Frantic (song)
"Frantic" is the second single and opening track from American heavy metal band Metallica's eighth album St. Anger (2003).
"Frantic" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Metallica | ||||
from the album St. Anger | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | September 15, 2003[1] | |||
Recorded | 2002–2003 | |||
Studio | Metallica's HQ (San Rafael, California) | |||
Genre | Alternative metal[2] | |||
Length | 5:51 (album version) 4:58 (radio edit) | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Metallica singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Frantic" on YouTube |
Content
This song, like many others on St. Anger, is about the band's past struggles with addictions, particularly lead singer James Hetfield's alcohol problem, for which he spent many months in rehab. The lyrics also draw on Zen axioms, most notably the Buddhist concept of dukkha brought up by Kirk Hammett: "Birth is pain. Life is pain. Death is pain. It's All The Same."
Music video
A music video, directed by Wayne Isham, was made to go along with Frantic's release as a single. The video, featuring a shortened version of the song, depicts a man looking back on his life (in which he is constantly drinking, having sex, and smoking) at the instant that he crashes his rotisserie delivery pickup truck into an RV at an intersection. Intercut with those clips are scenes of the band performing the song in front of a pile of scrap metal (Hetfield and Hammett) and a set of rocks (Ulrich and Trujillo). At the end of the video, although the man's truck is upside-down, he finds himself still alive and laughs loudly until a car crashes into the side of the truck, tipping it over and presumably killing him. The video was shot in Montreal, Canada.
Track listing
|
|
Chart positions
Chart (2003–04) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[3] | 22 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] | 30 |
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[5] | 6 |
Croatia (HRT)[6] | 7 |
Denmark (Tracklisten)[7] | 6 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] | 4 |
France (SNEP)[9] | 59 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] | 21 |
Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 20 |
Italy (FIMI)[12] | 24 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] | 32 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] | 22 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] | 23 |
Norway (VG-lista)[16] | 5 |
Scotland (OCC)[17] | 17 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[18] | 2 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] | 13 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] | 57 |
UK Singles (OCC)[21] | 16 |
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[22] | 4 |
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[23] | 21 |
References
- "Frantic release date". Metallica.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
- "Metallica - Frantic (Lyrics)".
- "Metallica – Frantic". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- "Metallica – Frantic" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- "Metallica – Frantic" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
- "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- "Metallica – Frantic". Tracklisten.
- "Metallica: Frantic" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
- "Metallica – Frantic" (in French). Les classement single.
- "Metallica – Frantic" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Frantic". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- "Metallica – Frantic". Top Digital Download. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – Metallica" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- "Metallica – Frantic" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- "Metallica – Frantic". Top 40 Singles.
- "Metallica – Frantic". VG-lista.
- "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- "Metallica – Frantic" Canciones Top 50.
- "Metallica – Frantic". Singles Top 100.
- "Metallica – Frantic". Swiss Singles Chart.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- "Metallica Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2023.