King Nothing

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Wikipedia

"King Nothing"
Single by Metallica
from the album Load
B-side"Ain't My Bitch (live)"
ReleasedJanuary 7, 1997 (1997-01-07)[1]
GenreHeavy metal
Length5:28
LabelElektra
Composers
LyricistJames Hetfield
Producers
Metallica singles chronology
"Mama Said"
(1996)		 "King Nothing"
(1997)		 "Bleeding Me"
(1997)
Music video
"King Nothing" on YouTube
Audio sample
King Nothing

"King Nothing" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the fourth and last single from the band's sixth studio album, Load (1996), on January 7, 1997.

The song was written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett. 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.

The words "Off to never-never land", heard at the end of the song, are a nod to the song "Enter Sandman", from Metallica's preceding album, which also contains these words.

On the US charts, the song peaked at No. 6 and No. 90 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock and Hot 100 charts, respectively.

Music video

The music video, directed by Matt Mahurin, was filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah, in December 1996. It premiered on 7 January 1997.

In the music video, "King Nothing" is seen wandering around a snowy wasteland, throwing away his crown, and then putting another one on. He does this so much, by the end of the video, there are crowns everywhere. At the very end, hundreds of other King Nothings surround him.

Track listing

Canada and US single
  1. "King Nothing" – 5:28
  2. "Ain't My Bitch" (Live – Irvine Meadows, California, 4 August 1996) – 6:00
US promo Single
  1. "King Nothing" (edited version) – 4:59
  2. "King Nothing" (full version) – 5:28

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes,[2] except where noted.

Metallica

Additional musician

  • Jim McGillveray – shaker[3]

Charts

Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[4]90
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[5]6

Certifications

Certifications for "King Nothing"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[6] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "King Nothing". Release date. Metallica.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  2. ↑ Load liner notes. Vertigo Records. 1996.
  3. ↑ Clerc 2023, pp. 230.
  4. ↑ "Metallica Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Metallica Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  6. ↑ "American single certifications – Metallica". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 28, 2025.

Sources