Getting ready for the concert of tonight in Abu Dhabi, we decided to tell you about one important success of Metallica, developed in three different songs: The Unforgiven 1, 2 and 3.
Despite an obvious difference between the three songs in terms of lyrics, these are quite similar in terms of music progression.
James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich wrote the first two Unforgiven while the third one was done in cooperation with Robert Trujillo the bass player that joined the band only from 2003 (replacing Jason Newsted).
The lyrics of Unforgiven are talking about the difficulties to arise as a man, a unique person, in this world while everything seems to play against him.
Most interpretations of this song are saying that this song is about James rising as a child having difficulties with his parents, that he names as “the unforgiven” since he will never be able to forgive them to try to change and limit him.
Unforgiven II is talking about James that tries to find a way of believing to somebody (opening the door) again, to let her be part of his life…. but it is not so easy….
He is not used to it and the risk of huring him is very high… in fact, things are not going in to the direction he wanted and she becomes the Unforgiven II.
The third Unforgiven is him, he was not able to control the situation and now he is blaming himself about what happened….he cannot forgive himself.
It is believed that the three chapters of the Unforgiven are talking about the life and the death of James’s mother that died by cancer when he was only 16 years old.
Unforgiven
Unforgiven II
Unforgiven III