METALLICA - JAMES HETFIELD QUOTES / ZITATE

“It's a good feeling, that you can put your heart out there, no matter how black it is, and people can understand it.”

-James Hetfield

“Back then, we all shared stuff. 'I did her. Dude, here! Have my chick.' Lars would talk his way into their pants. Kirk had a babyface that was appealing to the girls. And Cliff; he had a big dick. Word got around about that, I guess.”

-James Hetfield

“I'm on this eternal quest to get the best guitar sound in the world, but my vision of what is 'the best' changes every time I go into the studio. Sometimes my goal is to make my guitar jump out, and sometimes I want it to lay back.”

-James Hetfield

“I'd much rather talk about guitar playing. I hate it when people ask me about my lyrics. I always feel like telling them to just go and read them.”

-James Hetfield

“One time we saw some hookers but when we got closer we realized it was Motley Crue.”

-James Hetfield

“I'm always feeling like I don't belong, no matter where I am. So I'm just searching for a family nonstop, and sometimes I find it in the mosh pit, sometimes I find it when I'm doing some French TV show with the president's wife.”

-James Hetfield

“If I hadn't of had music in my life, it's quite possible I could be in here. (Jail) Or not even in here, be dead — and I'd much rather be alive.”

-James Hetfield

“There is one Metallica. We have many styles, it's called Metallica.”

-James Hetfield

“Stumble back to your tends all drunk, get a nice rest for tomorrows show and see some real real real good bands tomorrow you know... or do you want some more Metallica?”

-James Hetfield

“Every breath I take becomes deeper, and I become more confident of myself without my crutches. The lies I've filled my body and soul with aren't needed anymore. They're not welcome. I choose to live, not just exist.”

-James Heftield

“I have the best job in the world. I'm able to express myself, and people attach themselves to it if they identify with it. Music certainly is a driving force in my life. There's not a moment where I'm not in it.”

-James Hetfield

“We do this basically for ourselves. People appreciate it, which is cool, but I think they appreciate that we're doing it for ourselves. We're doing it our way, and how people like it is not up to us. We like it.”

-James Hetfield

“No secret that I enjoy motor sports and cars in particular, building cars, building custom cars. Part of that scene. I love the flow of the cars and I love the art part of them. I love the sleekness and the uniqueness of each car that you can dream up.”

-James Hetfield

“Rap is just to me very annoying.”

-James Hetfield

“Around the time of Load, I felt I wanted to stop drinking. "Maybe I'm missing out on something. Everyone else seems so happy all the time. I want to get happy." I'd plan my life around a hangover: "The Misfits are playing in town Friday night, so Saturday is hangover day." I lost a lot of days in my life.”

-James Hetfield

“I'm not generally a big solo guy, because I'm not into showing off that way.”

-James Hetfield

“It's good to listen to lots of different stuff, just whatever you like. The first two records I ever bought were Alice Cooper, Killer and Jethro Tull, Aqualung. That's two weird records to begin with, but I think they hold up well.”

-James Hetfield

“People have their own interpretations of love. For some, love is sleeping with a sheep. For others, it’s just being with somebody. Love to me is being able to depend on someone else, especially being on the road. You can really lose yourself out here. Then you go home and you realize, ‘Yeah, here’s my base. Here’s where I start, and here’s where it ends.”

-James Hetfield

“People always complain about something. If you face yourself and stand up strong, you're OK. You can't go wrong.”

-James Hetfield

“Every time I'd go out drinking I was looking for something new. But it was the same every time. I'd wake up in some bed with some person, I had a hangover and a show to do. And the truth is, it was the same every time. But now life is... pretty interesting without the alcohol.”

-James Hetfield

“It's all fun and games 'till someone loses an eye, then it's just fun you can't see.”

-James Hetfield

“Metallica is not just Heavy Metal, not just ballads, not just this or that. We can do whatever the fuck we want”

-James Hetfield

“I like a women who's got some balls, some strength. As long as I can beat her at arm wrestling, that's fine.”

-James Hefteild

“Most of my guitars have been instruments that look cool. I'm not picky. I never think, 'Oh, this neck isn't made of ebony,' or, 'These strings don't feel correct.' It doesn't matter too much.”

-James Hetfield

“I remember back when I stood in line for 3 hours waiting for autographs, and when the star just hopped into his limo, and took off, I'd think 'You dick, I hate you.' I'd go home, rip down all his posters...”

-James Hetfield

“It has been really pretty positive so far, and that matters a little bit to us. But internally, we know we've done a fantastic album (72 Seasons). We've written music that we like, and we're putting it out there. So whoever else wants to show up, come on in.”

-James Hetfield

“The fans like the idea we do what we want. It's not an act. Screw the record company and the beaten path. Without MTV or radio, we still have a huge underground following.”

-James Hetfield

“We'd record a song that people liked and wanted to hear on the radio, and the radio wouldn't play it because it was too long. Or they wanted to edit it, which we wouldn't allow.”

-James Hetfield

“I was pretty quiet as a child. I kind of hung out with my family and listened to music and sh*t. I wasn't too outgoing at all.”

-James Hetfield

“Overall, I'd have to say Ride The Lightning is my favourite. Kill 'Em All , our first album, was already written when we went into the studio but Ride... was the first next step, when we started to discover the studio and what we could do in it. That was kinda the fun bit, and it still is.”

-James Hetfield

“Authority pisses me off. I think everyone should be able to drink and get loud whenever they want.”

-James Hetfield

“We can do whatever the fuck we want, really. We've got carte blanche. I mean, when we did 'Fade to Black', that was our first ballad and it really blew a few minds out there. People wrote us off then; 'Fuck them! It's over. It's no longer speed metal.' Okay, fine. You can feel that way. But fuck you too.”

-James Hetfield

“A lot of modern amps and preamps sound great when you're jamming by yourself, but don't hold up in a band situation. The sound isn't dense enough, and the lows and highs tend to get soaked up by the bass and cymbals.”

-James Hetfield