Now That We're Dead

Album: Hardwired... to Self-Destruct (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • James Hetfield sings here of someone whose lover has died, and he is looking forward to them being reunited in the afterlife.
  • When Metallica started tracking the song, they found they were overthinking it and were forced to use one of the preproduction rehearsal takes. Lars Ulrich explained to Rolling Stone:

    "With 'Now That We're Dead,' we recorded it and everything kept getting tighter and precise, and all of a sudden you go, wait a minute, I think we just beat all the life out of this thing [laughs]. We went back and listened to the preproduction floor takes – almost like the last rehearsals – and it's like, 'Hey, wait a minute. There's a completely different vibe there. It sounds like a living, breathing entity rather than something put together by a drill sergeant.' [Laughs] So we went with a version that was a little bit looser."
  • The song received its live debut on January 11, 2017 during the band's convert at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. The band debuted another Hardwired track, "Halo of Fire" later on in the gig.
  • "Now That We're Dead" served as the entrance and exit theme for WWE wrestler The Undertaker during his Wrestlemania 36 match against AJ Styles on April 4, 2020.

Comments: 2

  • Joe M from UsaGood song but honestly feels like a less cool version of dont fear the reaper.
  • Garry from Northeast OhioAs a Metallica family member, I can say it's my New favorite song. It's the deepest and most important song to get you fired up. When one can be forgiven we should never fear death but look forward to that open door. Nothing but love for you guys!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Songs About Movies

Songs About MoviesSong Writing

Iron Maiden, Adele, Toto, Eminem and Earth, Wind & Fire are just some of the artists with songs directly inspired by movies - and not always good ones.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.