The songwriters James Hetfield wishes he could be like: “I can’t”
Not all songwriters are created equal, and although a writer as inarguably successful as Metallica frontman James Hetfield can surely gaze upon his past works with a prang of pride, he cannot help but pitch himself against the litany of literary greats who have come and gone from the musical realm over the years.
Suppose you actually look into the lyricism of Metallica. In that case, Hetfield has been responsible for quite an array of commendable efforts – the endlessly interpreted lyrics for ‘The Unforgiven III’, being one example that springs to mind. Otherwise, though, the metal outfit are rarely renowned for their lyricism. After all, when you strike upon a sound as infectiously raucous and endearingly abrasive as Metallica’s, it doesn’t leave casual listeners with much determination to fight through the guitar solos and metal fury to reach the deeper meaning of the lyrics.
Understandably, therefore, Hetfield is rarely considered among the greatest wordsmiths in the music world. The likes of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, or Joni Mitchell seem to have a unique ability to pack each lyric with an entire world of emotion and depth that escapes most other songwriters, but then their typically acoustic, folk-oriented delivery certainly allows for more attention and emotional weight to those lyrics. ‘It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)’ might not have sounded quite as profound had Lars Ulrich been providing the percussion.
Nevertheless, somebody who has been in the game as long as James Hetfield cannot help but look upon those unreachable figures of songwriting excellence with a certain degree of stunned envy.
“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,” he once shared on The Metallica Report, explaining the differences in his output versus those greats. “Mostly I see words that are interesting, and that’s out of curiosity.”
In fairness to the frontman, selecting those interesting words has paid off very well for him, elevating him to the upper echelon of American metal. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from fostering a deep admiration for other songwriters.
“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,” the songwriter continued. “I saw Tom kind of live it,” he added. “It was his vocabulary as well. He could sit and speak like that. I can’t.”
Waits certainly embodies the spirit of his incredible songwriting on a day to day basis, but Hetfield is certainly not the only one to wish he could emulate the songwriting talents of the gravel-voiced hero. He is, after all, one of America’s defining wordsmiths, with a seemingly endless discography of utterly profound anthems.
Tom Waits and Metallica, of course, occupy entirely different spaces within the realm of the music industry. Still, Hetfield’s adoration of the Californian songwriter does conjure up a pretty entertaining image of a Tom Waits-fronted metal band. The Metallica frontman’s songwriting might not rival that of Waits but, on the other hand, you’d be unlikely to find Waits writing an album like Master of Puppets – the grass is always greener.
