King Nothing
Encyclopedia
"King Nothing" is a song by Metallica
in their 1996 album Load
.
The song King Nothing, written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett, circles around the theme of "be careful what you wish for." 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.
At the end of the song, the words "Off to never-never land" can be heard. This is a nod to one of Metallica's most famous songs, "Enter Sandman
", which also features these words. The song also features a similar structure.
"King Nothing" was featured as background music in the ninth episode of the second season of The Sopranos
, From Where to Eternity, in a scene in which Tony Soprano
is speaking with Paulie Gualtieri
in the Bada Bing
strip club.
On the U.S. charts, the song reached number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100
, while peaking at number six on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
's home studio 'Dungeon' by James Hetfield
and Ulrich on November 30, 1994. The official music video for "King Nothing" was filmed in Park City, UT in December 1996.
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
in their 1996 album Load
Load (album)
Load is the sixth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. Released on June 4, 1996 through Elektra Records, it sold 680,000 units in its first week and debuted at #1 on Billboard 200. The album has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and is certified 5x platinum by the RIAA...
.
The song King Nothing, written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett, circles around the theme of "be careful what you wish for." 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
Ain't My Bitch
Ain't My Bitch is the first song from Metallica's 1996 album Load. Released as a promotional single, it debuted on the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts at number fifteen....
", which is also on the album Load. A music video also accompanied the song. The guitars and bass are both tuned to Eb.
At the end of the song, the words "Off to never-never land" can be heard. This is a nod to one of Metallica's most famous songs, "Enter Sandman
Enter Sandman
"Enter Sandman" is a 1991 song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the first single from their eponymous fifth album, Metallica. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich...
", which also features these words. The song also features a similar structure.
"King Nothing" was featured as background music in the ninth episode of the second season of The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, From Where to Eternity, in a scene in which Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
is speaking with Paulie Gualtieri
Paulie Gualtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri played by Tony Sirico, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He is a caporegime and later underboss in the Soprano crime family.-Plot details:...
in the Bada Bing
Bada Bing
The Bada Bing! is a fictional strip club from the HBO drama television series The Sopranos. It was a key location for events in the series, named for catchphrase "bada bing", a phrase popularized by James Caan in The Godfather. The popularization of the fictional club benefited the real-life go-go...
strip club.
On the U.S. charts, the song reached number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, while peaking at number six on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Demo
The demo of "King Nothing" was called "Load" (hence the title of the album it was featured on) and was recorded in Lars UlrichLars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
's home studio 'Dungeon' by James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
and Ulrich on November 30, 1994. The official music video for "King Nothing" was filmed in Park City, UT in December 1996.