Jason Newsted originally intended “My Friend of Misery” to be an instrumental.
Newsted wrote the song's opening bass riff and initially hoped it would become another instrumental in Metallica's catalog. The band had previously featured instrumentals such as “(Anesthesia)—Pulling Teeth,” “The Call of Ktulu,” “Orion,” and “To Live Is to Die.”
During the Black Album sessions, “My Friend of Misery” remained instrumental for much of the recording process. Producer Bob Rock eventually encouraged the band to add lyrics, which changed the track from Newsted's proposed instrumental into the finished song heard on the album.
The completed version is the album's eleventh track and features vocals by James Hetfield. Because songwriting credits list Hetfield, Ulrich, and Newsted, the song is a collaborative Metallica composition, but Newsted's original bass idea and instrumental concept are central to its history.