One

About this song

The song is the fourth track on Metallica's ...And Justice for All. Its story is drawn from Dalton Trumbo's novel Johnny Got His Gun. The band made it their first music video, which used footage from the film adaptation directed by Trumbo, and they bought the rights to that footage to make including it easier.

What it's about

The song follows Joe Bonham, a World War I soldier who is left without his limbs and face after a landmine explosion and is kept alive as a prisoner in his own body. The lyrics voice his plea to be put out of his misery.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 32 other songs, like “1988 by The Hood Internet”.
• Covered 29 times, including “One by Rob Scallon (Ft. Jeff Linville & Joe Shadid)”.
• Written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.
• Produced by Metallica and Flemming Rasmussen.
• Recorded at One on One Studios (Los Angeles.