METALLICA's JAMES HETFIELD On His Lyric Writing: 'I Want The Words To Just Be As Powerful As Possible'

During an appearance on the latest episode of "The Metallica Report", the podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke about his perennial and peerless lyrics. The band's primary songwriter shared what he loves about the architecture of words, whether he sees himself as a storyteller, and his appreciation of American musician and songwriter Tom Waits.

Regarding his approach to writing lyrics, Hetfield said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "For me, not studying literature much at all — ever, really — all the books you're supposed to read as a kid, I didn't, but I will pick up a book and thumb through it. Mostly I see words that are interesting, and that's out of curiosity. And me, I would say that coming from a graphics background, the way a word looks is almost more important. Like 'Lux Æterna' — how cool is that? There's an X in it, and then the A [and] E together. How cool. It's almost how it looks.

"As far as Tom Waits just being a master craftsman at lyrics, painting a picture in one sentence, it interests me, and it takes work," he continued. "I saw Tom kind of live it. It was his vocabulary as well. He could sit and speak like that. I can't.

"Having access to the sources and dictionaries and things like that nowadays is so great," Hetfield added. "I mean, somebody will send me something and I'll look at a word and I don't know what that is. I highlight it, look it up. Hey, great. I got that. I will thumb through books just to see cool words and put 'em in a little pile and figure out where they belong. So it is kind of like building a vehicle, building a whatever, collecting lots of little words. And how do they fit together? What does this really mean? Is this enough for a subject matter? Then I go and I watch a band like GREEN DAY, and they have some simple — 'know your enemy' or 'do you know your enemy?', something like that. It's, like, it's so hooky and great, it sticks in you, but that's not really literary geniusness. So 'geniusness' is another word I just made up. And there are times when I'll make up words just to get a point across too.

"For me, putting words into the song, it is like another instrument," James explained. "So if 'and', 'the', 'if'', those things get in the way, just get rid of 'em. You just want the meaty words to get in there and get the point across and be vague enough. But I'm not a storyteller. I'm not that."

Asked if he thinks he has become more comfortable with his ability to express himself through his lyrics over the years, Hetfield said: "I think so. Yeah. I was discouraged when we did [METALLICA's late 1990s albums] 'Load' and 'Reload' with the amount of songs. There were 45 songs I had to write lyrics for and I felt like, "Wait a minute. I've gotta write 45 songs' worth of lyrics. It's insane.' All that 45 songs would not be as potent as one really well-written lyric — to me. And being more comfortable with stuff that I think brings the point across. Yeah, we have — Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] and I co-producers, Greg Fidelman, co-producer. I come in with the lyrics. They'll read through 'em. And they'll just, 'Oh, yeah, that word. I'm not sure.' It's, like, 'Well, just let me sing it. Let me get it out there.' Even something like [the METALLICA song] 'Inamorata' [with the lyrics] 'Resentment like a cancer grows.' He's, like, 'Ah, the word 'cancer'. Nah, you can't sing that. It's too…' Like, dude, come on. I mean, I'm not trying to win any P.C. awards for anything. Cancer is a fucking powerful word. It's hated, and to apply it to something gives it that power.

"I'm gonna write what I need to write," James added. "I will listen to you and your opinion on it. If it doesn't sing well, I get it, but I'm not gonna put in some fluff word just so it rhymes or whatever. And sometimes that is needed. Rhyming can be more important than the context in certain places, but I want the words to just be as powerful as possible."

METALLICA's record-breaking "M72" world tour has been extended into a third year, with the announcement of 21 North American shows spanning April, May and June 2025.

Since opening April 2023 in Amsterdam, "M72" has seen METALLICA play to some three million fans. Variously hailed as "an altogether life-affirming experience" (Billboard),"impossible to leave unsatisfied" (Austin Chronicle),"a stone-cold stunner of a show" (Detroit News),"the mother of all summer concerts" (Worcester Telegram Gazette) and "as tight and furious as METALLICA has sounded in ages" (Los Angeles Times),"M72" continues to amaze fans and critics alike. The tour concluded its triumphant 2024 run with four nights at Mexico City's Estadio GNP Seguros, where METALLICA played to more than 250,000 fans over the course of two No Repeat Weekends.

The "M72" world tour's 2025 itinerary will continue the hallowed No Repeat Weekend tradition, with each night of the two-show stands featuring entirely different setlists and support lineups. These will include the band's first Nashville shows in five years on May 1 and 3 at Nissan Stadium, as well as METALLICA's return to Tampa after 15 years on June 6 and 8 at Raymond James Stadium. "M72" has also confirmed its much-anticipated Bay Area hometown play, to take place June 20 and 22 with the band's debut performances at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

In a new twist, "M72" 2025 will feature several single shows bringing the tour's full production, with its massive in-the-round stage, to venues including two college football stadiums: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York on April 19, and METALLICA's first ever visit to Blacksburg, Virginia, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. The May 7 show at Lane Stadium will mark the culmination of 20-plus years of "Enter Sandman" playing as the Hokies take the field.

In addition to playing football stadiums across the nation, the "M72" world tour's 2025 itinerary will also include two festival headlines — the first being the opening night of the run April 12 at Sick New World at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. May 9 and 11 will then mark a festival/No Repeat Weekend combo as METALLICA plays two headline sets at Sonic Temple at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Support on "M72"'s 2025 North American run will come from PANTERA, LIMP BIZKIT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and ICE NINE KILLS.

"M72"'s 2025 North American leg is produced by Live Nation and presented by new sponsor inKind. inKind rewards diners with special offers and credit back when they use the app to pay at 2,000-plus top-rated restaurants nationwide. The company provides innovative financing to participating restaurants in a way that enables new levels of sustainability and success. METALLICA fans can learn more at inkind.com.

As always, a portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to local charities via the band's All Within My Hands foundation. Established in 2017 as a way to give back to communities that have supported METALLICA over the years, All Within My Hands has raised over $15 million — providing $8.2 million in grants to career and technical education programs including the ground-breaking Metallica Scholars Initiative, now in its sixth year, over $3.6 million to combat food insecurity, more than $3.5 million to disaster relief efforts.

Photo credit: Ross Halfin