Nothing Else Matters

This article is about the Metallica song. For the film, see Nothing Else Matters (film).

"Nothing Else Matters"
Single by Metallica
from the album Metallica
B-side	"Enter Sandman" (live) "Enter Sandman" (live)/"Harvester of Sorrow" (live)/"Nothing Else Matters" (Demo)
Released	April 20, 1992
Format	CD single
Recorded	October 1990 - June 1991 at One on One Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Rock
Length	6:28
Label	Elektra
Writer(s)	James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich
Producer	Bob Rock James Hetfield Lars Ulrich
Metallica singles chronology
"The Unforgiven" (1991) "Nothing Else Matters" (1992) "Wherever I May Roam" (1992)

"Nothing Else Matters" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third single from its self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts. "Nothing Else Matters" was featured as a playable track in the music video game Guitar Hero: Metallica. The song has been covered over forty times.

History

Singer and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield wrote the song (credited to Hetfield/Ulrich) while he was on the phone with his then girlfriend. Since he held the phone with one hand, he plucked the four open strings of a standard E-minor chord with the other, which eventually made up the first two bars of the song. The lyrics, which talk about being "so close, no matter how far", were also dedicated to his girlfriend, indicating the bond they shared even when Hetfield was on tour. Initially, the song was not meant to be released, as Hetfield had written it for himself, but only after drummer Lars Ulrich heard it, it was considered for the album.

Composition

Its intro is an E minor arpeggio beginning with the open low E followed by the open G, B and high E strings.

It is one of the few Metallica songs in which Hetfield, not Kirk Hammett, plays the guitar solo. Given that Hetfield recorded all rhythm and most harmony tracks on the band's first five albums, Hammett does not play on the studio recording, making it one of two songs in the whole Metallica repertoire, along with Cliff Burton's "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth", in which he does not appear.

Music video

The music video premiered on MTV on February 26, 1992. It was directed by Adam Dubin, it consists of parts of the A year and a half... video tape which was shot during the recordings of Metallica. One of them shows Hetfield playing the 12 string during one of the choruses. MTV will not air the video during daytime hours anymore because it features nudity in the form of pin-up posters that are taped up in the studio. It also has a picture of Kip Winger which Lars Ulrich is seen throwing darts at. On the band's 2006 music video compilation DVD, the posters are censored, as was done with the nudity featured in the music videos for "Turn the Page" and "Whiskey in the Jar".

Live

The song has now become a staple in Metallica's live performances, and has been dedicated to their fans. When played live nowadays, Hammett does the first part of the intro, and Hetfield joins in for the second, to then sing and play it alone until after the first chorus, when the whole band kicks in. Also, the last verse is left out, ending the song with the heavily distorted guitar solo by Hetfield, and usually fading into "Enter Sandman". A live version on which this can be heard can be found on the CD/DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México. Other live recordings can be found on Live Shit: Binge & Purge, on S&M, Cunning Stunts DVD as well as the DVD/Blu-ray The Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria.

Alternative versions

Nothing Else Matters '99

"Nothing Else Matters '99 (Live)"
Single by Metallica
from the album S&M
B-side	"For Whom the Bell Tolls" (S&M version)/"−Human"
Released	November 22, 1999
Recorded	April 21–22, 1999 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, California
Genre	Rock
Length	6:47
Label	Elektra
Producer	Bob Rock James Hetfield Lars Ulrich Michael Kamen
Metallica singles chronology
"Die, Die My Darling" (1999) "Nothing Else Matters '99" (1999) "No Leaf Clover" (2000)
San Francisco Symphony chronology "Nothing Else Matters '99" (1999) "No Leaf Clover" (1999)

For its appearance on S&M, its orchestration was arranged by Michael Kamen conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. This live version is featured on the album S&M. It was also released as the single "Nothing Else Matters '99", which included the b-sides "-Human", and the S&M version of "For Whom the Bell Tolls", on November 22, 1999. This version was also played with guitars tuned to Eb.

There is also an acoustic remix of "Nothing Else Matters" that is called the "elevator version" with no electric guitars (replaced by acoustic guitars, even for the solo), Kamen's orchestrations, and Hetfield's voice only; it appears as the b-side to "Sad but True".

Covers

Because of the song's popularity it has been covered many times, by both artists within and outside the rock genre. Bands who have covered the song include:

• Acid Drinkers for Fishdick Zwei - The Dick Is Rising Again tribute albums.
• Aliqua, a contemporary all-female choral act from Vancouver, Canada, on their self-titled album; they also released a music video of them performing the song.
• Angels of Venice as an instrumental harp solo (with backing instruments inc. cello) on their album Music for Harp.
• Apocalyptica, a band that plays metal music using primarily 4 cellos (Inquisition Symphony).
• Apoptygma Berzerk
• String Quartet, in their Tribute to Metallica, a version quite similar to that of Apocalyptica but with more classical elements in it.
• Die Krupps for The Blackest Album tribute albums.
• David Garrett.
• Declan Galbraith on his album You and Me.
• Doro Pesch covered the song for the Metallica - A Tribute to the Black Album, which was released in Germany in the Special Edition of the Metal Hammer August 2011.
• Vienna Boys' Choir.
• Scott D. Davis.
• Iron Horse.
• Joe Lynn Turner for the Metallic Attack: Metallica - The Ultimate Tribute tribute album.
• Gregorian (a troupe of Gregorian chanters).
• Lissie (a folk-rock singer-songwriter).
• Lucie Silvas (a British pop singer-songwriter).
• LMP on their album A Century of Song.
• Bif Naked on the Superbeautifulmonster album.
• The Angels of Venice.
• Staind on MTV Icon.
• Erik Hassle on his Pieces (Deluxe Edition) album.
• Apoptygma Berzerk for the "Paranoia" single.
• Jon Oliva, Bob Balch (of Fu Manchu), Lemmy, and Gregg Bissonette for Metallica Assault: A Tribute to Metallica.
• Solarisis - Overload 2: Tribute to Metallica.
• Marco Masini (Italian singer-songwriter) as "E Chi Se Ne Frega" (moderately vulgar Italian for "Who cares"), for the album Uscita Di Sicurezza. (Marco Masini's version only covers the music. The lyrics for "E chi se ne frega" are not the Italian translation of Metallica's song.)
• Bugotak band from Novosibirsk released a Buryat language version with some Buryat instruments.
• The Dutch DJ DJ Zany & MC DV8 created a hardstyle version of the song.
• Tose Proeski during his concerts and on his album So Ljubav Ot Tose.
• Rev Theory on their acoustic EP Acoustic Live from the Gibson Lounge.
• Jaanus performed that in Estonian Idol ("Eesti Otsib Superstaari").
• In 2004, the season 2 Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan performed this song live on the Final 5 Up Close And Personal show and the live track was included as the b-side to her first single "Listen With Your Heart".
• In 2009, the song was also performed on Australian Idol by eventual winner Stan Walker on the Final 11 rock theme night.
• In 2009 by the a cappella group Club for Five featuring Johanna Kurkela on the album You're the Voice.
• Punk band The Vibrators.
• Shakira covered the song for her 2010 and 2011 tour, "The Sun Comes Out", and performed it for the first time on September 15 in Montreal, where the tour kicked off.
• Lissie covered the song during her Live Lounge session on the Radio 2 show 'Saturday Session' hosted by Dermot O'Leary in the UK. The song is on Disc 2 of the double CD release "Dermot O'Leary Saturday Sessions: 2CD".
• The song was covered as an instrumental for the album Buddha Lounge: Renditions of Metallica - * The Black Lounge along with ten other Metallica covers.

Ed Alleyne -Johnson electric violin cover on album"Arpeggio.

• The Siege of Fort Wraganock covered this song in late 2011 using entirely different instrumentals and soul influenced vocals.

Track listing

US Single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Nothing Else Matters"	6:30
2.	"Enter Sandman" (Live)	5:26

International Single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Nothing Else Matters"	6:30
2.	"Enter Sandman" (Live)	5:26
3.	"Harvester of Sorrow" (Live)	6:02
4.	"Nothing Else Matters" (Demo)	5:52

Live at Wembley Stadium

1. "Enter Sandman"
2. "Sad But True"
3. "Nothing Else Matters"

This single was named Nothing Else Matters UK Tour Single and was released in Europe April 27, 1992. It contained the three songs Metallica played at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert on April 20, 1992 at Wembley Stadium.

Nothing Else Matters '99

1. "Nothing Else Matters (Live)"
2. "For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)"
3. "- Human (Live)"
4. "Nothing Else Matters (Video)"

Charts and certifications

Peak positions

Chart	Peak position
Australia	8
Austria	6
Denmark	23
Canada	41
Finland	14
France	10
Netherlands	4
Germany (2010)	83
Norway	3
Sweden	12
Switzerland	5
United Kingdom	6
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	31
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	11

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Austria (IFPI Austria)	Gold	15,000x
Italy (FIMI)	Gold	25,000*
*sales figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Personnel

• James Hetfield – vocals, guitars
• Lars Ulrich – drums
• Jason Newsted – bass

Lucie Silvas version

"Nothing Else Matters"
Single by Lucie Silvas
from the album Breathe In
B-side	"Better Love Next Time" (Demo)
Released	October 31st, 2005
Format	CD single, Digital download
Genre	Pop
Length	4:36
Label	Mercury
Producer	Mike Peden
Lucie Silvas singles chronology
"Forget Me Not" (2005) "Nothing Else Matters" (2005) "Everytime I Think of You" (2006)

"Nothing Else Matters" is a special Europe-only single by British singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas. It was released in exactly the same way as "Don't Look Back", with the same b-sides and artwork.

Tracklisting

CD1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Nothing Else Matters" (Edit)	James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich	3:07
2.	"Breathe In" (Live in Denmark)	Lucie Silvas, Judie Tzuke, Graham Kearns, Mike Peden	3:32

CD2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Nothing Else Matters" (Edit)	Hetfield, Ulrich	3:07
2.	"Twisting The Chain" (Acoustic)	Silvas, Charlie Russell, Kearns, Peden	3:55
3.	"Better Love Next Time" (Demo)	Tzuke, Kearns	3:40
4.	"Nothing Else Matters" (Video)	Hetfield, Ulrich

Charts

Chart (2005)	Peak position
Dutch Top 40	13
Germany	38
Eurochart Hot 100	160

External links

• Nothing Else Matters lyrics
• 40 Nothing Else Matters covers
• Chart Stats