10 Songs You Didn't Know Were About Drugs
4. Master of Puppets - Metallica
Throughout their history, Metallica has always been known to touch on the darker side of the human psyche. From the sound of warfare on tracks like "One" to the asylum inmates that permeate "Welcome Home," each song aims to put you in an intense headspace before taking you on a musical journey. It seems almost cliche for a band of this caliber to write about drugs, but even Metallica managed to make their bold narcotic track something bigger than themselves.
Being one of the biggest songs of their career, "Master of Puppets" condenses everything great about Metallica into about 8 minutes, but the real devil is in the details James Hetfield puts into the story. When you listen to the chorus, this song is clearly about someone who loves to control you and stomp out everything that's precious in your life. As you dive into the verses though, it's clear that these unnamed forces actually resemble cocaine, with Hetfield talking about chopping out lines on a mirror.
When asked about the personal connotation of the lyrics, Hetfield explained that he wanted to put the listener in that position almost as if to pose the question "What if that was you?." Given how much strength is behind this track, "Master of Puppets" may be the most firm stance on anti-addiction to come from a heavy metal band.