Metallica: 10 Best Hard Rock Songs
9. Low Man's Lyric
Out of all the experimentation happening the two Load-era albums, "Low Man's Lyric" may just be the weirdest track across both albums. The ballad starts off with a clean guitar as usual, but then we hear what sounds like a bagpipe drawing out the main melody of the tune.
Instead of letting the guitar carry the tune, the glue that holds the track together is a hurdy-gurdy, which has just the right timbre to drape this song in a dark melancholy. The lyrics that James writes on this track are absolutely soul-crushing, as we hear the tale of a homeless man who depends on drugs to get him through his hopeless existence.
Once he makes his way back to his relatives, the song takes a dark turn into havier territory, as if our hero doesn't feel stable with his family. Just when you think our protagonist may find solace with his folks back home, he finds that the only place he feels comfortable is back on the streets clamoring for his next fix. While most Metallica ragers just make you want to annihilate the world around you, this song is one of the most tragic stories the band would ever pen in their 90's period.