History TearJerker / Metallica

* "Low Man's Lyric", a song about a homeless heroin addict who is dying, so he writes a letter to his estranged family begging them to forgive him for the choices he's made.

* "The Outlaw Torn," a devastating GriefSong. Possibly about Cliff Burton. You can really hear the pain in James's voice in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs8pt9aK4mc this performance.]]

All this I cannot bare to witness any longer.\\

** The saddest point is when Hammet recalls at 4 AM that very night Hetfield, in a drunken state (having drank from his grief), wanders the streets yelling "Cliff! Where are you!?" at the top of his voice, causing Kirk to break into tears.

-->''Mama, now I'm coming home, I'm not all you wished of me\\
A mother's love for her son, unspoken, helped me be\\
Yeah, I took your love for granted, and all the things you said to me\\
I need your arms to welcome me, but a cold stone's all I see.''
** According to an interview the song "Junior Dad" is about parental loss, when listening to the finished recording Kirk Hammett and (of all people) James Hetfield had to walk out, due to them breaking down into tears.

** "Master of Puppets" in general can be a Tear-Jerker.

* "The Outlaw Torn," a devastating GriefSong. Possibly about Cliff Burton. You can really hear the pain in James's voice in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs8pt9aK4mc this performance.]]

* Dyer’s Eve, about Hetfield’s parents. Despite being one of their hardest songs, the melody in the chorus is beautifully depressing, not to mention ''the lyrics'', about the frustration and anxieties Hetfield experienced as a result of being raised in a sheltered religious household. Anyone with a similar upbringing is liable to relate (though those who can't may find the lyrics to be {{Wangst}}y).

----

** ''"He says "kill me". Over and over. Kill me."''

* Dyer’s Eve, about Hetfield’s parents. Despite being one of their hardest songs, the melody in the chorus is beautifully depressing.

** ''"He says kill me. Over and over. Kill me."''

----

* Metallica's song "Mama Said". No explanation is needed.

* "Orion" by Music/{{Metallica}} can be a tearjerker. It's a cool song, but what makes it a tearjerker is the fact that this is the song that was played at Cliff Burton's funeral after he was killed in a bus accident in 1986. Until 2006, the remaining members of the band had never played it live in full, partially as a tribute to their bandmate.
** The middle portion is built exclusively around Cliff's bass-playing. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Fans have said they could write a thousand stories to the music of that portion]].
* "To Live Is To Die" is another one. What makes this song special is that the band didn't sully their feelings by putting them in words. In the entire 10 minute song, the only lyrics are the following poem written by Cliff shortly before his death:

** The first ever live performance of [[https://youtu.be/e-oRAENql6M "To Live is to Die"]] is intensely depressing.

* The video for "The Day that Never Comes" can be ''intensely'' depressing.
** The demo version of "The Day that Never Comes", "Casper" is maybe even more depressing.

* The music video for "Turn The Page" is another major downer.

** "Until It Sleeps," anyone?
** "Bleeding Me" and "The Outlaw Torn"
** Its LighterAndSofter counterpart, "Mama Said," about a man (probably based on James himself) who basically treats his mother like crap and loses contact with her after he leaves home. After he's grown older and wiser he wants to reconcile with her, but she died before he had a chance to do it.

* "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is not only a tremendous song with devastating lyrics out of [[Literature/ForWhomTheBellTolls the great book]] by Creator/ErnestHemingway, but its lyrics are tremendously well crafted for a then 21-year-old orphaned Californian metalhead such as James Hetfield.

** VindicatedByHistory kicks in when, in recent years, fans admit that he was most likely just as good as Cliff was, some even going so far as to say he's ''outright better''. This especially ensued when Newsted debuted his solo band ''Newsted'' who became an overnight sensation and an instant festival hit. Furthermore, [[AnsgtWhatAngst he even includes Metallica songs in his sets and if recent interviews are any indication, holds no grudge against the band or the fans]]. [[ManlyTears We're not crying, you're crying.]]

* "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is not only a tremendous song with devastating lyrics out of the great book by ErnestHemingway, but its lyrics are tremendously well crafted for a then 21-year-old orphaned Californian metalhead such as James Hetfield