James Hetfield wrote the opening guitar figure for “Nothing Else Matters” on Metallica’s 1991 album.
The figure was conceived while Hetfield was speaking with his girlfriend on the telephone. He played the opening using four open guitar strings, creating the song’s instantly recognizable introduction. Hetfield initially wrote the song privately while Metallica was on tour and did not intend it to become a band recording.
He was hesitant to present the material because its intimate subject differed from the band’s established themes. After Lars Ulrich heard it, however, the song was developed for the album. It became one of Metallica’s most recognizable ballads and a rare full-fledged love song in the group’s catalog at that time.
The recording also features orchestral arrangement by Michael Kamen and performance by the London Symphony Orchestra. Kirk Hammett does not play on the studio recording, although he appears in the video and performs the song live with the band. The songwriting credit is shared by Hetfield and Ulrich.