Metallica - The Unforgiven (Live in Seoul, 2006)
"The Unforgiven" is a power ballad by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the second single from their eponymous fifth album Metallica.
The song deals with the theme of the struggle of the individual against the efforts of those who would subjugate him.
The song has since spawned two sequels (both in name proper as well as thematically, albeit not musically), in the form of "The Unforgiven II", from the album ReLoad, and "The Unforgiven III", from the album Death Magnetic.
History
Lars Ulrich explained that the band wanted to try something new with the idea of a ballad - instead of the standard melodic verse and heavy chorus (as evidenced on their previous ballads "Fade to Black", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and "One"), the band opted to reverse the dynamic, with heavy, distorted verses and a softer, melodic chorus, played with classical guitars. The opening section contains percussive instruments performed by Ulrich, and also a small amount of keyboards.
The horn intro was essentially taken from The Unforgiven (a Western movie) and then reversed so its source would be hidden, as Hetfield later explained on Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica.
Live performances
"The Unforgiven" was played live as part of Metallica's Nowhere Else to Roam world tour which lasted from 1991 to 1993, in support of the Black Album.
It was played again on the Madly in Anger with the World world tour in 2003 and 2004 and the Escape from the Studio '06 tour. It has most recently been played in the band's "World Magnetic" tour.
The live version of "Unforgiven" includes a second solo near the end of the song, something the original recording did not have.
Cover versions
The song was covered by Doug Pinnick, Vernon Reid, Frankie Banali, and Tony Franklin for Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica.
In Kerrang!'s tribute to Metallica, The Unforgiven was covered by British industrial metal band The Defiled. A slightly altered version was printed onto CDs, leading to the "intended version" of the cover to be released by the band later on.
"The Unforgiven" has also been covered in other styles of music, notably in bluegrass style by Iron Horse on the album Fade to Bluegrass: The Bluegrass Tribute to Metallica.
A Gregorian chant cover by Gregorian also appeared on Masters of Chant Chapter V, Swiss pop singer Stefanie Heinzmann (winner of a German TV talent contest at the TV show TV Total) included a version on the delux edition of her debut album Masterplan, and a classical instrumental version by Finnish cello ensemble Apocalyptica appeared on their release Plays Metallica by Four Cellos.
Tribute duo Harptallica recorded a harp version on their album Harptallica: A Tribute.
Rapper Joe Budden has made a rap version of the song.
The lyrics:
New blood joins this earth
And, quickly, he's subdued
Through constant pained disgrace
The young boy learns their rules
With time, the child draws in
This whipping boy done wrong
Deprived of all his thoughts
The young man struggles on and on, he's known
A vow unto his own
That never from this day
His will they'll take away
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"
They dedicate their lives
To running all of his
He tries to please them all
This bitter man he is
Throughout his life the same
He's battled constantly
This fight he cannot win
A tired man, they see no longer cares
The old man then prepares
To die regretfully
That old man here is me
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"
You labeled me
I'll label you
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"
You labeled me
I'll label you
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"
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