...And Justice for All (song)

The main riff of the song is based on a drum pattern written by Lars Ulrich.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SvW-uN-qEbIC&pg=PT288|accessdate=June 7, 2013|title=Justice for All – The Truth About Metallica|last=McIver|first=Joel|page=288|year=2009|publisher=Omnibus Press. Music Sales Group|isbn=978-0-85712-009-0}} Music critic Cosmo Lee said that it is "a linkage of blocks" rather than "a progressive opus", because "the song is mid-paced and very playable. None of the riffs are that technical."{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Cosmo |date=September 9, 2011 |title=Metallica: The First Four Albums – "...And Justice for All" |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/metallica-the-first-four-albums-and-justice-for-all/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018051610/http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2011/09/metallica-the-first-four-albums-and-justice-for-all/ |archive-date=October 18, 2011 |accessdate=June 10, 2013 |website=Invisible Oranges}}

"...And Justice for All" features lyrics about corruption in the government.{{cite book|last=Irwin|first=William|author-link=William Irwin (philosopher)|title=Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery|year=2007|publisher=Wiley|location=Pennsylvania|isbn=978-1-4051-6348-4|page=63}} The song title is the last four words of the Pledge of Allegiance. The lyrics refer to injustice, as "money tips [the] scales" of "Lady Justice". Especially during the chorus, "Pulling your strings, justice is done" as the ultimate symbol of a miscarried justice.{{cite web|last=Bowar|first=Chad|title=Metallica, '... And Justice for All' – Album Overview|url=http://ultimatemetallica.com/metallica-and-justice-for-all/|work='...And Justice for All' Track By Track|date=September 7, 1988 |publisher=Ultimate Metallica|accessdate=June 16, 2013}}

The song was performed live by the band during their Damaged Justice world tour in support of the parent album.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/metallica-damaged-justice-tour-754946/|title=Inside the Tour That Made Metallica Megastars|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=November 15, 2018}} After the tour, the band vowed to never play it again. Guitarist Kirk Hammett noted that the length of the songs was problematic for fans and for the band: "Touring behind it, we realized that the general consensus was that songs were too fucking long. One day after we played "Justice" and got off the stage one of us said, 'we're never fucking playing that song again.{{'"}}{{cite magazine|last=Fricke|first=David|title=Metallica: From Metal to Main Street|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/metallica-from-metal-to-main-street-19911114?page=3|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=November 14, 1991|access-date=June 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816031049/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/metallica-from-metal-to-main-street-19911114?page=3|archive-date=August 16, 2015|url-status=dead}} However, Metallica played the track in the opening show of the Sick of the Studio '07 tour, for the first time since October 1989, and made it a set-fixture for the remainder of that tour. When played live, the intro of the song is played as a recording due to the intro requiring three guitars. A statue of Lady Justice is commonly placed on the scene, to be torn down as the song approaches its conclusion.{{cite web|last=Florino|first=Rick|title=Exclusive: James Hetfield of Metallica Reflects on "...And Justice for All"|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/exclusive-james-hetfield-of-metallica-reflects-on-and-justice-for-all/10856255|publisher=Artistdirect|date=November 7, 2013|access-date=January 10, 2014}} A live performance of the complete song appears on the DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria, recorded in Mexico City during the World Magnetic Tour.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/orgullo-pasion-y-gloria-tres-noches-en-mexico-bonus-cd-dvd-r1712569 |title=Orgullo, Pasion y Gloria: Tres Noches en Mexico [Bonus CD] [DVD] - Metallica |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2012-03-04}}

{{Tracklist

|headline = Promotional vinyl

|title1 = ...And Justice for All

|note1 = Edit

|length1 = 5:59

|title2 = ...And Justice for All

|note2 = LP Version

|length2 = 9:46

}}

The song is featured in the Metallica 3-Pack that is downloadable content for the music video game Rock Band 3. It was made available to download on March 1, 2011, in an updated version for use in Rock Band 3 Pro mode which takes advantage of the use of a real guitar / bass guitar, along with standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits in addition to vocals.{{cite web | url = http://www.thegamingvault.com/2011/02/eleven-legacy-rock-band-tracks-getting-pro-upgrades-on-mach-1st/ | title = Eleven Legacy Rock Band Tracks Getting PRO Upgrades On March 1st | first = Kyle | last = Gaddo | date = February 25, 2011 | accessdate = November 8, 2012 | publisher = The Gaming Vault | archive-date = May 25, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130525005535/http://www.thegamingvault.com/2011/02/eleven-legacy-rock-band-tracks-getting-pro-upgrades-on-mach-1st/ | url-status = dead }}

Credits adapted from the parent album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=...And Justice for All liner notes|year=1988|publisher=Vertigo Records}}

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Metallica

• James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, production
• Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
• Jason Newsted – bass
• Lars Ulrich – drums, production

Technical Personnel

• Flemming Rasmussen – production, engineering
• Toby "Rage" Wright – assistant and additional engineering
• Steve Thompson, Michael Barbiero – mixing
• George Cowan – assistant mixing engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• George Marino – 1995 remastering
• Reuben Cohen – 2018 remastering

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Artwork

• James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich – cover concept
• Stephen Gorman – cover illustration
• Ross "Tobacco Road" Halfin – photography
• Pushead – hammer illustration
• Reiner Design Consultants, Inc. – design, layout

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{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "...And Justice for All"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1988|certyear=2025|artist=Metallica|access-date=May 28, 2025|refname="RIAA"}}

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{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography

• Metallica – The Complete Guide to Their Music, London: Omnibus Press, 2005.

{{Metallica songs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:And Justice for All}}

Category:Metallica songs

Category:1988 songs

Category:1988 singles

Category:1989 singles

Category:Songs written by James Hetfield

Category:Songs written by Lars Ulrich

Category:Songs written by Kirk Hammett