My World

Album: St. Anger (2003)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Metallica never called St. Anger a concept album, but the way "My World" flows out of the song preceding it is interesting ("Invisible Kid" is the fifth track and "My World" is the sixth).

    "Invisible Kid" is about a kid (presumably a teen) who's feeling isolated while spending time alone in his room. "My World" seems to pick up that same theme, maybe even the same character, as it opens with Metallica frontman James Hetfield singing about being alone in his room.

    Mama, why's it rainin' in my room?
    Cheer up boy, clouds will move on soon
    Heavy fog got me lost inside
    Gonna sit right back and enjoy this ride


    Listened to back-to-back, the songs seem to tell the story of a young man's evolution. The difference between the two songs is that in "Invisible Kid," other people have sealed the kid off from the world and driven him into isolation in his room. In "My world," he's trying to fight people off from getting inside his head; he's learned to enjoy and even protect his isolation. It's as if the same kid from "Invisible Kid" has now become hardened to his condition and to the people who drove him to it.

    For whatever the kid's internal world is worth, it is his. It belongs to him. He won't let anyone else invade it, especially not the very people who he's learned to distrust and despise.
  • Metallica never performed "My World" live, and few fans will list it in their top tracks, but their in-house journalist Steffan Chirazi stands up for it along with the St. Anger album as a whole.

    "We're talking about emotions in records, and this band wears their heart on their sleeve in their albums, and St. Anger was another absolute powder keg of emotions," Chirazi said on the Songfacts Podcast. "Just massive tension on that record. It's the "lost" Metallica album for me, or the least appreciated, but it is the most definitive of where they were at that time as people."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal Tap

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal TapSong Writing

Based on criteria like girlfriend tension, stage mishaps and drummer turnover, these are the 10 bands most like Spinal Tap.

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Penny Ford of Snap!

Penny Ford of Snap!Songwriter Interviews

The original voice of Snap! this story is filled with angry drag queens, video impersonators and Chaka Khan.

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.