Any reactor that does not have a look of shock or stop bobbing their head or rocking when James mentions the "landmine" part is not listening to this masterpiece.
The Adventures of TNT so glad you said this. I’ve seen so many reactions to this song where this was missed. Imagine being alive but not having your sight, speech, hearing, arms, or legs. You earned a like and a subscribe from me!!
Yet choosing to watch videoclip of this song is a good idea. In this case it does add to experience as it is directly connected (movie adaptation) to the source of inspiration (not to mention some great quotes within included fragments). I'd recommend to watch official video now.
I don't know who recorded that and put it on RU-vid for people to use, but it cuts off the last two or three seconds of the song. I hate that. I know that doesn't sound like much but that last two or three seconds shows how to end a song.
If you're trying to LISTEN to this song for the first time, NEVER WATCH the video. Anyone trying to LISTEN to any song should never watch the video, too distracting.
It was based on the book/film “Johnny Got His Gun”. In the story, the protagonist steps on a landmine in WW1 and loses his arms, legs, hearing, vision and his ability to speak...all he can do is think (hence the line “trapped in myself...body my holding cell). He was presumed dead until a hospital/morgue discovers his neck moving. He conveys via morse code to hospital and military staff “SOS, help” and soon after starts repeatedly saying “kill me”. I could be wrong, but the book and the movie may have two different endings. I won’t spoil in case you ever want to check them out. I’m glad you chose to react to this version and not the official video for this song. The video contains a lot of footage from the film and plays over a lot of the music. This is off of Metallica’s fourth album “And Justice For All”, which was released in 1988. It’s undoubtedly their heaviest and hardest album. I recommend “Blackened”, “And Justice For All (the song), Harvester Of Sorrow (one of my favorites) and “Dyer’s Eve” from this album. Note - take a couple of Tylenol tablets before listening to “Dyer’s Eve” - trust me! 😂...It’s a great song and I highly recommend watching a lyric video for Dyer’s Eve. James experienced some ugliness as a child and this track is essentially a letter penned to his parents. This was one of the first songs Metallica made where Jame’s lyrics started becoming introspective/personal. It’s an emotional song...and the emotion is anger. I had an upbringing with no real complaints and yet I FEEL what James is saying in that song. Their subsequent album (commonly referred to as “The Black Album”) hints at Metallica staying heavy while embracing more melodic pieces and shortening their songs. James said the producer of that album (Bob Rock) pushed him a lot vocally. This album also technically has 2 ballads on it - “The Unforgiven” (a masterpiece in my opinion) and “Nothing Else Matters”. A lot of the time when you hear the guitars, it’s usually just James playing stacked channels of the songs riffs and Kirk usually just lays down the guitar solos. Kirk does back up James’ guitar playing in live situations though. Their next 2 albums were released in 96 and 97 and were named “Load” and “Reload” respectively. This is the period where many fans turned their backs on Metallica, but most liked both albums a lot (myself included). There’s a lot of a lot on those albums - everything from blues-inspired riffs, country-inspired songs, a song played with a hurdy gurdy as the main instrument and a few songs that were very radio and MTV friendly. You’d never believe songs like “Hero Of The Day”, “Mama Said” and “The Memory Remains” were made by the same band that gave us “One”, “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, “Creeping Death” and “Master Of Puppets”. As James once put it, “I think Master Of Puppets, And Justice For All and The Black Album were good metal records...Load and Reload were good rock records”. “St. Anger” is their worst album by far in my opinion. “Death Magnetic” was decent and had a few shining moments, but was underwhelming overall. Their latest - 2016’s “Hardwired To Self Destruct” was a VERY GOOD album. I hope this helps. Love your reactions!
It was actually coincidental with the book... there was a conversation that sparked this idea, and later on after the lyrics were already down they discovered the book and film were secondhand the cause of that conversation. It shows; there's no landmine in Johnny Got His Gun, Johnny was struck by an artillery shell. But here's the TLDR basic premise for Metallica's specialness... they're blunt and honest, James is intelligent enough to drop stellar lyrics (and wordplay, some songs), savvy enough to be able to have the listener *believe* what he sings, and they all excel at making the music cause the right 'backing emotions' as well. Cliff, in his short time, managed to pass on enough knowledge of harmony and structure to let them put everything on the next level, even when they moved away from thrash metal later on. AJFA to Black, the shortening... was kind of necessary IMHO. They're a live band and they know it; they had the technical capability to make and play the very long and exceedingly complex songs on AJFA, but there are ways of saying what needs said in a song without "showing off" like that. How many different beats and rhythms are in Blackened? Dyer's Eve... fantastic song, and they didn't even attempt to play it live for over a decade and a half IIRC. With the songs on the Black album they got all the impact with less effort... better *practical* songwriting while preserving the art.
It just amazes me to realize there are people that haven’t ever heard this song. But maybe it’s just my age, I have been a Metallica fan since the 80’s. And this one was always a favorite for me.
The Adventures of TNT I understand what your saying. I guess ,well for me anyways Metallica is so well know and popular you kind of never expect to hear that someone hasn’t heard of them or their music. But either way it goes it’s nice to see you enjoying their music. I think their song Mama Said would be something different to react to. It’s not one of the regular songs most people react to. But they have such a huge catalog, you will not go wrong with whatever you pick to react to.
When this song came out (much like with most Slayer and early Metallica albums) it blew people away. There just wasn't music like this specifically until these guys fashioned it.
I like Metallica but not a hard core fan. However, this album is one of the greatest albums in any genre. Heavy and the band's talent is really showcased.
Ear-gasam Love it, no you nailed it. A soldier who was hit by a landmine and lives but has no arms, legs,sight,hearing or speach..Just a body left, left in darkness with his own thoughts. He just wants to die, but can't even by holding his own breath, so he begs for death. Yes you need to start at the beginning to really appreciate how great this band is, and why they are legendary. Love the reactions keeper coming. Love from the Central Valley California
This is one of a handful of Metallica songs that I listened to in my young to late teens and thought were good.... After time in the army they have since become great. There is an extra level to many of their songs that touches veterans in a unique way. Most powerful of those in my opinion is Disposable Heroes. It is also one of their hardest songs; but the lyrics oh the lyrics.
The best part of this react is when James is singing "Landmine has taken my sight Taken my speech Taken my hearing Taken my arms Taken my legs... " That's the part that hit you like a lightening bolt of understanding. Fantastic! Loved it. Listening through you is like hearing it again for the first time. You gained a new sub.
“Landline, has taken my sight, taken my speech, taken my hearing, taken my arms, taken my legs, taken my soul...”The reason for the slow start and then the build up to fast and furious, is because the music is trying to mimic the wounded soldiers feelings. Starts with sadness, confusion, quiet and ultimately turns into furious fucking anger and fear. The very fast drum beats, listening closely, is supposed to mimic machine gun fire. This soldier is in hell and nobody will help him. So sad, but like the song, ends in fury and anger. Great channel. Thanks so much for doing this video. I envy anyone that gets to listen to Metallica for the first time. 🙂🙏🏼❤️🥳🤘🏼
THANK YOU for reacting to just the audio track and not the official video (which is bat-$hit awesome btw) Those of us who lived Metallica back in the day first experienced them from just the music, MTV came later the plot of this song’s tail hit you as it’s unveiled in the song “taken my _____, taken my____” as it did us, had you seen the video the subject’s reality is shown up front and it does change your experience for a first time listen!
Thank you for reviewing these great Metallica songs. I was too young to really appreciate the musical genius of this band and just recently discovered what I had been missing. I love seeing you becoming a fan right before my eyes. Keep them coming.
"For democracy, any man would give his only begotten son." "Democracy is two wolves and a sheep, arguing over what's for dinner" I leave the rest to you...
Man your reactions are great,the first time I heard Metallica I was driving through Long Beach,CA mid 80s I had 105.5 KNAC on I said to my friend Paul man can they shred who the hell is that,he said Metallica!
I love how you just walked into that one. "Ohhh... another lovely melody from them!" bumpin along.... keep walking... and bam! Buzzsaw to the neckbone! My dude your brains exploded all over the screen. That was awesome!
Like I said on the Slayer video, these older thrash songs are way better. For Metallica, I suggest "The Four Horsemen", "Creeping Death" or "Welcome Home". Those song are great mid 80's classics.
Love the fact that you are rocking out to Metallica. These boys know how to play live!! Listen to a few albums and then go getchu some tickets and see them live. You'll get an ass kicking of awesomeness metal. You can also experience the energy they channel out from their guitars and drums. You will absorb it and it will give you this inner feeling of being touched by the heavy metal gods!!!! You won't regret it my friend.
The song is actually about a soldier who lost his sight, smell, hearing, ability of speech, arms, and legs due to a land mine. Meanwhile, he wishes for death(as any person would) while the doctors proceed to study this *unusual* condition he is in.
Its about a soldier coming back from war losing all his limbs, losing his sight losing his ability to talk ending up just like a lump of meat. And he just wanted to die
Just discovered your channel tonight. You have no idea what the mosh pit was like in Seattle 1987 during this song! One of the all time best pits ever!!!
im actually happy yourte listening to the album version and not the music video... music video has too many interruptions.. the song becomes background music when the audio from the film plays...
When you listen to “One” so much & watched “One” so much since it’s release, you hear the “Johnny Get Your Gun” clips in your ears & head when only listening....
Ehhh... NO! This tells me you don't know morse code and you don't know anything about playing drums. Besides Lars does not possess the skills for that.. ;)
Everyone is reacting to fade to black, disposable heroes. React to Metallica 'blackened' and Justice for all album. The song is about mother Nature and we as humans are killing her.
The album is about Justice on many levels. Govt, freedom, crime, inner turmoil, greed, climate, war etc.... its a brilliant concept album while also being the epitome of progressive thrash metal, master of puppets is up there as well. But AJFA was a nutty statement of an album and took Metallica to that legendary status and the rest is rock/metal history
A metallica song that I have never seen anyone else ever react to - and a song that is full of emotion and throws an emotional punch, just like "One", is "Mama Said". Check it out, and do a video on it. I think you will like. It is about a man (possibly James Hetfield) being rebellious in his youth and not listening to his mother, and going off and doing his own thing. Then we he comes back years later and wants to see her and talk to her, all he finds is a grave. Great song.
Yes this song about book called Johnny hot a gun. It's about soldier in World War 1 I believe and johnny the soldier got severally disfigured and loss of all his limbs by stepping on land mine. In the music video they show video clips of movie of the book. I also believe this Metallica first music video. This was my first Metallica song I heard when I was 15 and now 35. That song began my metal journey. I am Metallica fan for life. Metallica tends first have a build up with just instruments and then james comes out singing. If someone as top three bands changed my life. 1. Nirvana 2. Metallica 3. Slipknot.
One is based off of the anti-war fictional novel Johnny Got His Gun (and a movie by the same name) written by Dalton Trumbo. In the book (and movie which followed) it depicts a soldier during WWI who lost the ability to see, hear, speak, and smell along with his arms and legs. From this soldiers point of view the novel goes through how in this new "prison," he is trapped within his own body unable to contact the outside world. Over time the soldier realizes that what he's been sent into is a new type of hell and as such realizes that there is only one way to escape from this pain and misery if being lonely and unable to do anything with his own body (his loneliness and being cutoff from the outside world is slowly driving him insane as humans are creatures that thrive off of a social life). His only release is his inevitable death. However being 20 years old, having a machine feed you, giving you water, and keeping you alive, and living in a hospital he realizes that his death wont come on it's own anytime soon. So he eventually gets the idea of shaking his head in Morse code. The doctor's watching over him dont know what it is at first but after bringing military officials in they immediately realize its Morse code. With the military officials there they decide what hes trying to say, which is "kill me," over and over again. At the time mercy killing isn't allowed in any hospital in America so the doctors don't go through with his wishes. Until one day a sympathetic nurse finally gives him his last wish. The song One follows him through the novel. Starting with the lyrics "I can't remember anything, can't tell if this is truth or dream." What its depicting is in the novel, the soldier at first can't realize what's a dream, memory, or what he's physically thinking. Then "Hold my breath as I wish for death, Oh please God help me," depicts his desperat please for death and for God to help him. Next with "Back in the womb it's much to real, It invokes life I must feel, But can't afford to reveal, look to the time when I lived," gives us the inner thought that this soldier is just like an unborn child in the womb except that an unborn child has life to look forward to and this soldier only has this pitch black endless hell for the rest of his life. It also gives us the idea that all he has is his memories. Then "Fed through the tube that sticks in me, Just like a wartime novelty, tied to machines make me be, cut this life off from me," is saying this soldier is literally fed and kept alive and breathing with machines and that he's cut off from the rest of the world. The lyrics then state "Now the world is gone, I'm just One, Oh God help me, Hold my breath as I wish for death, Oh please Go help me," is the soldier realizing he's alone and realizes death is his only escape and pleads for it. As the music gets more frantic and intense its depicting his mind, and himself, starting to lose it and NEEDING his way out. Following this is the lyrics stating "Darkness imprisoning me, All that I see, Absolute horror, I can not live, I can not die, Trapped in myself, body my holding cell," is this soldier saying that what he's going through is a new type of prision and he is trapped within his own body unable to get out. After this is "Landmine has taken my sight, Taken my speech, Taken my hearing, Taken my arms, Taken my legs, Taken my soul, Left me with life in hell," is the song revealing what happened to this soldier to get him here and that he is left in a new type of hell. The rest of the song has no lyrics but to me its the soldier (as the music gets more intense and powerful) asking and begging for someone to put him out of his misery and when the song abruptly ends is when he does die. It ends abruptly because this soldier wouldn't know he's been killed by the nurse that watched him and took pity on him. He'd just end like the snap of your fingers.
The thing that makes Metallica so great is their ability to compose and arrange. Specifically arrangement. Each song gives you such a different array of emotions and each song takes you on a different trip, telling its own story. Their melodies and harmonies are the best out there and that's a fact. I always hear people ripping on them, but even now if you ask the modern metal bands who they were inspired by they almost always say Metallica.
they were so ahead of their time and their music is sooooo amazing bc even listen to the albums from from them that are 30 years old and the music still holds up today in 2019, they're musical warlocks and i'm so happy that i lived while they were here doing their thing, passed it down to my kids, my daughter's 25 now but when she was 8 she went to school on a day when they were studying christianity and taught the kids the lyrics to creeping death(it's about the 10 plagues of egypt) i got a phone call & told them to mind their business 🤣🤘🏼
It always makes me think of a machine gun firing. It's a very emotional song. One of my favs is Search, Seek and Destroy. It was the 1st Metallica song that I ever heard. It was a bootleg copy on cassette in the 80s. One of my BEST memories.
You can go one step further: "Johnny Got His Gun" is the title of the movie in their music video. It's also the inspiration behind this song. Watch that movie. It will show you what this song really means. It's also a badass movie.
Lars Ulrich is the drummer! Same birthday as me!! Awesome composition and many military friends of mine like this song - grateful that it was not them. PTSD and survivor guilt needs more help and attention!
Oh man! They should have told you to watch the video. It makes the song's message so much more powerful. Another reaction channel did the same thing and she was blown away by the video. I'm certain you'll have the same reaction... mind-blown! 💥
@@darkstar8196 being "musical" is what someone can create and what it sounds like. That's more important than knowing the notes or being able to read sheet music. This song is genius.
Yes this song was inspired by the short novel, "Johnny Got His Gun," back in 1939. The book was also was made into a movie, same title as book. This inspired the lead singer to do this song. The author of the book was, Trumbo(last name). It's a quick read.
The video for One is based on a novel called Johnny Got His Gun. I remember way back in high school I did an English project comparing that book to this video, got an A 😎
great reaction man! im glad you enjoyed and understood it. you shouldve watched it with the video though.i think it wouldve helped with context.please react to CHIMAIRA - EMPIRE! with the video
Great song to experience “live”. Tailor made for the pyrotechnics that accompany it. I’ve seen it live 3 times and it never fails to impress,,,, along with just about every song they perform 🤘✌️❤️
That entire recording is Iconic. It's what Metallica is. They fell into the music culture of the day after this recording. Left their true calling. Pantera, which is in my opinion, the only band that remained in their true calling, is the epitamy of hardcore music. Got to be who you are in the music culture.
@@TheAdventuresofTNT By the way, before the brothers passed away, they formed a band called Damage Plan. I think they had a video called Save Me. It's good. Also, you should check out Dreamtheater. They're an iconic progressive metal band. Check out their video "On The Backs Of Angels". Great music.
Oh this song was definitely emotional and about an army dude. The song was inspired by a novel called Johnny Got His Gun (a play on a popular phrase of the time: Johnny, get your gun). It was about a kid who went off to fight in the first world war but got hit with a mortar round that blinded him, left him deaf, blew off his mouth and nose and the damage to his extremities was so bad that they amputated his arms and legs; essentially rendering him a prisoner of his own mind ("Now the world is gone, I'm just one"), despite having survived the explosion. If it hasn't already been suggested, I would [HIGHLY] recommend Metallica Unforgiven.
Watch the official video and remember the verse, Landmine has taken my sight, taken my speech, taken my hearing, taken my arms, taken my legs, taken my soul, left me with life in hell. The whole video is summed up with that 1 verse. The video is clips from the film Johnny Got His Gun, it's not an easy film to find
When this first came out, MTV played the video a LOT. It sort of brought Heavy Metal to the main stream. Metallica's riffs were so well choreographed that they could tell a story without words. Base guitar used like a drum...Hetfield roaring like a lion. Once the "Load" album came out the group softened so much it was really no longer Heavy Metal...just kind of rock. They put out so much high quality to that point that it was enough for a lifetime really.
Good call going with the studio version. Every reactor I've seen review this song goes with the video, which has clips from the movie "Johnny got his gun" with dialog laid on top. They're thematically appropriate, as the movie inspired the song, but it interferes with hearing the song properly IMO.
Just stumbled across your vid. It was fun watching someone react to the song that hooked me on Metallica. You should watch the video. You got a lot of the poignant parts of the song on a first listen. The video will cement that shit. It was the first (pretty sure) music video for a movie. But Metallica style. The song was inspired by the book/movie, so they bought the rights to the movie to use scenes as emphasis for the video.
Might be Morse Code for those who've seen the video.......but that drum/guitar combo are machine guns, hands down. Took me a minute to figure out what you meant....but it finally came to me ("For what? Kill me....over and over again. Kill me.)
Obviously I'm coming way late to this review, but I've watched dozens of them. A great song causes reactions and emotions. None does this better (IMO) than this one, each for their own reasons. What I like about this reaction, and others mentioned it as well, is that you watched this version of the video first. You can listen to the words without the "distraction" of the video. What i would say is, now that you've listened to the words, watch the official video and it will all click. The lyrics will tie in with the movie. This is a powerful song and amazing musically, lyrically, and artistically.
