Mama Said (Metallica song)

"Mama Said"
Single by Metallica
from the album Load
B-side"Ain't My Bitch" (live)
ReleasedNovember 25, 1996 (1996-11-25)
Genre
Length5:20
LabelElektra
Composers
LyricistJames Hetfield
Producers
Metallica singles chronology
"Hero of the Day"
(1996) 		"Mama Said"
(1996) 		"King Nothing"
(1997)
Music video
"Mama Said" on YouTube

"Mama Said" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. A country and Southern rock ballad,[1][3] it was released as the third single from the band's sixth studio album, Load, on November 25, 1996.[4] The song features personal lyrics written by James Hetfield and music composed by Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.

Background

"Mama Said" was written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.[5] Musically, it is a country rock and southern rock ballad.[1][3] Its lyrics are about the death of Hetfield's mother.[6] The song and fellow Load track "Wasting My Hate" were inspired by Hetfield's friendship with the country singer-songwriter Waylon Jennings.[7][8]

The song was released as the third single from Load on November 25, 1996.[9] The music video for the song was directed by Anton Corbijn. It features Hetfield playing the song on an acoustic guitar, sitting alone in the back seat of a car. He travels down a metaphorical highway while the other three members peer at him through the windows. At the end, it is revealed that it was a back-seat studio prop, after which Hetfield and a white horse walk off-screen.[10]

Track listing

International single part 1
  1. "Mama Said" – 5:19
  2. "King Nothing (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 6:50
  3. "Whiplash (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 4:52
  4. "Mama Said (Edit)" – 4:34
International single part 2
  1. "Mama Said" – 5:19
  2. "So What (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 3:00
  3. "Creeping Death (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 7:15
  4. "Mama Said (Early Demo Version)" – 6:52
International 7" vinyl single
  1. "Mama Said" – 5:19
  2. "Ain't My Bitch (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 5:59
Australian maxi single
  1. "Mama Said (Edit)" – 4:34
  2. "Mama Said (Early Demo Version)" – 6:52
UK promo single
  1. "Mama Said (Edit)" – 4:43
  2. "Mama Said" – 5:19
Japanese EP
  1. "Mama Said (Edit)" – 4:42
  2. "So What (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 2:58
  3. "Creeping Death (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 7:14
  4. "King Nothing (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 6:51
  5. "Whiplash (Live – Irvine Meadows, California 4 August 1996)" – 6:01
  6. "Mama Said (Early Demo Version)" – 6:53

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[5]

Metallica

Additional musician

  • Jim McGillveray – tambourine[9]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Mama Said"
Chart (1996) Peak
position
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 19
Norway (VG-lista)[13] 13
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 19
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[16] 1

Certifications

Certifications for "Mama Said"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[17] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c "The 25 best country rock songs of all time". Classic Rock. August 5, 2016. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  2. ^ "Every Metallica Song Ranked". Loudwire. October 14, 2019. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "The Top 10 best albums of 1996". Metal Hammer. July 28, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  4. ^ "Mama Said". Release date. Metallica.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Load liner notes. Vertigo Records. 1996.
  6. ^ Stenning 2010, p. 175.
  7. ^ Wall 2012, p. 374.
  8. ^ Clerc 2023, pp. 242.
  9. ^ a b Clerc 2023, pp. 244.
  10. ^ Wall 2012, pp. 370–371.
  11. ^ "Metallica: Mama Said" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Mama Said". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  13. ^ "Metallica – Mama Said". VG-lista. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  14. ^ "Metallica – Mama Said". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  16. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  17. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 16, 2024.

Sources

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