...And Justice for All (song)

...And Justice for All (song)
"...And Justice for All" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the second track on the band's album of the same name, and was released as a promotional single in 1988. Like the album it features on, it is named after the last four words of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Music and lyrics
The main riff of the song is based on a drum pattern written by Lars Ulrich. Music critic Cosmo Lee said that it is "a linkage of blocks" rather than "a progressive opus", because "the song is mid-paced and very playable. None of the riffs are that technical."
"...And Justice for All" features lyrics about corruption in the government. The song title is the last four words of the Pledge of Allegiance. The lyrics refer to injustice, as "money tips [the] scales" of "Lady Justice". Especially during the chorus, "Pulling your strings, justice is done" as the ultimate symbol of a miscarried justice.
Justice is lost,
Justice is raped,
Justice is gone.
Live performances
The song was performed live by the band during their Damaged Justice world tour in support of the parent album. After the tour, the band vowed to never play it again. Guitarist Kirk Hammett noted that the length of the songs was problematic for fans and for the band: "Touring behind it, we realized that the general consensus was that songs were too fucking long. One day after we played "Justice" and got off the stage one of us said, 'we're never fucking playing that song again. However, Metallica played the track in the opening show of the Sick of the Studio '07 tour, for the first time since October 1989, and made it a set-fixture for the remainder of that tour. When played live, the intro of the song is played as a recording due to the intro requiring three guitars. A statue of Lady Justice is commonly placed on the scene, to be torn down as the song approaches its conclusion. A live performance of the complete song appears on the DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria, recorded in Mexico City during the World Magnetic Tour.
Track listing
Video games
The song is featured in the Metallica 3-Pack that is downloadable content for the music video game Rock Band 3. It was made available to download on March 1, 2011, in an updated version for use in Rock Band 3 Pro mode which takes advantage of the use of a real guitar / bass guitar, along with standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits in addition to vocals.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the parent album's liner notes.
Metallica
James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar, production
Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
Jason Newsted – bass
Lars Ulrich – drums, production
Production
Flemming Rasmussen – production, engineering
Toby "Rage" Wright – assistant and additional engineering
Steve Thompson, Michael Barbiero – mixing
George Cowan – assistant mixing engineer
Bob Ludwig – mastering
George Marino – 1995 remastering
Reuben Cohen – 2018 remastering
Artwork
James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich – cover concept
Stephen Gorman – cover illustration
Ross "Tobacco Road" Halfin – photography
Pushead – hammer illustration
Reiner Design Consultants, Inc. – design, layout
References
Bibliography
Metallica – The Complete Guide to Their Music, London: Omnibus Press, 2005.
Metallica songs
1988 songs
1988 singles
1989 singles
Songs written by James Hetfield
Songs written by Lars Ulrich
Songs written by Kirk Hammett