Meaning of “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica

The hit song “Nothing Else Matters” from rock legends Metallica originated from a phone call lead singer James Hetfield had with his girlfriend in 1990. However, since his love for her proved to be a fleeting occurrence, the band decided to dedicate this classic to their devotees. 

In other words, in the eyes of the band, nothing else matters to them but their fans. The ultimate meaning of the track though is taking the initiative to express your feelings, even though doing so makes you vulnerable to heartbreak and other potential risks.

Verse 1

The beginning of this verse is obviously inspired by the aforementioned phone call, as the lyricist is telling the listener they are “close no matter how far” they may actually be from each other. He then indicates that such a connection is the true pinnacle of love. 

He also says that the childlike trust they have in each other is all that’s really important. Afterwards, he lets the listener know that this is the first time in his life he is frankly expressing such intimate feelings yet by doing so believes it will benefit their relationship. Then the singer relays to his intended recipient that their relationship will indeed be a joyous one, so long as the listener is courageous enough to perceive things from a fresh perspective.

Chorus

The chorus keeps within the theme of ‘nothing else mattering’ as the singer exclaims that he is not preoccupied with the thoughts of the outside world. He refers to the outside world as “they”.

“So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters”

Verse 2

The second verse begins as the first, with the lyricist once again praising the love which is shared between him and the listener. He also reuses the subsequent line “forever trusting who we are”, indicating that despite having such strong, innocent affection they shouldn’t doubt nor fight the feeling.

Conclusion

After all is said and done, this song is primarily about two realities/ideologies. First is the strong bond, which even distance can’t severe, shared between the lyricist and the listener. Second is an encouragement to accept and actually feed this feeling by having faith in the relationship (specifically in the lyricist) and by pretty much ignoring whatever else may be going on in the world, implicitly when it comes to those who may be negatively criticizing their (the lyricist’s and listener’s) feelings.

James Hetfield on the Meaning of “Nothing Else Matters”

In a 2008 interview with Mojo magazine, Hetfield shed more light on the meaning of this song. According to him, it’s about being away from home and missing someone back at home.

“So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart”

Lyrically, “Nothing Else Matters” basically talks about being so far away from the people you love yet doing all you can to maintain the strong connection despite this distance. The line “so close, no matter how far” perfectly describes this. It encapsulates the whole idea that no matter the physical distance between you and your loved ones, the close bond between you shall forever remain intact.

The Music Video

As of this writing, the official music video of “Nothing Else Matters”, which is published on YouTube, has over 1.2 billion views. This make it one of the most successful videos on the said platform.

The video, which was directed by Adam Dubin, gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at stuff the members of the band are doing. Throughout the video, we get to see various candid scenes, showing the band members in different settings — on the road, in the studio, and during downtime.

We also get to see the band in the recording studio, working passionately on their craft. This footage is interspersed with scenes showing the band members relaxing, engaging in playful antics, and preparing for performances, highlighting the camaraderie and brotherhood among them.

Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s drummer, is shown laying down drum tracks in the studio, while lead guitarist Kirk Hammett is seen working on his guitar parts.

As the video progresses, we see powerful scenes from Metallica’s live shows, showing the raw energy and passion they bring to the stage, and their beloved fans.

From time to time, we see the members of Metallica in contemplative or introspective moments. This perfectly reflects the introspective nature of the lyrics of “Nothing Else Matters”. To a certain degree, one can safely say it provides a contrast to the intense energy of their performances and the chaos of life on the road.

All in all, we can say the music video provides viewers with some sort of visual diary of Metallica’s life during their time recording the “Black Album” – the album which “Nothing Else Matters” appears on.

Facts about “Nothing Else Matters”

Metallica members James Hetfield alongside Lars Ulrich (drummer) officially penned this song.

Ulrich and Hetfield also co-produced the song with Canadian record producer Bob Rock.

The track was released in 1991. It was the third single from Metallica’s fifth studio album titled Metallica (also called The Black Album). In 2003, Rolling Stone included this album on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was placed at the number 252 in that list. Said album in fact produced a ton of hits aside “Nothing Else Matters”.

Other hits from the album include “The Unforgiven” and “Enter Sandman“. By 2012, this album had gone on to sell more than sixteen million units. And this figure was for the United States alone.

“Nothing Else Matters” is one of the band’s most successful songs. It has been covered dozens of times by numerous artists since it came out in the early 1990s.

The song’s orchestration was handled by the renowned American composer Michael Kamen.

Metallica’s lead guitarist Kirk Hammett traditionally plays guitar solos on the band’s songs. But on this track, he doesn’t. The guitar solo is played by Hetfield.

Hetfield said the song was inspired by Metallica’s very frequent tours. According to him, the song was written while on tour. Some parts were written right on the tour bus. Other parts were also written in a number of hotel rooms.

The official music video for “Nothing Else Matters” (which can be seen above) was directed by Adam Dubin.

Below is a video of Metallica performing the classic live in 2007. The performance took place at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium during the Live Earth climate concert.

“Metallica” Track Listing

These are the official tracks that appear on Metallica’s “Metallica” album of August, 1991:

“Metallica” produced a total of 5 singles. The said singles are listed below:

• “Enter Sandman“
• “Nothing Else Matters”
• “Sad But True”
• “The Unforgiven“
• “Wherever I May Roam”