Song Meaning: King Nothing by Metallica

ARTIST: METALLICA | ALBUM: LOAD | RELEASED: 1997

I don't know much about Load but I think it's a good rock n' roll album. The album shows Metallica's departure from thrash metal roots of the 80s in favor of more commercially acceptable heavy metal, and "King Noting" emphasizes just that. As a rock n' roll fan I'm perfectly fine with that, as long as they create good music. I know some old school headbanggers like to label Metallica as "sellouts." And that's OK with me as well.

Every time I listen to King Nothing I think of Shakespeare's MacBeth. The lyrics pertain a person's overwhelming desire to obtain power, and the inevitable downfall as a consequence. My research, however, suggests that song makes no such reference to a historical person or event. But I still think it's cool because I'm the first person who made this connection :-)

Analysis of interesting lines:

Lines #1 to #6 - the first verse describes a person's overwhelming desire to obtain power...

All the wants you waste⁸ -seeing particular possessions or persons, which once was valuable, as worthless

All the things you've chased⁹ - "things" refers to earthly materials, ie money.

A heart as hard as gold²⁴ - a heart filled with greed

You wish your life away²⁷ - entering a state of paranoia after killing so many people, and wanting to kill your self in order to escape the wrath of inner demons

And you break your crown⁵⁶ - "crown" symbolizes power, so lines means power corrupts

But there's no one around⁵⁸ - lacking friends due to pretty much pissing them off, and there's also a lack of security

But the castle's crumbled⁶¹- the castle, upon unlawfully becoming the new king through corruption, now symbolizes evil, and eventually good defeats evil.What's really interesting is the fact that this actually takes place in MacBeth, as he was killed by the sons of King Duncan towards the end, and "Universe" is restored the way it's supposed to be

Off to never-never land⁷³- well, obviously a reference to "Enter Sandman." I don't know why Hetfield included this. Metallica did become more "rich & famous" after their Black Album with the help of the "Sandman." They were also criticize for neglecting their thrash metal roots. So I don't know if mentioning this line somehow demonstrates corruption in a roundabout way. 

That's what I think of the song. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

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1. Wish I may, wish I might
2. Have this I wish tonight
3. Are you satisfied?
4. Dig for gold, dig for fame
5. You dig to make your name
6. Are you pacified?
7. 
   
8. All the wants you waste
9. All the things you've chased
10. 
    
11. Then it all crashes down
12. And you break your crown
13. And you point your finger
14. But there's no one around
15. Just want one thing
16. Just to play the king
17. But the castle's crumbled
18. And you're left with just a name
19. 
    
20. Where's your crown, King Nothing?
21. Where's your crown?
22. 
    
23. Hot and cold, bought and sold
24. A heart as hard as gold
25. Are you satisfied?
26. Wish I might, wish I may
27. You wish your life away
28. Are you pacified?
29. 
    
30. All the wants you waste
31. All the things you've chased
32. 
    
33. Then it all crashes down
34. And you break your crown
35. And you point your finger
36. But there's no one around
37. Just want one thing
38. Just to play the king
39. But the castle's crumbled
40. And you're left with just a name
41. 
    
42. Where's your crown, King Nothing?
43. Where's your crown?
44. 
    
45. I wish I may, I wish I might
46. Have this wish I wish tonight
47. I want that star, I want it now
48. I want it all and I don't care how
49. 
    
50. Careful what you wish
51. Careful what you say
52. Careful what you wish, you may regret it
53. Careful what you wish, you just might get
54. 
    
55. Then it all crashes down
56. And you break your crown
57. And you point your finger
58. But there's no one around
59. Just want one thing
60. Just to play the king
61. But the castle's crumbled
62. And you're left with just a name
63. 
    
64. Where's your crown, King Nothing?
65. 
    
66. Nothing
67. 
    
68. You're just nothing
69. Where's your crown, King Nothing?
70. You're just nothing
71. Absolutely nothing
72. 
    
73. Off to never-never land