Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
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| "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Metallica | |
| from the album Master of Puppets | |
| A-side | "Master of Puppets" |
| Released | March 3, 1986 |
| Studio | Sweet Silence Studios Copenhagen |
| Genre | |
| Length | 6:27 |
| Label | Elektra |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
|
Listen to the song Welcome Home (Sanitarium) or Buy it on amazon
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the fourth track from their third studio album Master of Puppets. The song is the B-side to the only single on the album of the same name.[1]
Background and composition[edit]
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is written in the key of C.[2] It has a lot more progressive and technical elements than other songs on the album,[3] along with "Orion". The song begins with acoustic guitars and guitar harmonics, which then follows into a solo by Kirk Hammett, while drums and bass come in. The song has a very similar structure to power ballads Fade to Black, One and The Day That Never Comes. The lyrics of the song progressively get more harsh, backed by harsher vocals, and a chorus with distorted guitars. The song ends with several guitar solos, two heavy and fast drum solos by Lars Ulrich, and a few lyrics that hint about an uprising in the asylum.[4]
The acoustic chord progression intro to the song is very similar to British heavy metal band Bleak House's 1980 song "Rainbow Warrior",[5] which to a further extent is also similar to English rock band The Strawbs' 1973 song "Down By The Sea".[6] The same progression also inspired rock band Weezer's debut single "Undone – The Sweater Song".[7][8]
Hetfield said he wrote the song as tribute to the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,[9] and that the style was to create a "slow, clean, picking type of song" similar to "Fade to Black", but "this time with a chorus".[10][11]
The original 1985 demo version of this song (with different lyrics) features an extended ending which is eventually used as bass and guitar solos on the eighth track in the album "Orion".[12][13][14]
It is said to be the closest song to a power ballad on Master of Puppets.[15]
Lyrical meaning[edit]
The song's subject matter is madness and serves as a metaphor for honesty and truth.[16] The lyrics portray one being trapped in insanity, or perhaps confined to a mental asylum.[17][15][18] It keeps up with the grim nature of the album, with the song dealing with the person in the song being possibly abused by others in the asylum.[19]
Reception[edit]
The song has been regarded over the years as one of the best tracks on Master of Puppets,[20][21] and some consider it to be one of the best out of their discography.
Rolling Stone ranked the song number eight on a 10 Best Metallica Songs reader's poll.[22] On a different poll, they ranked the song number 21 out of 50 top Metallica songs.[15]
Louder Sound also ranked the song number eight on their "50 best Metallica songs of all time" poll, commenting "It seems the lyrics are suggesting that the inhumane treatment of inmates in itself leads to their mental disintegration"[23]
Kerrang! placed the song number eighteen on their 20 Greatest Metallica Songs list, commenting "Welcome Home (Sanitarium) sees them attempting to (albeit, not quite succeeding in) topping the slower-paced atmospherics and doomy mood established on Fade To Black"[24]
Loudwire ranked every Metallica song, and placed "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" number nine on the list.[25]
Performances[edit]
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium) was first played live on March 27, 1986 in Wichita, Kansas along with songs Battery and Damage, Inc.[26] In the early 2000s, Metallica would sometimes combine the song with "Master of Puppets" in concert, calling it "Mastertarium".[27][28]
The song has been played 984 times as of May 26, 2023.[29]
Cover versions[edit]
- American thrash metal band Anthrax covered the song.[30][31]
- The song (along with the entire Master of Puppets album) was covered by Dream Theater as part of their world tour in 2002 and has been released as an official Bootleg recording.[32]
- Apocalyptica (from Plays Metallica by Four Cellos)
- Bullet for My Valentine covered the song[33] (from The Poison re-issue bonus track, later included on Kerrang!'s Master of Puppets remastered compilation)
- Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour) covered the song live in 2019.[34]
- John Marshall, Mikkey Dee, Tony Levin, Scott Ian and Whitfield Crane covered the song for Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica.
- Limp Bizkit (for the Metallica Tribute Concert and MTV Metallica Icon feature in 2003 and Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003)[35]
- Electronic music act Razed in Black covered the song.[36]
- Thunderstone (from A Tribute to the Four Horsemen cover album.)
- Machine Head covered the song live.[37]
- American rock band Primus covered the song.[38]
In popular culture[edit]
The song's intro can be heard during the Bass/Guitar Doodle on Cunning Stunts[39] which led into "Nothing Else Matters".
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is used as background music for the film Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,[40] which details the controversial West Memphis Three murder case, as the three boys listened to heavy metal. It has been used as the music for the opening credits for all 3 films, and is a theme of sorts for the series.
Personnel[edit]
- James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
- Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
- Cliff Burton – bass guitar
- Lars Ulrich – drums
References[edit]
- ↑ Armstrong, Chuck ArmstrongChuck. "Metallica Perform 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' at Rock Werchter". Ultimate Metallica. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Song Key of Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Metallica), retrieved 2022-09-28
- ↑ Master of Puppets / Welcome Home (Sanitarium) by Metallica - RYM/Sonemic, retrieved 2022-09-28
- ↑ "Reappraising Master of Puppets: A look back at heavy metal's greatest triumph". www.thenationalstudent.com. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ↑ destroyerofharmony (2013-08-08). "Progress Is Derivative – The Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Debate". destroyerofharmony. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "Which is THE Strawbs Epic? - Progressive Rock Music Forum - Page 1". www.progarchives.com. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ↑ "Rivers Cuomo Reveals Metallica Riff That Inspired Weezer's "Sweater Song"". Revolver. 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ↑ "Rivers Cuomo: We Ripped Off "The Sweater Song" From Metallica". Rolling Stone. August 27, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
- ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon WiederhornJon. "36 Years Ago: Metallica Release 'Master of Puppets'". Loudwire. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Bienstock, Richard (December 2008). "Metallica: Talkin' Thrash". Guitar World.
- ↑ Songfacts. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium) by Metallica - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Ustaer, Feyyaz; Ustaer, Feyyaz (2018-08-17). "Metallica - Welcome Home (Orion) - Demo Record 1985 (w/ Alternate Lyrics)". Metalhead Zone. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Hauraki. "25 things you might not know about Metallica's 'Master Of Puppets'". Hauraki. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "25 Things You Might Not Know About Metallica's 'Master Of Puppets'". iHeart. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Grow, Dan Epstein,Joe Gross,Kory; Epstein, Dan; Gross, Joe; Grow, Kory (2022-08-19). "50 Best Metallica Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Dome, Malcolm; Wall, Mick (2011). Metallica: The Music and the Mayhem. Omnibus Press. pp. Chapter 11. ISBN 978-0-85712-721-1. Search this book on
- ↑ "Explore Rock 'N' Roll: Song Meaning: Welcome Home (Sanitarium) By Metallica". Explore Rock 'N' Roll. 2014-05-03. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Downey, Ryan J. DowneyRyan J. "10 Reasons Why Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' Is So Damn Good!". Loudwire. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Metallica Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Lyrics - Translateasy, retrieved 2022-09-28
- ↑ Johnsonpublished, Howard (2016-09-22). "Every song on Metallica's Master Of Puppets ranked from worst to best". loudersound. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "Every Song on Metallica's 'Master of Puppets,' Ranked". The Pit. 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Stone, Rolling; Stone, Rolling (2014-05-14). "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Metallica Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Metal Hammer (2020-07-29). "The 50 best Metallica songs of all time". loudersound. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "The 20 greatest Metallica songs – ranked". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Staff, Loudwire StaffLoudwire. "Every Metallica Song Ranked". Loudwire. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "The United States Of Metallica: The story of metal's biggest band,…". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "Metallica Song Catalog: Mastertarium | Metallica.com". www.metallica.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Gilds, Kevin (2017-11-19). "Metallica Concerts with the Tidyverse". R for Social Good. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "Metallica Song Catalog: Welcome Home (Sanitarium)". www.metallica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
- ↑ Welcome Home (Sanitarium), retrieved 2022-09-28
- ↑ Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Full Song & Lyrics) - Scott Ian (Anthrax), Tony Levin (King Crimson) - Download or Listen Free - JioSaavn, 2008-09-01, retrieved 2022-09-28
- ↑ admin (2021-07-23). "Master of Puppets - Live in Barcelona 2002". Dream Theater. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ↑ "Cover versions of Welcome Home (Sanitarium) by Bullet for My Valentine | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Erel, Eray (2019-07-07). "LISTEN: Slipknot - Welcome Home (Sanitarium) Metallica Cover". MetalCastle - All about Rock and Metal. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Pimienta, Edgar, Limp Bizkit playing Welcome Home (Sanitarium), retrieved 2022-09-28
- ↑ "Cover versions of Welcome Home (Sanitarium) by Razed in Black | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Pimienta, Edgar, Machine Head playing Welcome Home (Sanitarium) on tour Catharsis, retrieved 2022-09-28
- ↑ "Primus Archives". Cover Me. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ "Bass And Guitar Doodle tab with lyrics by Metallica for guitar @ Guitaretab". www.guitaretab.com. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
- ↑ Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-09-28
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