Master of Puppets

About this song

The title track of Metallica's album of the same name is the band's most performed song, and it reliably gets a strong reaction from audiences, who are often left to sing the "MASTER!" calls. The guitar riff between the last guitar solo and the final verse was heavily influenced by David Bowie's "Andy Warhol," which Burton and Hammett admired. The song gained renewed popularity after appearing in the fourth season of Stranger Things, in the episode "The Piggyback," where Eddie Munson plays the first half of it.

What it's about

The song is written from the perspective of drugs and describes how they take over a person's life. The person becomes unable to think clearly or make their own choices, and cannot stop the abuse because the drug always demands more.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 13 other songs, like “I’m the Man (Censored Radio Version) by Anthrax”.
• Covered 29 times, including “Master of Puppets by Obsidian (UK)”.
• Written by Cliff Burton, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich.
• Produced by Flemming Rasmussen and Metallica.
• Recorded at Sweet Silence Studios.