Jason Newsted wrote the original bass introduction to Metallica's “My Friend of Misery.”
Newsted joined Metallica after the death of bassist Cliff Burton and played on The Black Album. For “My Friend of Misery,” he developed the opening bass idea, which became one of the song’s most distinctive musical features.
Newsted originally intended the piece to remain instrumental. Metallica had included instrumental tracks on earlier albums, including “Anesthesia—Pulling Teeth,” “The Call of Ktulu,” “Orion,” and “To Live Is to Die.” During the Black Album sessions, however, producer Bob Rock encouraged the band to add lyrics.
The completed track credits James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Jason Newsted as writers. It became the album’s eleventh song and one of the clearest examples of Newsted’s creative contribution to Metallica, even though the final arrangement was developed collectively.