Metallica 's greatest classics , but when James Hetfield presented the song to the band, he was insecure. The vocalist and guitarist demonstrated a lot of vulnerability in the song's composition, which for him was "a sign of weakness."
In an interview with Classic Rock , Hetfield spoke about his initial thoughts on “Nothing Else Matters.” “Why didn’t I want to write a love song?” he asks rhetorically. “That’s easy, it’s because it’s a huge sign of weakness. You’re in Metallica. This is hardcore. What the hell are you doing?”
“But that song was for me. It’s about being on the road missing someone who’s home, but it was written in a way that ended up connecting with so many more people. It wasn’t just about two people. It was about your connection to your personal power, many different things,” she added.
The song has become one of Metallica's greatest timeless hits, surviving the years and reaching countless different generations. Recently, it received a new version featuring singer Miley Cyrus on vocals , accompanied by Elton John, WATT, Yo-Yo Ma , and Chad Smith on instrumental and production.
Regarding his first encounter with “Nothing Else Matters,” Kirk Hammett added: “At the time, all I could think was, ‘James wrote a fucking love song for his girlfriend? How weird.’ James always wanted to be seen as the guy who is super strong and confident, so writing lyrics like that – which show a sensitive side – took a lot of courage.”
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