Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is a song by Metallica, the third track from their second album Ride the Lightning. The song was composed by Cliff Burton, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich. The chromatic introduction (which is usually mistaken for an electric guitar) is in fact Cliff Burton playing his bass guitar through distortion and wah-wah. The intro was written by Burton before joining Metallica. Burton plays it in a 12-minute jam at a battle of the bands with his first band "Agent of Misfortune."[1] After the introduction, the bass settles into a steady triplet rhythm. The guitars in the song sound slightly sharper than a standard-tuned guitar should sound. However, this may not be intentional, as it is rumored that the song was sped up after recording. If the song was sped up too much or was sped up using low quality means, it would raise the pitch of the recording, thus apparently sharpening the guitar's tuning.

The song is about a section of the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, in which International Brigades soldiers of the Spanish Civil War attempt to escape the fascists with their stolen horses and are killed by enemy aircraft on a hill on which they are surrounded.

"For Whom the Bells Tolls" has also appeared on Metallica's live 1999 album S&M, in which Metallica performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

The live versions of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" are traditionally started off with a bass solo in memory of Burton.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless gray
On they fight, for they are right, yes, but who's to say?
For a hill, men would kill. Why? They do not know
Suffered wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

Take a look to the sky just before you die
It's the last time he will
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now are his eyes to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

Words and Music by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Cliff Burton
Copyright © 1984 Creeping Death Music (ASCAP)
International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved

Category:

Music

Tags:

• RIP
• Cliff
• Burton
• For
• Whom
• the
• Bell
• Tolls
• James
• hetfield
• Kirk
• Hammett
• Lars
• Ulrich
• Robert
• Trujillo
• Metallica
• Metal

[cataphract333]

Arguing over the internet doesn't count for shit.

[mtndewman17]

Give it Up for Ernest Hemingway(Hope i spelled it right) for Inspiring a awesome song

[punishmentforall]

I first heard this and Kill em all in 1985 ... and crap was this heavy. Compared with Judas Priest, AC/DC and even Iron Maiden this was something never heard before. The section :57 - 1:13min is esp heavy. Crack for the masses at the time.

[Possesssed666]

Need this after hearing Lulu

[alanlisa2009]

the ten ppl tht dont like this video must of been zappedd by tht electric chair... rofl

[MrOharrow]

arguing over the internet earns props remenber that lol

[RKLuffy88]

Thumbs up if you remember the Pokemon episode, "For Ho-Oh The Bell Tolls"

[BlooDragon009]

@mtndewman17 I R Confus. Can you explain?

[darkwiz643]

@METALLICA3698 This song is better than Hell's Bells. Fact.

[jared54098]

Arguing with the internet is like running in the special olympics even if you win your still retarded!