The Unforgiven III

Album: Death Magnetic (2008)
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Songfacts®:

  • This track about redemption and forgiveness is a deeply personal song to vocalist James Hetfield. He told The Sun August 2, 2008: "It takes me to another level. If there was any song that I could listen to 100 times in a row that would be it."
  • Hetfield told The Guardian September 5, 2008 that the song's concerns how you "can't forgive anyone until you've forgiven yourself."
  • This is the third of Metallica's Unforgivens. The first two start with the same guitar riff, but "The Unforgiven III" starts with a piano riff. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Aaron - Bad Axe, MI
  • The Death Magnetic album debuted at #1 on the Billboard album chart, selling almost 500,000 copies. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France

Comments: 17

  • Les Thomas from South CarolinaThe song starts out with such beautiful piano, you know it's gonna be deep.
    To me, it is almost a cry out for forgiveness to Cliff Burton and the infamous coin flip for bunks on the bus that ended his life.Especially continually referring to " How can I blame you when it's Me I can't forgive.
    The lyrics Search for seas of Gold, how come it got so cold...(black Ice referance) just as the band has taken off and "searching" for their gold.
    Probably the most beautiful tribute possible to Cliff, and possibly one of the deepest songs....to ME.
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjDavid Campell arranged the strings on this track.
  • Dionisio from San Jose, Costa RicaAlthough the trilogy starts with an orwellian tale of a matrix type world, in which we are manipulated since birth to consume/produce, forget our true selves, and pursue what is good for the capital/state/religion/other conformity institutions, enslaved to images of consumerism perfection, the dubbed and who blames the world for his troubles is hetfield. The story gets more depressing when love is useless for redemption when most of human beings are affected by this virus type of belief system, never to be forgiven, and unable to love. In the third part, the post-rehab Hetfield, bravely preaches to stops blaming the world and forgive ourselves. That should be the start, we are the owners of our own happiness. We own the key buried in the woman. We can be happy (first sunny metallica lyric:)
  • Ryan from Anderson, CaNONE of them are the best. It's all three put together that creates the masterpiece, since they tell a story of anger, betrayal, and redemption.
  • Erik from Sunbury, Paok adam from mi. you got one thing wrong about The Unforgiven I & II. the first one is about James when he was only child of roughly 8 and The Unforgiven II, the 8 year old is roughly the age of 14. that aside, Unforgiven III is the best of the trilogy.
  • Charlie from Las Vegas, Nvi agree with ryan. i have the other two in my collection and they don't hold a candle to this one neither melodically nor lyrically.
  • Adam from Clinton Township, Mi"How can I blame you/When it's me I can't forgive?" I agree with most posts but I would say it like this: The Unforgiven I is a man, young but weary, railing at the world for all the things he wanted to be, but can't because of society. The Unforgiven II is the same man, learning that he doesn't have to be alone, but in the end, though he's sorry for his sins, he 'realizes' that not trusting is better than misplaced trust. The Unforgiven III is a metaphoric journey; it actually takes place within the soul. The narrator comes to realize that all the things he hated about the world lay within his own faults. The "new dawn's light" is the real truth he sought for so long.

    In Unforgiven I, he hates the world. In Unforgiven II, he hates the world, what it did to him, what it did to those he loved, and himself. In Unforgiven III, he comes to see that his inabiltity to forgive anyone made him unable to forgive even himself, for the false truths and what he did to his only lover.
  • Ryan from Bethany, OkI think this is the best from the Unforgiven trilogy.
  • Austin from Bristow, VaThe best and might I add, a great conclusion to Metallica's epic "Unforgiven" trilogy.
  • Nes from Beirut, Lebanonthis last one is the sweet cherry on top of the alltime amazing unforgiven cheese cake (im hungry :P). it is the ultimate continuation of the epic unforgiven story... and now no matter who you are, whatever reason you are unforgiven for, you can find your story in one of this amazin trio! whether unforgiven from war, murder, piracy, forbidden love, .... the songs say it all
  • Jake from Burke, Va"The Unforgiven 3" is yet another sequel to significance.
  • Lane from Temple, GaI think the songs go in this order. In Unforgiven one he couldn't forgive the people who had wronged him and made him the way he was. IN Unforgiven II he couldn't forgive the girl he loved and trusted because she hurt him. In Unforgiven III he couldn't forgive himself for going for something that wasn't real. "Set sail the but pulled of course by the light of golden treasure" Amazing song.
  • Eric from Aston, PaTo me the "Unforgiven"s go in this order of meaning. The first one is about no forgiving anyone and ending up alone as though it is that the opposing person is "the unforgiven". The second one: the guy is now in the middle as if saying himself is unforgiven but the opposing person is "unforgiven too". The third one: the guy has came to though that it is only himself that is "the unforgiven" and he has no one else to blame and he will die alone with no one there.
    That is roughly in my opinion.
  • Brett from Andover, MnWords cant describe the beauty of this song. I was so pleased with Death Magnetic (especially after the last few albums) but don't get me wrong, I love Metallica more then anything but everything after Justice was alright, it was no Kill Em All or Ride The Lighting but still like I said its Metallica so its going to kick ass. But anyway back to the main point, Unforgiven III is a masterpiece itself hands down. James said it himself, "It Takes Me To Another Level" which I can't agree more.
  • Clarissa from Martinsburg, WvDeath Magnetic is awesome and this is my favorite song on the whole album. In my opinion it's the best "Unforgiven" of the 3
  • Jt from Tullahoma, Tnthis song and the whole album was just so great. This is easily the best of the three Unforgiven and this album is easily the best album they've released since Justice.
  • Aki from Sunrise, FlThis song is absolutely GORGEOUS. It totally fits in with "The Unforgiven" story. It's a great ending which sums up everything. Not to mention that James Hetfield is just AMAZING.

    I don't care if it's a complete 180 from the other two songs for "The Unforgiven", it's supposed to represent a different mood. The person in the song isn't angry anymore, he's just remorseful.
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