…And Justice for All (song)

Infobox Single
Name = …And Justice for All


Artist = Metallica
from Album = …And Justice for All
B-side =
Released = 1988
Format =
Recorded = January-May, 1988
Genre = Thrash metal
Length = 9:47
Label = Elektra
Writer = Kirk Hammett
James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Producer = Metallica
Flemming Rasmussen
Certification =
Last single = "Harvester of Sorrow"
(1988)
This single = "...And Justice for All"
(1988)
Next single = "One"
(1989)"…And Justice for All" is the second track on Metallica's 1988 album "…And Justice for All".

Track listing

#"…And Justice for All (Edit)" 5:58
#"…And Justice for All (LP Version)" 9:45

Meaning & composition

The lyrics depict a bleak and corrupt legal system in which "Lady Justice" is "raped", the "halls of justice" are "painted green", and "seeking no truth, winning is all."The lyrics may be a result of the death of former bassist, Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident in Sweden before the recording of this album. Singer James Hetfield accused the bus driver of being drunk, but the accusations were never taken to court. This may be the prime source of anger toward the Justice System, but these details are unconfirmedFact|date=September 2008.

It is Metallica's fifth longest song, clocking in at 9:47 minutes. Only the 8th track on the album, "To Live Is to Die" at 9:49 , the song "The Outlaw Torn" ("Load") at 9:49 (10:42 on "Unencumbered by Manufacturing Restrictions Version"), "Suicide & Redemption" on "Death Magnetic" (9:57) and "Mercyful Fate" (a cover medley of songs by the band Mercyful Fate, which was featured on the cover album "Garage Inc.") at 11:12 are longer.

Easily also one of the group's most complex songs, "...And Justice for All" runs the gamut from clean, melodic guitars to distorted thrash rhythms, and boasts many tempo and mood changes. Ironically, it is the slow, mid-section of the track that actually features predominant bass guitar, a stark contradiction to the rest of the album.

The song is featured in the Metallica 3-Pack that is downloadable content for the music video game "Rock Band".

Touring complications

Due to its complexity, the song was (at least until Sick of the Studio '07) only performed live by the band during their 1988 Damaged Justice world tour in support of the album. As lead guitarist Kirk Hammett would later say in "SoWhat!" magazine, "'Justice' was a bit much for me. I couldn't stand watching the front row start to yawn by the eight or ninth minute." Also, when played live the intro of the song is played as a recording due to the intro requiring 3 guitars.

During the Madly in Anger with the World and Escape from the Studio '06 tours, Metallica would often tease the fans by playing parts of the song, with James usually saying nobody wants to hear the song. It remained to be seen whether Metallica would ever play the song in its entirety, or play it on a medley, which was the case during the Wherever We May Roam/Nowhere Else to Roam Tours in 1991-1993. Then on June 28, 2007, Metallica played "...And Justice For All" for the first time since October 1989, nearly 18 years ago, in Lisbon, Portugal on the first show of the Sick of the Studio '07 tour. It was also played on their headlining set at the new Wembley Stadium on July 8, on July 10 at Valle Hovin in Norway, at Stockholms Stadion on July 12, at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on July 15, at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia on July 18,at Skonto Stadium in Riga, Latvia on July 20, Parco Nord in Bologna, Italy on July 22, Dublin, Ireland on August 20 and most recently at their performance at Reading festival on August 24, 2008.

References