What was the original intended format of Metallica's “My Friend of Misery”?

“My Friend of Misery” was originally intended to be an instrumental on Metallica's The Black Album.

The main riff was written by bassist Jason Newsted, who had developed the idea as a possible instrumental. The band later expanded the piece into a complete song by adding vocals and lyrics, placing it near the end of the album's sequence.

The finished version uses a dark, melodic bass-led opening before moving into heavier guitar sections. Its arrangement gives the track a more reflective and spacious character than several of the album's faster songs.

The song is also notable because Newsted received a songwriting credit on it. Although James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were Metallica's principal songwriting team, ideas from Kirk Hammett and Newsted contributed to several album compositions.