Breaking the vicious cycle of addiction is never easy. For Metallica frontman James Hetfield, Bleeding Me was written as a way to express his feelings when it came to dealing with his alcoholism. Written for the 1996 album Load, Bleeding Me is a powerful ballad, as Hetfield’s vocals fluctuate between calm singing and intense belts. The chugging instrumentation, which features electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums, compliment Hetfield’s impassioned vocals, as he proclaims his determination to be freed from his crippling addiction.

The lyrics are very personal to Hetfield; in a 2001 interview with Playboy, he is quoted saying: “I lost a lot of days in my life. Going to therapy for a year, I learned a lot about myself. There’s a lot of things that scar you when you’re growing up, you don’t know why. The song Bleeding Me is about that: I was trying to bleed out all bad, get the evil out. While I was going through therapy, I discovered some ugly stuff in there. A dark spot.”

The lyrics of the song reflect this mentality: “I’m pushing to stay / I’m pushing to stay with something better…” Hetfield knows that a life under addiction is no life at all. There’s a better life waiting for him when he gets sober, a life that doesn’t involve the misery and shame of alcoholism.

In the chorus, the song’s title is unveiled: “Caught under, wheels roll / I take the leech, I’m bleeding me / Can’t stop to save my soul / I take the leash that’s leading me.” As mentioned in the Playboy quote, Hetfield seeks to “bleed out” the “evil” in him, the pain that is rooted in his addiction. He chooses to take control of the “leash” that leads him, and firmly decides to break free from his troubles to better his life.

Bleeding Me was an outlet for Hetfield to communicate his deepest, most personal feelings through song. And with it, it may have helped with his healing process; an effect that art seems to have on both the artist and the audience. As of 2025, Hetfield remains sober.

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