10 Metal Songs Inspired By Famous Movies
1. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) – Metallica
Inspiration: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Master of Puppets is considered to be Metallica’s best record as well as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ is a standout on this legendary LP with its slower tempo and sombre tone.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was the lyrical inspiration for this song, a movie that takes place in a medical institution and revolves around several patients attempting to resist the influence of a tyrannical nurse.
‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ captures the essence of the film with a set of deeply emotive lyrics. Frontman James Hetfield sets up the premise of the movie with poetical prose in the first verse and continues to build upon this foundation throughout.
As well as referencing the impact of the central antagonist, the song also details the characters’ desire to escape from their situation. This is particularly apparent towards the end of the song when the instrumentation increases in tempo to mimic the desperation of the protagonists.
Put simply, ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ condenses One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest into a terrific power ballad that remains one of Metallica’s most impressive tunes to this day.
What is your favourite movie-inspired metal song? Leave your thoughts below in the comments thread.