Which Metallica ballad from 1991 was first written by James Hetfield as a personal song?

“Nothing Else Matters” is Metallica’s 1991 ballad that James Hetfield first wrote as a personal song.

Hetfield began writing the song in 1990 while Metallica was on tour and he was feeling the distance from home. He initially treated the music as private rather than as a Metallica composition. After drummer Lars Ulrich heard it, however, the band developed it for the self-titled album, commonly known as The Black Album.

The song became notable for its unusually vulnerable subject matter and its prominent clean, arpeggiated guitar introduction. It was released as the album’s third single on April 20, 1992, and became one of Metallica’s most recognizable songs, despite sounding softer and more orchestral than much of the band’s earlier thrash material.

Another common mix-up concerns the lead guitar. Kirk Hammett does not play on the studio recording; Hetfield performs the guitar solo, while orchestral arrangements were written by Michael Kamen. The song is credited to Hetfield and Ulrich, with Hetfield writing the lyrics.