3,310,552 plays (440,804 listeners)
“One” was written in November 1987 by Metallica’s principal composers — rhythm guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. This song details the life of a soldier after he becomes a decerebrated paraplegic. During his time in the hospital, he reflects on his life and things his father told him. The doctors become worried because he does not die. The soldier finally uses Morse Code in an attempt to communicate. During a visit to the hospital, another soldier recognizes the code and tells the visiting general that the Morse Code is saying “Kill me.”
The lyrics are based on the novel “Johnny Got His Gun” by Dalton Trumbo, an anti-war novel about World War I. A specific passage that inspired the song is: “How could a man lose as much of himself as I have and still live? When a man buys a lottery ticket you never expect him to win because it’s a million to one shot. But if he does win, you’ll believe it because one in a million still leaves one. If I’d read about a guy like me in the paper I wouldn’t believe it, cos it’s a million to one. But a million to ONE always leaves one. I’d never expect it to happen to me because the odds of it happening are a million to one. But a million to one always leaves one. One.”
In 1971, “Johnny Got His Gun” was made into a film which was directed by Trumbo. Metallica bought the rights to movie after attempts to use images from the movie in the music video, the first in Metallica’s career. The video uses images and monologues from the movie.
The lyrics are based on the novel “Johnny Got His Gun” by Dalton Trumbo, an anti-war novel about World War I. A specific passage that inspired the song is: “How could a man lose as much of himself as I have and still live? When a man buys a lottery ticket you never expect him to win because it’s a million to one shot. But if he does win, you’ll believe it because one in a million still leaves one. If I’d read about a guy like me in the paper I wouldn’t believe it, cos it’s a million to one. But a million to ONE always leaves one. I’d never expect it to happen to me because the odds of it happening are a million to one. But a million to one always leaves one. One.”
In 1971, “Johnny Got His Gun” was made into a film which was directed by Trumbo. Metallica bought the rights to movie after attempts to use images from the movie in the music video, the first in Metallica’s career. The video uses images and monologues from the movie.
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Metallica live at reading festival 97
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Albums featuring this track
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...And Justice For All
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Live Shit: Binge And Purge (Disc 3)
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One (German Single)
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S & M (Disc Ii)
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Shouts
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karo285 wrote:
wat soll ick sagen,hör ick mir jetze schon jut 2x10jahre an und is immer noch schö&auch weiterhin
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Orlando_Glez wrote:
One of the best solos ever!! A MASTERPIECE!
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Symmetryx wrote:
One Rocks São Paulo
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nitrus96 wrote:
ONE of the best songs ever made!
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TBK145 wrote:
Intro +5 Intro solo +10 Main riff +2 Machinegun fire +epic amounts Solo +epic amounts x2
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ilovemusix wrote:
whoever wrote bad things about this great song is a fkin poser and im going to kill him
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Gfunk- wrote:
This is also the song that got me into metal and rock. Thankyou metallica for this masterpiece
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mcdaniel33 wrote:
Solid JAM!
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claudiocm wrote:
Frison e energia flue desta m usica, in crivel.
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EuamobaladeGoma wrote:
FODA !
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DonPinguin wrote:
I don't like Metal very much, just some songs, and this one is at the very Top of my "list" :)
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205GTI wrote:
How Can I Add video ?
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szczypiorofix wrote:
...hold my breath as i wish for death oh please god wake me!
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robaczywy wrote:
EPIC. I remember first hearing that song. It was fucking sick. I was really into guitar at the time, and Kirk's solo blew me every time I had heard it.
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AprilPL wrote:
genialna piosenka
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TrueBlood4ever wrote:
I agree....literally a fucking masterpiece!!!
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Metalknight88 wrote:
fucking masterpiece!!!!
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segamaya wrote:
EPIC SONG
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sobrenaturalsbt wrote:
rock bom
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psychedali wrote:
I just love the calm and dolce beginning, the rest is ... metal.
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Recent Activity
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