Metallica – …and Justice for All “…And Justice for All” is the second track on Metallica’s 1988 album …And Justice for All. The lyrics depict a bleak and corrupt legal system in which “Lady Justice” is “raped”, the “halls of justice” are “painted green”, and “seeking no truth, winning is all.” The opening “clean” sound represents a false truth that everything is going fine and that the system is free of any problems then the heavy sounds that appear represent the truth leaking out or building up; that in-fact the system is terribly corrupt and defiled. This continues on at the beginning of the song, until the heavy sound overpowers the “clean” sound, representing the truth of what is going on. Then, around half way through the song the “clean” sound comes back and plays alongside the heavy sound. This is meant to show the corrupt people trying to convince others that the system is actually fine and that everything is okay, but the heavy sound in the background is meant to show that the false truth and cold reality are competing together and that it can’t work that way (one must win). Then the heavy sound prevails again and it continues like that for the rest of the song. It is Metallica’s fourth longest song, clocking in at 9:44 minutes. Only the instrumental song “To Live Is to Die” at 9:48 , the song “The Outlaw Torn” at 9:52, and “Mercyful Fate” (a cover medley of songs by the band Mercyful Fate) at 11:11 are longer. Easily also one of the group’s most complex …
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