“Sad but True” became the fifth and final single from Metallica’s 1991 album, The Black Album.
The single was released in February 1993, after “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” and “Wherever I May Roam.” Its heavy, slow groove made it one of the album’s most distinctive songs and a regular part of Metallica’s live repertoire.
The song was written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, with Hetfield credited as lyricist. Its music video was directed by Wayne Isham and premiered in October 1992, several months before the single’s release.
“Sad but True” reached number 15 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and later appeared in numerous cover versions. The title is sometimes confused with “The Unforgiven” because both were major Black Album singles, but “Sad but True” was the final single issued from the original album campaign.