For Whom The Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway's epic written work about the perils of war through the eyes of those sent into battle to witness it is set to the haunting tones of a chiming bell and then the massive sonic onslaught of Cliff Burton and Lars Ulrich's driving relentless rhythm. And that's just the intro before the manic yet precise riffing of James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett take over. The lyrics of this song are inspired by the Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel with the same title. This is Metallica's fifth most-popular song. This song has a bell-like chiming at the beginning made by drummer Lars Ulrich pounding on an anvil. The introduction of this song is often mistaken for being played on an electric guitar whilst Cliff Burton actually played bass guitar with distortion. That introduction had been written by Burton before he joined Metallica. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" was recorded with the San Francisco Symphony for their album "S&M" (1999). The remix of this song is featured on the soundtrack to the film "Spawn" (1997) under the name "For Whom the Bell Tolls (The Irony of it All)" by DJ Spooky. Metallica then released it on "The Memory Remains" single with the title "For Whom the Bell Tolls (Haven't Heard It Yet Mix)".