:The Unforgiven (song)
{{Short description|1991 single by Metallica}}
{{Infobox song
| name = The Unforgiven
| cover = Metallica - The Unforgiven cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Metallica
| album = Metallica
| B-side = *"Killing Time"
| released = {{Start date|1991|10|28}}
| recorded = October 1990
| studio = One on One, Los Angeles
| genre = Heavy metal
| length = 6:27
| label = Elektra
| composer = *James Hetfield
| lyricist = James Hetfield
| producer = *Bob Rock
- James Hetfield
- Lars Ulrich
| prev_title = Enter Sandman
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Nothing Else Matters
| next_year = 1992
| misc = {{External music video|1={{YouTube|id=Ckom3gf57Yw|title="The Unforgiven"}}
}}
}}
"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 (also known as The Black Album). The song deals with the theme of the struggle of the individual against the efforts of those who would subjugate him.{{cite news|last=True|first=Chris|title=Metallica: The Unforgiven|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-unforgiven-mt0007572123|access-date=June 12, 2013|newspaper=AllMusic}}
The song has since spawned two sequels, 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 clean electric and acoustic guitars. The opening section contains percussive instruments performed by Ulrich, and also a small amount of keyboards.{{Citation needed|date=April 2018}}
In the documentary "Classic Albums" Metallica: The Black Album, James Hetfield could not identify where the horn intro was taken from and explained that it was reversed so its source would be hidden.{{Cite AV media |title="Classic Albums" Metallica: The Black Album |people= James Hetfield |date= November 12, 2001 |quote= The [intro to The Unforgiven] was lifted from somewhere and turned backwards so no one knows who or where it came}}
Kirk Hammett said his solo was a last minute improvisation of "raw emotion" after the ideas he came with at the studio ended up not working. Pleased with the result, Hammett said it was the starting point of him playing less scripted solos in future songs.[https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kirk-hammett-how-the-unforgiven-changed-his-approach-to-solos How recording The Unforgiven changed Kirk Hammett's approach to guitar solos forever]
Live performances
"The Unforgiven" was played live as part of Metallica's "Wherever We May Roam" and "Nowhere Else to Roam" world tours, which lasted from 1991 to 1993, in support of The Black Album. It was played again after being off the setlist for 11 years on the Madly in Anger with the World Tour in 2004 and has been continued to be played during all of the bands' tours since.
The live version of "The Unforgiven" includes a second solo near the end of the song that the original recording did not have, although this part has rarely been played since the early 2000s.
Music video
An accompanying video was released for the song. The black-and-white video is themed around a barefoot and shirtless boy born in captivity who spends his life in a windowless stone room. As the video progresses, he ages into an adult and then an old man. He spends his entire life carving into the stone to create a window while occasionally grasping his one possession: a key. It is implied that another captive lives on the other side of the stone room. The video ends with the old man finally creating a window, through which he deposits his possession. He blocks off the tunnel through which he crawled to access the cell using the square of stone he created when he made the window, then lies down to die. An 11:33 long, "theatrical" version of the video exists, featuring several minutes of introductory scenes that precede the timeline of the main portion of the video. This version was featured on The Videos 1989–2004, the band's 2006 music video compilation.
Track listings
{{Track listing
|headline = US cassette
|title1 = The Unforgiven
|length1 = 6:27
|title2 = Killing Time
|length2 = 3:05
}}
{{Track listing
|headline = International CD single
|title1 = The Unforgiven
|length1 = 6:29
|title2 = Killing Time
|length2 = 3:08
|title3 = The Unforgiven
|note3 = Demo
|length3 = 6:15
}}
{{Track listing
|headline = International 12" single
|title1 = The Unforgiven
|length1 = 6:27
|title2 = Killing Time
|length2 = 3:04
|title3 = So What
|length3 = 3:07
|title4 = The Unforgiven
|note4 = Demo
|length4 = 6:18
}}
Personnel
- James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, classical guitar
- Lars Ulrich – drums, percussion
- Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
- Jason Newsted – bass
- Uncredited musician ("Scott") – keyboard{{Cite AV media |title= A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica |people=Metallica |date= 17 November 1992 |chapter=Part 1 |minutes=50:53}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1991–1992) !Peak |
| {{single chart|Australia|10|artist=Metallica|song=The Unforgiven|refname=Australia1|rowheader=true|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=47|page=27|date=November 23, 1991}}
|46 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Finland (The Official Finnish Charts){{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |year=2003 |url=http://suomenlistalevyt.blogspot.com/2015/08/mau-mem.html |title=Sisältää hitin: levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |publisher=Otava Publishing Company Ltd |isbn=951-1-21053-X}}
|4 |
| {{single chart|France|28|artist=Metallica|song=The Unforgiven|rowheader=true|refname=France1|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Germany|47|artist=Metallica|song=The Unforgiven |songid=11076|refname=German1|rowheader=true|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|22|artist=Metallica|song=The Unforgiven|rowheader=true|refname=Ireland1|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch40|27|year=1992|week=1|rowheader=true|refname=Dutch401|access-date=December 27, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch100|25|artist=Metallica|song=The Unforgiven|rowheader=true|refname=Dutch1|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|24|artist=Metallica|song=The Unforgiven|rowheader=true|refname=NewZealand1|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Sweden|32|artist=Metallica|song=The Unforgiven|rowheader=true|refname=Sweden1|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|15|artist=Metallica|artistid=24423|rowheader=true|refname=UK1|access-date=December 27, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|35|artist=Metallica|rowheader=true|refname=US1|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|10|artist=Metallica|rowheader=true|refname=USmainstreamtock1|access-date=March 29, 2020}} |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (2022) !Peak |
| {{single chart|Poland|93|chartid=4025|year=2022|rowheader=true|access-date=February 28, 2022}} |
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1992) !Position |
| scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=104|issue=52|page=YE-42|date=December 26, 1992}}
|19 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|access-date=8 March 2024|refname="ARIA"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|access-date=November 22, 2021|id=9345}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|relyear=1991|certyear=2025|access-date=January 10, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|relyear=1991|certyear=2021|access-date=November 22, 2021|id=9345}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|award=Platinum|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|relyear=1991|certyear=2020|access-date=February 13, 2025|source=radioscope}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|award=Gold|certyear=2024|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|accessdate=February 17, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Silver|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|relyear=2006|certyear=2022|id=17831-2158-1|access-date=February 1, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Metallica|title=The Unforgiven|relyear=2001|certyear=2012}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Metallica}}
{{Stefanie Heinzmann}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unforgiven, The}}
Category:Songs written by James Hetfield
Category:Songs written by Lars Ulrich
Category:Songs written by Kirk Hammett
Category:Song recordings produced by Rick Rubin
Category:Song recordings produced by Bob Rock
Category:Black-and-white music videos