For Whom the Bell Tolls (song)
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"For Whom the Bell Tolls" | ||
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Song by Metallica | ||
from the album Ride the Lightning | ||
Released | November 16, 1984 | |
Recorded | Sweet Silence Studios Copenhagen, Denmark, 1984 | |
Genre | Thrash metal | |
Length | 5:09 | |
Label | Elektra Records | |
Writer(s) | James Hetfield Cliff Burton Lars Ulrich |
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Producer(s) | Metallica, Flemming Rasmussen , Mark Whitaker | |
Ride the Lightning track listing | ||
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"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is a song by Metallica, the third track from their second album Ride the Lightning. The song is composed by Cliff Burton, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich. The chromatic introduction (which is usually mistaken for an electric guitar) is in fact Cliff Burton playing his bass guitar through distortion and wah-wah. After the introduction, the bass settles into a steady quadruplet rhythm.
The song is about a section of the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, where five International Brigades soldiers of the Spanish Civil War attempt to escape the fascists with their stolen horses and are killed by enemy aircraft on a hill on which they were surrounded.
It also appeared on Metallica's live 1999 Album "S&M" Live, in which Metallica performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
The live versions of For Whom The Bell Tolls are traditionally started off with a bass solo in memory of Metallica's second bassist Cliff Burton.
A remix by DJ Spooky appears on the Spawn soundtrack. For some reason this song version is not available on any of the online version's of the CD.
A song by The Bloodhound Gang called "Mope" features the chromatic introduction riff in the chorus of the song.
Dronesters Sunn O))) recorded a loose cover of the song on their album Flight of the Behemoth, entitled "F.W.T.B.T (I Dream of Lars Ulrich Being Thrown Through the Bus Window Instead of My Mystikal Master Kliff Burton).", the spelling of "Kliff" is a reference to the metal term Kvlt.
The main lead guitar riff to the song, played by Kirk Hammett is very similar to the closing section of the Black Sabbath song, Fairies Wear Boots.
The guitars are tuned slightly sharper than standard tuning.
The song was covered by Eric Bloom, Al Pitrelli, Tony Franklin, and Aynsley Dunbar for the album Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica.
Metallica |
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James Hetfield • Kirk Hammett • Robert Trujillo • Lars Ulrich
Cliff Burton • Dave Mustaine • Ron McGovney • Jason Newsted Albums and Extended Plays: No Life 'Til Leather • Kill 'Em All • Ride the Lightning • Master of Puppets • Garage Days Re-Revisited • ...And Justice for All • Metallica • Load • ReLoad • Garage Inc. • S&M • St. Anger • Some Kind of Monster • Ninth studio album DVDs and videos: Cliff 'em All • 2 of One • A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica • Live Shit: Binge & Purge • Cunning Stunts • S&M • Classic Albums: Metallica - The Black Album • Some Kind of Monster • The Videos 1989-2004 Related articles
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