clips in the "One" video:

They are from the movie Johnny Got His Gun which is based upon the book by Dalton Trumbo
who also directed the movie in 1971. The movie is about a soldier whose arms and legs were
blown away by a grenade during World War I. Metallica purchased the rights to this film to use
it for the music video.

The single:

The single release of "One" peaked at #35 on the U.S. charts on April 9th in 1989 and on August
18 the "One" single was even certified platinum.

Metallica's first Grammy performance:

Metallica performed "One" at the Grammy Awards in 1989. They were nominated for a Grammy
for the "...And Justice for All" album and the "One" single, but lost to Jethro Tull.

The intro:

In the intro there can be heard machine gun fire, explosions and a yelling soldier which all
represents a war scene. In the end of the intro there can be heard a fading sound of a helicopter.
The sound of the machine gun fire seems to arise again in the instrumental parts - replaced by the
drums and guitars.

The inspiration:

Lead singer/song writer James Hetfield has been inspired by Dalton Trumbo's book/movie
"Johnny Got His Gun". The idea for the song's opening riff originates from a Venom song called
"Buried Alive".

The subject matter:

Hetfield’s reason for writing the lyrics was the thought of being cut off from the outside world
just like the main character of Dalton Trumbo's book/movie "Johnny Got His Gun".