Disposable Heroes

"Disposable Heroes"
Song by Metallica from the album Master of Puppets
Released	March 3, 1986 (album release)
Recorded	September – December, 1985 at Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark
Genre	Thrash metal
Length	8:14
Label	Elektra
Writer	James Hetfield / Lars Ulrich / Kirk Hammett
Producer	Flemming Rasmussen, Metallica
Master of Puppets track listing
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (4) "Disposable Heroes" (5) "Leper Messiah" (6)

This article is about the Metallica song. For the Hip Hop group, see The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy.

"Disposable Heroes" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the fifth track on their 1986 album Master of Puppets.

Lyrics and theme

With "Disposable Heroes", Metallica continued their tradition of having a war-themed song on every album. Previously such songs were "No Remorse" on Kill 'Em All and "For Whom the Bell Tolls" on Ride the Lightning. This "tradition" would carry itself over in the band's next album, ...And Justice for All as well, with the song "One".

The lyrics deal with a soldier's thoughts, actions and experiences at the war front and are sung in the first person, except for the chorus, which reflects the words of the soldier's commanding officers, and is in the second person. The soldier briefly describes the dehumanizing conditions of war, the death of those around him and the helplessness that comes with the realization of his life's lack of meaning, but he also questions the madness of which he is part. During the chorus, we hear the domineering and abusive words of the person at the top of the military command, the perceived "puppet master": "You will do what I say / when I say 'Back to the front!'" At the end, the soldier has given up, emotionlessly accepting his fate and soon-to-come death.

The lyrics fit well with the album's general theme of feeling helpless and imprisoned, and lack of control over one's own actions. In fact, the album cover, depicting a seemingly endless war cemetery, with each gravestone attached to the hands of the puppet master via a string (reference to title track), relates more closely to this song than to any other song from the album.

Composition

The song is noted for its extremely fast tempo and aggressive, sixteenth-note machinegun-like riffs, and a length of more than 8 minutes, which serves to illustrate the lasting duration of war.^{[citation needed]} The song opens aggressively, with an extensive instrumental section, featuring James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett abruptly switching between several complicated fast guitar riffs, complemented by simpler, yet fittingly^{[citation needed]} gloomy chords by Cliff Burton and matching drumming by Lars Ulrich. Following this introduction, Hetfield begins to sing, going into the verses and choruses, the riffs behind which are just variations of the aforementioned machine-gun riffs.

The song soon enters a mid-section which features a less speedy, yet a heavy and punctuated riff. This short reprieve from the brutality of the fighting allows for an introspective look by the soldier, who asks himself "Why am I dying?"^{[citation needed]} Hammett then begins a lengthy solo, chaotic in its figures, to fit with the battle and the soldier's feelings,^{[citation needed]} with Hetfield joining in a couple of times to harmonize. After the solo, the soldier reaches the realization "I was born for dying", but it is much too late now and the song mercilessly returns to the fast riffs and the battlefield again. After the last verse and a few more repetitions of those riffs, the song seems to have come to an end, but after a short pause, the fast riff is played one final time, reminding of the perenniality of war.^{[citation needed]}

Recording

"Disposable Heroes" was first demoed in mid 1985,^[1] months before the recording and subsequent release of the album. In this early rendition, the song doesn't differ much from its final version, the only notable difference being the extra minute of length, due to the presence of another fast riff, which would later be omitted from "Disposable Heroes", to become part of "Damage, Inc.", the final song on the album.

The Swedish extreme metal band Ceremonial Oath recorded a cover for the song on the tribute album Metal Militia: A Tribute to Metallica.^[2]

Live performance

The song premiered live on 9/14/1985 in St. Goarshausen, Germany, before the actual release of the album.^[3] Present day, it is still played occasionally, though not as often as the band's best-known songs. It is believed that the song was played live with Cliff Burton only two times: 09/14/85 and 12/31/85. The song was played acoustically two times for the Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, the lyrics are the same, but the structure was changed (October 27 and 28, 2007).^[4] The song features on live album Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México, recorded in June 2009.

References

1. ^ http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=4248
2. ^ "Various - Metal Militia". http://www.discogs.com/Various-Metal-Militia-A-Tribute-To-Metallica/release/2111633. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
3. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoVavpbhBfM
4. ^ http://metlists.com/songs/disposableheroes.htm