Metallica: To Live Is To Die, Live

Metallica is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their album …And Justice For All by posting live versions of each song from the album. They’ve just posted a clip of “To Live is To Die” from its first ever (and only) full-length live performance in 2011.

The song is mostly instrumental and was written as a tribute to Cliff Burton, who had died in 1986. In fact, the song was built around riffs the late bassist had written that did not get used before his passing. Its only spoken word is one of his favorite quotes from German poet Paul Gerhardt: “When a man lies, he murders some part of the world. These are the pale deaths which men miscall their lives.” It’s the last song for which Burton has a writing credit.

Originally recorded by Jason Newsted, this 2011 video features Robert Trujillo paying tribute alongside Metallica.