"One" by Metallica Song Analysis

"One" is a song by Metallica that is anti-war.  They authored this song following the passing of their bassist Cliff Burton.  "One" was written about a veteran who went through a grieving injury, causing him to become disabled.  This song's characteristics of modernism are Loss of Logos, Existential angst, and Bourgeois Nihilism.

The first few lines of this song depict the moments when this war veteran wakes up in the infirmary with no face or arms and cannot articulate with other people.  Loss of logos is the loss of the creative power of speech.  An example of this is, "I can't remember anything can't tell if this is true or dream deep down inside I feel to scream this terrible silence stops me," because he cannot communicate or recall why he is there.  Another illustration of the loss of logos is, "Landmine has taken my sight taken my speech, taken my hearing taken my arms, taken my legs, taken my soul left me with life in hell." This veteran has suffered an injury that is so severe and has taken so much from him that he deems it took his soul.

Existential angst is the anxiety over one's existence.  "Darkness imprisoning me all that I see, absolute horror I cannot live, I cannot die trapped in myself body, my holding cell." The veteran harbors so much anxiety after his tragic injury that he feels his body, or head, is a holding cell for himself since he cannot move or do anything for himself.  "Back in the womb, it's much too real In pumps life that I must feel but can't look forward to reveal look to the time when I'll live." This line is the veteran attempting to explain his situation from his point of view.  He states it feels almost like he is in the womb because he cannot see, move, and feed himself.  

This song is characterized by bourgeois nihilism because of the extensive assortment of feelings of nothingness.  The veteran can be middle class due to his financial situation.  An example of this characteristic is the lines that say, "Now the world is gone, I'm just one oh, God, help me hold my breath as I wish for death oh, please God, help me." The veteran desires death because he says "the world is gone."

"One" is a song by Metallica that is anti-war.  They wrote this song following the passing of their bassist Cliff Burton.  "One" was written about a veteran who went through a tragic injury, making him disabled.  Due to these characteristics, "One" was written to get people to comprehend their anti-war message.