"Sad but True" is a song by the American heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

. It was released as the fifth and final single from their eponymous fifth album, Metallica

Metallica (album)

Metallica is the self-titled fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. Mainly produced by Bob Rock, it was released on August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records to critical acclaim...

.

Though the band had utilised the 'D standard

D tuning

D Tuning, also called One Step Lower, Whole Step Down, or D Standard, is an alternate tuning for guitar. Each string is lowered by a whole tone or two semitones resulting in D-G-C-F-A-D It is used mostly by heavy metal bands to achieve a heavier, deeper sound and by blues guitarists, who use it to...

' tuning for the recording and subsequent performances of covers such as "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" and The Small Hours, this was the second instance of the band utilising such a low guitar tuning for an original piece ("The Thing That Should Not Be" was the first). Bassist Jason Newsted

Jason Newsted

Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...

 tuned his 5-string bass down to 'A standard' for this song, which is essentially the equivalent of D standard, i.e. one whole step down.

In 2004, Guitar Player

Guitar Player

Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...

listed James Hetfield

James Hetfield

James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...

's tone (most likely produced by an ESP EXP with a Mark IIC+ along with a Danelectro

Danelectro

Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...

 Longhorn bass) as one of the "50 Greatest Tones of All Time".

The song was included on Metallica's live collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Michael Kamen

Michael Kamen

Michael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...

), entitled S&M

S&M (album)

-Video release:Metallica also filmed and released the concert in DVD and VHS with direction by Wayne Isham. The VHS set has only the concert video, while the double DVD set has 5.1 sound , 41 minute documentary about the concert, and two "No Leaf Clover" music videos: "Slice & Dice" version and the...

.

Track listing

US Single

1. "Sad But True"
2. "So What"

International Single Part 1

1. "Sad But True" - 5:27
2. "So What" - 3:09
3. "Harvester of Sorrow (Live)" - 6:41

International Single Part 2

1. "Sad But True" - 5:27
2. "Nothing Else Matters
   Nothing Else Matters
   "Nothing Else Matters" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third single from its self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts...
   
    (Elevator Version)" - 6:31
3. "Creeping Death
   Creeping Death
   -Covers:* New Jersey Hardcore band Shattered Realm includes a cover of "Creeping Death" on the reissue of their 2002 album "Broken Ties Spoken Lies"* Plays Metallica by Four Cellos by Apocalyptica.* During Ozzfest 2002 by Drowning Pool....
   
    (Live)" - 8:01
4. "Sad But True (Demo)" - 4:53

International 7-Inch Vinyl Single

1. "Sad But True"
2. "Nothing Else Matters (Live)"
3. "Sad But True (Live)"

Personnel

• James Hetfield
  James Hetfield
  James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
  
   - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Kirk Hammett
  Kirk Hammett
  Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
  
   - lead guitar
• Jason Newsted
  Jason Newsted
  Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
  
   - bass, backing vocals
• Lars Ulrich
  Lars Ulrich
  Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
  
  - drums