A Textual Analysis Of Nothing Else Matters

By Metallica: An Open Mind And True Heart Essay, Research Paper

“Metallica plays heavy metal music.” This is a common stereotype of the band. “Their songs consist of nothing but meaningless screaming, while banging their guitars as loud as possible. Hordes of incomprehensible fans jump around in circles flailing their arms in the air screaming the so-called lyrics to their songs. It is not music.” Numerous people believe this in all sincerity. The song “Nothing Else Matters,” by no means falls under the heavy metal category. It is the type of song that would be played for a slow dance. Through the use of ethos and pathos, the author, James Hetfield, connects with his audience in ways to convince them that life is important and being true to yourself will help you survive.In 1992, Bob Rock came to Metallica and convinced them they had yet to produce an album they were capable of. He motivated and pushed Hetfield to write a song far different from any previous hits. After over a year of production and recording, their acclaimed Black album sold millions. Among the large list of award-winning songs was “Nothing Else Matters.” It caught the music industry off guard. The song?s mellow mood caught the eye of more than just their die-hard fans. Hetfield wanted to show how his open mind had affected his life. A decade of heavy metal rock had won over many fans. Hetfield had captured the attention of the distraught teens of the times. He had earned the respect of the pot-heads and stoners. His audience consisted of mainly kids and young adults struggling to make it through life. Trying to find out who they are, they looked to Metallica?s music. The message presented in this song was a strong one. It proved to these fans that despite life?s struggles and all the trials that are thrown your way, nothing matters aside from having a true heart and an open mind. Hetfield does a good job of appealing to ethos. He had already established himself as a musician and won over many fans. They became loyal to Metallica?s music, and were willing to listen to any type of song, whether it was slow, fast, emotional or heavy.One specific verse in the song Hetfield explains his sincerity. He says, “?No matter how far, couldn?t be much more from the heart.” This is something very dear to Hetfield. He is attempting to show his fans how much he cares about life. Hetfield likes inspire his fans to think about their lives. He challenges his listeners to look inside themselves. He gets right down into the pathos, and shows his fans how to find things out for themselves. His attempt to convey the importance of being true to yourself is very effective. Many of his struggling fans want to find themselves. They want to know who they are and what they are going to become. He does a great job of helping these teens with their struggles. You can tell that Hetfield cares about himself, and it seems he watches out for his fans. It almost seems that he is talking to his fans on a personal level. His life is fun-filled and exciting, and he tries to show his fans how he got there.The song?s title “Nothing Else Matters” expresses how highly Hetfield regards his message. If nothing else really matters, then what does matter must be extremely important. There are a lot of things in life that people see as important. Family, friends, and career all affect our lives. So what is it that is so important that “Nothing Else Matters”? Hetfield is saying that an open mind will always be a strong influence in your life. With such a strong title, the fans are forced to think about the song. If the title was, “There?s not a Whole Lot That Matters More,” it would not catch someone?s attention. What is it, that is so captivating and so important in his life, that nothing else matters? This does a great job of grabbing the attention of his listeners. Again, Hetfield uses ethos to captivate his audience. The individuals seeking for direction and success in their life, will want to know how Hetfield got to the position he is in now. He is known worldwide, and has sold millions of records. He is living the high life. What do I have to do to get there?Another point Hetfield tries to get across is that if we have an open mind, and “Forever trust in who we are,” then this too is important in our life to live successfully. He tells his fans that an open-minded person can accept new ideas and this will help them learn. The line just mentioned is a very strong line. He does a great job of expressing his message. He is trying to show his followers how he earned respect and how his life turned out so good. “Never cared for what they do. Never cared for what they know. But I know.” He uses these two lines combined with ethos to help his fans figure out what he has already learned. If he knows, I want to know. In order to live life to its fullest you have to know for yourself who you are. Society will always think it knows who you are, but you have to find out for yourself. Trusting who you are, as well as having an open mind, can help you find out just what type of person you are or are going to be. If you don?t believe in yourself or find yourself to be nothing but fake, you will never be happy. Maybe this is all that matters. Perhaps being true to yourself and not trying to convince yourself you are someone you are not is what life is all about. This song makes the listener think. They have to realize what is truly important in life.At one point in the song Hetfield decides to let someone else in it. He begins to use the word our and us. “Never opened myself this way. Life is ours, we live it our way.” He talks about the advantages to living life together, ignoring the world?s outside influence. When two people express their feelings toward each other, and talk about their problems and trials, they will be able to stay together. The listener begins to wonder about letting someone else in on their deepest and darkest secrets. Hetfield and his drummer both married just before the making of this album. The happiness involved in their lives helped to inspire this album, and particularly this song. Hetfield had never opened himself up as much as he did with this person. I wonder what would happen if I opened myself up to him/her?Hetfield uses his success as a songwriter to tell his audience how to enjoy life and live it successfully. His fans are always looking for direction and he attempt to give it. He does a wonderful job of helping the lost and searching teenager to know where to look for answers. Hetfield shows his fans where they can look for answers. He needs to look inside himself. He can look at himself and realize who he is and what he needs to do. Hetfield tries to explain that nothing but trusting in who you are, and having an honest relationship with yourself and your whoever you come in contact with, will matter more in your life. A good relationship can come only after you have established who you are and what you believe in. Your life will be lived according you how you feel about yourself. Hetfield lets the listeners figure things out for themselves. He doesn?t tell them who to be, but he tells them how to find out.