# Wherever I May Roam

"Wherever I May Roam" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released in October 1992 as the fourth single from their eponymous fifth album, Metallica. It reached number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 100 peaked at number twenty-five on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, and peaked at number two in Denmark, Finland and Norway.

## Music

All stringed instruments featured in this song, both guitars and basses, use standard tuning. The intro of the song is notable for its unusual instrumentation for the band: Asian instruments such as a gong and sitar, along with an overdubbed Warwick twelve-string bass. This 12-string bass was only used for effect during the intro to emphasize several accented notes and then a standard tuned 4-string bass was used as the main bass instrument throughout the remainder of the recording.
The song is performed frequently during the band's live concerts, and was performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Michael Kamen) on the live S&M and its companion DVD, as well as the 2019 S&M2. When performed live, the band has always relied on their original sitar recording for the intro (the band enters on the first accented note to dramatic effect); however, for the S&M concerts guitarist Kirk Hammett utilized a Danelectro electric sitar for the intro before switching to his ESP electric guitar.
The music video featured clips from Metallica behind the scenes and in concert, during their Wherever We May Roam Tour. The video version of the song is edited omitting the first bridge and third chorus and the last line in the second chorus "Where I lay my head is home" edited to end off as the third chorus does on the studio version with the words "That's where" leading into Hammett's guitar solo of the second bridge.
The song opens in a typically American metal fashion: "And the road becomes my bride". It carries on in a display of American stoicism: "I have stripped [myself] of all but pride" continuing to express satisfaction and satiation despite the difficulties presented by his uncomfortable lifestyle choices. He rejects the uncomplimentary labels others place on rebels: "Rover wanderer, Nomad vagabond, Call me what you will". The song emphasizes the freedom offered by the narrator's lifestyle: "Free to speak my mind anywhere". The price of this freedom is giving up the comfort of a domestic abode.

## Demo

The song's demo was recorded in Lars Ulrich's home musical studio "Dungeon" on August 13, 1990.

## Track listings

US single
* "Wherever I May Roam" – 6:42
* "Fade to Black" (live) – 7:43
International single
* "Wherever I May Roam" – 6:43
* "Fade to Black" (live) – 7:43
* "Wherever I May Roam" (demo) – 5:35
International digipak single
* "Wherever I May Roam" – 6:45
* "Last Caress" (live)/"Am I Evil?" (live)/"Battery" (live) – 11:59
Japanese EP
* "Wherever I May Roam" – 6:44
* "Fade to Black" (live) – 7:44
* "Last Caress" (live)/"Am I Evil?" (live)/"Battery" (live) – 11:59

## Charts

| Chart (1992–1993) | Peak position |
| Australia (ARIA) | 14 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 35 |
| Denmark (IFPI) | 2 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 19 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 2 |
| France (SNEP) | 28 |
| Germany (GfK) | 30 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 15 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 22 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 22 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 8 |
| Norway (VG-lista) | 2 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 28 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 25 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 82 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard) | 25 |
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
| Top Triller US (Billboard) | 7 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 2× Platinum | 140,000$^‡$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Gold | 15,000$^‡$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||