The Day That Never Comes
Encyclopedia
"The Day That Never Comes" is a song by American heavy metal
band Metallica
and the lead single
from their ninth studio album, Death Magnetic
. The song was released to the radio and for digital download
on August 21, 2008.
The song's working title was "Casper", as shown in the Mission: Metallica videos.
has also compared the song to the likes of Thin Lizzy
. The intro starts out with clean guitars that carry into the verses, while the choruses are backed with heavily distorted guitars. The bridge speeds up gradually and eventually leads into fast paced harmony between the guitars and a long guitar solo by Hammett, a build-up comparable to that of "One
", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
" and "Fade to Black
". The ending of the song, like the previously mentioned ballads, is purely instrumental, featuring numerous solos and chord progressions.
Live track recorded in Orlando, Florida
in 2003.
for the song was filmed in the desert outside Los Angeles, California
on July 31, 2008, directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg
. It was premiered on the band's official page at midnight on September 1, 2008.
The video depicts two Marine
s riding a HMMWV in a desert and getting hit by an explosion. After they take cover and look for the attacker, one of them reveals that he suffered a wound. The other Marine provides first aid and calls for help, and while he's eventually medevaced by a helicopter, it is implied that he fainted. The video then forwards to another situation involving the remaining Marine in another group riding a HMMWV and getting stopped in the road by a car and a civilian in front of it holding a jumper cable
in the air. The group, suspecting it might be an ambush, circles around the car and keeps the man at gunpoint, only to find a woman in chador
in the back seat. They order her out of the car, but she approaches the protagonist, who keeps holding her at gunpoint. The video then climaxes when the Marines nervously look at each other, fearing that she might be a suicide bomber, but eventually the Marine lowers his weapon and signals to the rest to do the same. The Marines help the man to push start
the car, and the protagonist remains looking at the sky. Scenes of the band performing in an undisclosed location in the desert are interspersed within the video.
and resentment. The band's drummer Lars Ulrich
claimed that the lyrics were inspired by a father-son relationship. The content of the video itself is of a different theme or setting that what the lyrics themselves were written about, a second interpretation. The video is said to be in a war background in comparison to the "One" video, but will not make any modern day references as in the war in Iraq and the Middle East (although the video depicts images of Middle East war in present day, they do not imply any political statement).
Frontman James Hetfield
spoke on the lyrics of the song and also the radical difference of the song lyrics and vision intended to the music video.
Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett
and Ulrich also commented by stating ultimately, the concept of the video deals with humanity and the relationships between human beings and how your basic sense of humanity can override any sort of politicized situation.
s Hot 100 at #31, giving the band their seventh top forty Hot 100 hit. It is also the band's highest charting single on the Hot 100 since 1997's "The Memory Remains
", which peaked at #28. With less than four days of airplay, "The Day That Never Comes" debuted at #7 on Billboards Mainstream Rock Chart, giving Metallica their sixteenth top ten hit on the chart. The next week it rose to #2 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. In its third week, it reached number one on the chart, the band's sixth song to top the chart, and first since 2000's "I Disappear
". It also debuted at #25 on Modern Rock Tracks
, and has so far peaked at #5, giving the band their first top five ever on that chart. It debuted in the top ten on the Canadian Hot 100
, at #9.
"The Day That Never Comes" has spent a total of nine weeks at #1 on Hot Mainstream Rock Chart with its seven consecutive weeks at the top spot and two consecutive weeks prior.
The song has been very successful internationally as well. On August 24, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
at #36 and peaked at #19. In Ireland it has so far reached #14. On the Australian ARIA Charts
, the song has also reached the top twenty, at #18. It has reached the top ten in New Zealand
, Denmark
, Norway
, Finland
, and Sweden
.
It was voted in at #88 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
which is Australia's largest annual music poll. It was their only track off Death Magnetic to poll in the list.
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 ...
and the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their ninth studio album, Death Magnetic
Death Magnetic
Death Magnetic is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on September 12, 2008 through Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo and the first to be produced by Rick Rubin, making this Metallica's first album...
. The song was released to the radio and for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on August 21, 2008.
The song's working title was "Casper", as shown in the Mission: Metallica videos.
Composition
Like previous ballads and downbeat songs by Metallica, it is the fourth track of the album. Rock SoundRock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
has also compared the song to the likes of Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
. The intro starts out with clean guitars that carry into the verses, while the choruses are backed with heavily distorted guitars. The bridge speeds up gradually and eventually leads into fast paced harmony between the guitars and a long guitar solo by Hammett, a build-up comparable to that of "One
One (Metallica song)
"One" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third and final single from their fourth album ...And Justice for All. "One" was also the band's first Top 40 hit single, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
"Welcome Home " is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third and final single from their third album, Master of Puppets...
" and "Fade to Black
Fade to Black (song)
"Fade to Black" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the first promotional single from its second studio album, Ride the Lightning...
". The ending of the song, like the previously mentioned ballads, is purely instrumental, featuring numerous solos and chord progressions.
Track listing
-
- Digital/CD single
- "The Day That Never Comes" – 7:56
- "No Remorse" (Live) – 5:33
Live track recorded in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
in 2003.
-
- Radio single
- "The Day That Never Comes (Radio Edit)" - 3:37
Music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was filmed in the desert outside Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on July 31, 2008, directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production....
. It was premiered on the band's official page at midnight on September 1, 2008.
The video depicts two Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
s riding a HMMWV in a desert and getting hit by an explosion. After they take cover and look for the attacker, one of them reveals that he suffered a wound. The other Marine provides first aid and calls for help, and while he's eventually medevaced by a helicopter, it is implied that he fainted. The video then forwards to another situation involving the remaining Marine in another group riding a HMMWV and getting stopped in the road by a car and a civilian in front of it holding a jumper cable
Jump start (vehicle)
A jump start, also called a boost, is a method of starting an automobile or other vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine when the vehicle's battery has been discharged. A second battery is temporarily connected to provide starting power to the disabled vehicle...
in the air. The group, suspecting it might be an ambush, circles around the car and keeps the man at gunpoint, only to find a woman in chador
Chador
A chādor or chādar is an outer garment or open cloak worn by many Iranian women and female teenagers in public spaces. Wearing this garment is one possible way in which a Muslim woman can follow the Islamic dress code known as ḥijāb. A chador is a full-body-length semicircle of fabric that is...
in the back seat. They order her out of the car, but she approaches the protagonist, who keeps holding her at gunpoint. The video then climaxes when the Marines nervously look at each other, fearing that she might be a suicide bomber, but eventually the Marine lowers his weapon and signals to the rest to do the same. The Marines help the man to push start
Push start
Push starting, also known as bump starting, pop starting or crash starting is a method of starting a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine by engaging the manual transmission through the motion of the vehicle...
the car, and the protagonist remains looking at the sky. Scenes of the band performing in an undisclosed location in the desert are interspersed within the video.
Concepts
On , in an MTV interview, the song lyrics were said to tackle the subject of forgivenessForgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
and resentment. The band's drummer 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...
claimed that the lyrics were inspired by a father-son relationship. The content of the video itself is of a different theme or setting that what the lyrics themselves were written about, a second interpretation. The video is said to be in a war background in comparison to the "One" video, but will not make any modern day references as in the war in Iraq and the Middle East (although the video depicts images of Middle East war in present day, they do not imply any political statement).
Frontman 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,...
spoke on the lyrics of the song and also the radical difference of the song lyrics and vision intended to the music video.
Lead guitarist 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...
and Ulrich also commented by stating ultimately, the concept of the video deals with humanity and the relationships between human beings and how your basic sense of humanity can override any sort of politicized situation.
Chart performance
The song debuted and peaked on BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot 100 at #31, giving the band their seventh top forty Hot 100 hit. It is also the band's highest charting single on the Hot 100 since 1997's "The Memory Remains
The Memory Remains
-Personnel:Metallica*James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar*Kirk Hammett – rhythm and lead guitar*Jason Newsted – bass*Lars Ulrich – drumsAdditional performer*Marianne Faithfull – additional vocals on "The Memory Remains"Production...
", which peaked at #28. With less than four days of airplay, "The Day That Never Comes" debuted at #7 on Billboards Mainstream Rock Chart, giving Metallica their sixteenth top ten hit on the chart. The next week it rose to #2 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. In its third week, it reached number one on the chart, the band's sixth song to top the chart, and first since 2000's "I Disappear
I Disappear
"I Disappear" is a song by the heavy metal band Metallica released as single only in Germany. The song was recorded as a contribution to the Mission: Impossible II Soundtrack and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks for seven weeks in summer 2000. It does not appear on any of...
". It also debuted at #25 on Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
, and has so far peaked at #5, giving the band their first top five ever on that chart. It debuted in the top ten on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, at #9.
"The Day That Never Comes" has spent a total of nine weeks at #1 on Hot Mainstream Rock Chart with its seven consecutive weeks at the top spot and two consecutive weeks prior.
The song has been very successful internationally as well. On August 24, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at #36 and peaked at #19. In Ireland it has so far reached #14. On the Australian ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, the song has also reached the top twenty, at #18. It has reached the top ten in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
It was voted in at #88 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
Triple J Hottest 100, 2008
The 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day, 26 January 2009. It was the sixteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station, Triple J....
which is Australia's largest annual music poll. It was their only track off Death Magnetic to poll in the list.
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
18 |
| Austria Top 40 Charts Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
25 |
| Belgium Singles Top 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
11 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
9 |
| Denmark Singles Chart | 3 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
39 |
| Netherlands Mega Top 100 | 20 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 14 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Portuguese Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... National Top 50 |
6 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
3 |
| Triple J Hottest 100 Triple J Hottest 100, 2008 The 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day, 26 January 2009. It was the sixteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station, Triple J.... |
88 |
| Turkey Top 20 Chart | 18 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
19 |
| European Hot 100 | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
31 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 5 |
Metallica
- James HetfieldJames HetfieldJames 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,...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Kirk HammettKirk HammettKirk 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 guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Robert TrujilloRobert TrujilloRobert Trujillo is an American bassist who currently plays bass in Metallica. He has also played in Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, and with Jerry Cantrell and Ozzy Osbourne.-Career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Lars UlrichLars UlrichLars 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...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Greg Fidelman – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Thomas VinterbergThomas VinterbergThomas Vinterberg is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production....
– music video directorMusic video directorA music video director is driven by a given music track. These are called music videos and are then used as promotional tools for popular music singles...
External links
- The Day That Never Comes (the music video as QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
video via Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
)