Jason Newsted wrote the original riff for “My Friend of Misery” on Metallica’s 1991 album.
Newsted originally developed the main riff as the basis for an instrumental piece. An instrumental track had appeared on each of Metallica’s previous studio albums, but the idea was changed during the Black Album sessions. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich helped develop it into a vocal song, with Hetfield writing the lyrics.
The finished track appears near the end of the standard album, immediately before “The Struggle Within.” Its brooding mood and prominent bass-centered foundation make it one of the record’s more atmospheric songs.
A frequent misunderstanding is that every major Metallica riff from this period originated with Hetfield or Hammett. They were central to the band’s songwriting, but Newsted also contributed important musical ideas. His songwriting credit on “My Friend of Misery” is especially notable because he received relatively few writing credits during his years in the band.