10 Songs That Are Huge Outliers On Rock Albums
6. Mama Said - Load (Metallica)
With the release of "The Black Album" in 1991, thrash deities Metallica planted one foot firmly into the mainstream and have not budged ever since.
Their follow-up record was 1996's Load, which was once again geared towards an audience that didn't enjoy throwing themselves at walls for fun. Perhaps the biggest departure on the album - and in the band's entire discography - was a song entitled Mama Said.
A country ballad with steel-string guitars and everything, Mama Said tells the very real story of James Hetfield's troubled relationship with his own mother. Lines about wanting to escape her grasp and her tragic death add some serious weight to a song that could easily have been seen as pastiche.
It gets a little bit heavy towards the end, but this is mostly just a straightforward country song. The band even doubled down on this by making a music video where they're kitted out in cowboy hats.
One of the most unique songs in a stacked back catalogue, Mama Said is hardly a staple of Metallica's output, but it's worth seeking out to see a different side to the headbangers.