"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is a song by the American thrash metal band Metallica, first released on their second studio album, Ride the Lightning , in 1984

. The song was written by band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Cliff Burton

. The song's lyrics and theme are inspired by Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls , which deals with death in modern warfare and the Spanish Civil War. Specifically, it references a scene where five soldiers are killed during an airstrike after taking a defensive position on a hill

. Musically, the iconic bass intro was played by Cliff Burton using heavy distortion and a wah pedal, and was originally composed before he joined Metallica

. The bell sound at the start of the track was created by drummer Lars Ulrich striking an anvil with a metal hammer combined with a bell from a sound effects reel

. The song has been highly regarded in the metal community and was ranked number 39 on Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list in 2023

. It has also been performed live extensively by Metallica, with over 1500 performances as of 2025

. In addition to the original studio version, Metallica recorded versions of the song with the San Francisco Symphony for their S &M (1999) and S &M2 (2019) live albums

. Overall, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is considered one of Metallica's classic and influential songs, blending heavy metal with literary inspiration and distinctive musical elements