King Nothing
1997 single by Metallica
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"King Nothing" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the fourth and last single from the band's sixth studio album, Load (1996), on January 7, 1997.
| "King Nothing" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Metallica | ||||
| from the album Load | ||||
| B-side | "Ain't My Bitch (live)" | |||
| Released | January 7, 1997[1] | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 5:28 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Composers | ||||
| Lyricist | James Hetfield | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Metallica singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "King Nothing" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
King Nothing | ||||
The song was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett. The song starts on a bass riff which develops into the main riff of the song. A single of "King Nothing" was released in the United States. It included a live version of the song "Ain't My Bitch", which is also on the album Load. A music video also accompanied the song. The guitars and bass are both tuned to Eb.
The words "Off to never-never land", heard at the end of the song, are a nod to the song "Enter Sandman", from Metallica's preceding album, which also contains these words.
On the US charts, the song peaked at No. 6 and No. 90 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Hot 100 charts, respectively.
Music video
The music video, directed by Matt Mahurin, was filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah, in December 1996. It premiered on January 7, 1997.
In the music video, "King Nothing" is seen wandering around a snowy wasteland, throwing away his crown, and then putting another one on. He does this so much that by the end of the video, there are crowns everywhere. At the very end, hundreds of other King Nothings surround him.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by James Hetfield.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "King Nothing" |
| 5:28 |
| 2. | "Ain't My Bitch" (Live – Irvine Meadows, California, 4 August 1996) |
| 6:00 |
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "King Nothing" (edited version) |
| 4:59 |
| 2. | "King Nothing" (full version) |
| 5:28 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes,[2] except where noted.
Metallica
- James Hetfield – guitar, vocals
- Kirk Hammett – guitar
- Jason Newsted – bass
- Lars Ulrich – drums
Additional musician
- Jim McGillveray – shaker[3]
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] | 67 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 90 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[6] | 6 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
