I Disappear

Album: Mission: Impossible 2 Soundtrack (2000)
Charted: 35 76
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Songfacts®:

  • This song was one of the last that bass player Jason Newsted recorded with Metallica. It was a song that was slated to be released on either Load or Reload, but ended up being used on the Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack. It is curious that the song includes the lines, "Just as soon as I belong, then it's time I disappear," seeing as Jason left shortly afterwards. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Cvas - Ridgefield, CT
  • The song is about a guy who vanishes before we can get to know him. It's a fitting theme for Mission Impossible: 2, which deals with covert operations.
  • "I Disappear" is the second track on the soundtrack for the 2000 film Mission Impossible: 2. It's most notable for being the song that kicked off Metallica's legal battle with Napster.

    When Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker started Napster in 1999, the software let users share audio files over their computers digitally, so it became a repository for free music downloads. No one was really sure where it would go, but it ended up exploding in popularity pretty quickly, and because it was a new technology, the rules governing it were basically nonexistent, meaning that artists had no protection over their music.

    Napster earned the ire of Metallica when a pirated demo version of "I Disappear" was released online without the band knowing or approving it. The band filed a lawsuit on April 13, 2000 accusing Napster of racketeering and copyright infringement, and sought $100,000 for each illegally downloaded song, which came to about $10 million in damages. Metallica also wanted to ban every Napster user who illegally downloaded the song.

    Metallica won. Napster was forced to ban more than 300,000 users and to pay Metallica damages. The lawsuit triggered other artists (including Dr. Dre) to follow suit, and Napster eventually went bankrupt and then out of business entirely.

    In 2003, Metallica made a song about their battle with Napster titled "Shoot Me Again," which appears on their album St. Anger.
  • This prophetically titled number was the last Metallica Hot 100 entry for eight years until the band appeared again in the chart in 2008 with "The Day That Never Comes."
  • Wayne Isham directed the video, which shows the band members re-creating scenes from Mission Impossible: 2. It was nominated for a handful of MTV Video Music Awards.

Comments: 12

  • Diverdriver from Northern CaliforniaJason wasn't allowed to let his creative ambitions played on any albums. James always wrote the bass parts and Jason had to play it as James had written and demonstrated. He had no creative input to the band. This was frustrating as he is a very creative person. So when he'd had enough he left. Also he wanted to do a side project and James forbid it saying any time spent on a side project is time not devoted to Metallica.
  • Zack from Noblesville, InI know what the song means. It means once you begin to fit in then it's time for you to leave so as you and those around you don't get hurt and so you don't get close enough to them to hurt them in the long run.
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjJason was not stupid he was just sick off all the bullsh*t. They treated him like a second-class citizen the entire time he was in the band. THAT'S why he left.
  • Shawn from Cleveland, OhMy favorite metallica song, now what album?
  • Mark from Fort Walton Beach, Flthis song rocks but then again they all do jason was stupid to quit thegreastest band ever!!
  • Matt from Bakersfield, Cai think that I Disappear is a fantastic master pieace even a song Metallica makes for a move that probably wasn't heard that well still kicked a lot of ass.
  • Ashley from Panama City, Fli love the video for this song,
    the song & the video is badass.
  • Jair from Santiago De Cali, ColumbiaThe car driven by James in the video is a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. Upon the video's completion, the car was given to Hetfield as a gift. It was later auctioned off on eBay by James himself for charity.
  • Jp from Cincinnati, OhMan, these boys laid down one hell of a serious groove on this track! This tune not only rocks!...It swings!
  • Sambit from Bangalore, Indiai think this song has one of the best meanings amongst all of metallica songs. "as soon as i belong, its time i disappear" james has personified himself pain, hope & suffer. when any of these belong to you or in other words inflict you, then they bcom invisible. you can see others' pain & suffer but not yours. watch a quake hit area on the news. u see the peoples' suffer & pain. but if u would have been a victim then only others would have seen it. it also implies that if u r dead when hit by the 3 particular disasters , then you certainly wont be able to seee them anymore. this is really awesome imagnation.

    the video is also a perfect one. james is shown running & kinda hurrying thru all the places. he is leaving destruction & misery behind himself. people can see james(pain, hope, suffer) advacing towards them, but once he encounters, he DISAPPEARS.
  • Ahmed from Baghdad, Iraqthis song is big and awesome james is a god
  • Danielle from Titusville, FlI'm surprised no ones commented on this awesome song with such an catchy beat! i love this song James Hetfeild looks so attractive in a black suit in the music video! METALLICA seems to give me a vision into another world there musics so artistic especial this song!
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