...And Justice for All (song)
| "...And Justice for All" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promotional single by Metallica | ||||
| from the album ...And Justice for All | ||||
| B-side | "...And Justice for All (LP Version)" | |||
| Released | September 6, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | January–May 1988 | |||
| Studio | One on One Studios, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal[1] | |||
| Length | 9:46 (album version) 5:58 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Composer(s) | James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett | |||
| Lyricist(s) | James Hetfield | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Metallica singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"...And Justice for All" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the second track on the band's album of the same name,[2] and was released as a promotional single in 1988. Like the album it features on, it is named after the last four words of the Pledge of Allegiance.[3]
Music and lyrics
[edit]The main riff of the song is based on a drum pattern written by Lars Ulrich.[1] Music critic Cosmo Lee said that it is "a linkage of blocks" rather than "a progressive opus", because "the song is mid-paced and very playable. None of the riffs are that technical."[4]
"...And Justice for All" features lyrics about corruption in the government.[5] The song title is the last four words of the Pledge of Allegiance. The lyrics refer to injustice, as "money tips [the] scales" of "Lady Justice". Especially during the chorus, "Pulling your strings, justice is done" as the ultimate symbol of a miscarried justice.[6]
Live performances
[edit]The song was performed live by the band during their Damaged Justice world tour in support of the parent album.[7] After the tour, the band vowed to never play it again. Guitarist Kirk Hammett noted that the length of the songs was problematic for fans and for the band: "Touring behind it, we realized that the general consensus was that songs were too fucking long. One day after we played "Justice" and got off the stage one of us said, 'we're never fucking playing that song again.'"[8] However, Metallica played the track in the opening show of the Sick of the Studio '07 tour, for the first time since October 1989, and made it a set-fixture for the remainder of that tour. When played live, the intro of the song is played as a recording due to the intro requiring three guitars. A statue of Lady Justice is commonly placed on the scene, to be torn down as the song approaches its conclusion.[9] A live performance of the complete song appears on the DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria, recorded in Mexico City during the World Magnetic Tour.[10]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "...And Justice for All" (Edit) | 5:58 |
| 2. | "...And Justice for All" (LP Version) | 9:46 |
Video games
[edit]The song is featured in the Metallica 3-Pack that is downloadable content for the music video game Rock Band 3. It was made available to download on March 1, 2011, in an updated version for use in Rock Band 3 Pro mode which takes advantage of the use of a real guitar / bass guitar, along with standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits in addition to vocals.[11]
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the parent album's liner notes.[12]
|
Metallica
Technical Personnel
|
Artwork
|
References
[edit]- ^ a b McIver, Joel (2009). Justice for All – The Truth About Metallica. Omnibus Press. Music Sales Group. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-85712-009-0. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
- ^ Metallica (1989). ...And Justice for All (track listing). Elektra Records. ED 5396.
- ^ Dome, Malcolm; Wall, Mick, eds. (2011). Metallica: The Music and the Mayhem. Omnibus Press. pp. Chapter 10. ISBN 978-0-85712-721-1.
- ^ Lee, Cosmo (September 9, 2011). "Metallica: The First Four Albums – "...And Justice for All"". Invisible Oranges. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
- ^ Irwin, William (2007). Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery. Pennsylvania: Wiley. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-4051-6348-4.
- ^ Bowar, Chad (September 7, 1988). "Metallica, '... And Justice for All' – Album Overview". '...And Justice for All' Track By Track. Ultimate Metallica. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
- ^ "Inside the Tour That Made Metallica Megastars". Rolling Stone. November 15, 2018.
- ^ Fricke, David (November 14, 1991). "Metallica: From Metal to Main Street". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 16, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ Florino, Rick (November 7, 2013). "Exclusive: James Hetfield of Metallica Reflects on "...And Justice for All"". Artistdirect. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ "Orgullo, Pasion y Gloria: Tres Noches en Mexico [Bonus CD] [DVD] - Metallica". AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
- ^ Gaddo, Kyle (February 25, 2011). "Eleven Legacy Rock Band Tracks Getting PRO Upgrades On March 1st". The Gaming Vault. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- ^ ...And Justice for All liner notes (Media notes). Vertigo Records. 1988.
- Bibliography
- Metallica – The Complete Guide to Their Music, London: Omnibus Press, 2005.
