Jason Newsted wrote the main riff of Metallica’s “My Friend of Misery” before it became a vocal song. The bassist originally conceived the idea as part of an instrumental composition.
“My Friend of Misery” appears as the eleventh track on Metallica, commonly called The Black Album. Newsted’s riff supplied the song’s distinctive opening foundation, while the finished recording added vocals and lyrics credited to James Hetfield and music credits shared by Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Newsted.
The song was intended to continue Metallica’s tradition of including an instrumental track on each previous studio album. Earlier examples included “Anesthesia—Pulling Teeth,” “The Call of Ktulu,” “Orion,” and “To Live Is to Die.” During the Black Album sessions, producer Bob Rock encouraged the band to develop the idea into a vocal number.
Newsted’s role is sometimes overlooked because Hetfield and Ulrich wrote most of the album’s songs and lyrics. However, the album’s background specifically identifies Newsted as the source of the main riff. The song was first performed live in full during the 2012 European anniversary tour.