James Hetfield

“We do this basically for ourselves. People appreciate it, which is cool, but I think they appreciate that we're doing it for ourselves. We're doing it our way, and how people like it is not up to us. We like it.”

“Most of my guitars have been instruments that look cool. I'm not picky. I never think, 'Oh, this neck isn't made of ebony,' or, 'These strings don't feel correct.' It doesn't matter too much.”

“Authority pisses me off. I think everyone should be able to drink and get loud whenever they want.”

“There is one Metallica. We have many styles, it's called Metallica.”

“I was pretty quiet as a child.”

“It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Then it's fun and games you can't see anymore.”

“I'd like to have a beer-holder on my guitar like they have on boats.”

“I like playing music because it's a good living and I get satisfaction from it. But I can't feed my family with satisfaction.”

“I like a women who's got some balls, some strength. As long as I can beat her at arm wrestling, that's fine.”

“Nothing's really a prized possession except my family, you know?”

“Dying, dying, someone told me just recently, dying is easy. Living is hard. for everyone.”

“There is something powerful in Metallica, a will, a drive.”

“I choose to live, not just exist.”

“Just like the poles of a magnet, some people are drawn to death and others are repulsed by it, but we all have to deal with it.”

“I wanted to make noise, not study theory.”

“I'd much rather talk about guitar playing. I hate it when people ask me about my lyrics. I always feel like telling them to just go and read them.”

“Sleep my friend, and you will see that dream is my reality.”

“I've discovered that sheer quantity doesn't necessarily make for a heavier sound; if anything, overdubs make guitars sound mushier.”

“I'm always feeling like I don't belong, no matter where I am. So I'm just searching for a family nonstop, and sometimes I find it in the mosh pit, sometimes I find it when I'm doing some French TV show with the president's wife.”

“A lot of modern amps and preamps sound great when you're jamming by yourself, but don't hold up in a band situation. The sound isn't dense enough, and the lows and highs tend to get soaked up by the bass and cymbals.”