"Disposable Heroes" is a song by American thrash metal band Metallica. It is the fifth track on their third studio album, Master of Puppets (1986).[1] The title is taken from the book Fahrenheit 451.[2] Current Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo said "Master of Puppets (has) got one of my favorite songs ever by Metallica, and that song is "Disposable Heroes". So any time I can hear that particular song, count me in."[3]
Disposable Heroes features sections performed at 220 beats per minute, making it one of the most intense tracks on Master of Puppets.[4] The guitar passage at the end of each verse was Hammett's imitation of the sort of music he found in war films.[5] Drummer Lars Ulrich refers to it as an intense epic, stating, “'Disposable Heroes' is great; it’s seven to eight minutes of very intensive…and you gotta be on your toes when you play it or you’ll miss the next change."[6]
"Disposable Heroes" is an anti-war song about a young soldier whose fate is controlled by his superiors.[7] The lyrics fit well with the album's general theme of feeling helpless and imprisoned, and lack of control over one's own actions. In fact, the album cover, depicting a seemingly endless war cemetery, with each gravestone attached to the hands of the puppet master via a string (reference to title track), relates more closely to this song than to any other song from the album.[8][9] The song also has a double meaning, with Hetfield taking the title and ideas from watching a football documentary about injured football players.[10]
"Disposable Heroes" was first demoed in mid 1985,[11] months before the recording and subsequent release of the album. In this early rendition, the song doesn't differ much from its final version, the only notable difference being the extra minute of length, due to the presence of another fast riff, which would later be omitted from "Disposable Heroes", to become part of "Damage, Inc.". Some other early versions of the song also featured on the Master of Puppets deluxe boxset.[12]
"Disposable Heroes" has been played live acoustically a handful of times, all for fundraisers and charity performances. This version of the song features different riffs from the original version, but with the same lyrics. The first two times were for the Bridge School Benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre.[17] The band also performed this rendition at the 2018 and 2020 All Within My Hands Foundation "Helping Hands Concert & Auction", with the first being acoustic, and the second being electric.[18][19][20] "Here's a heavy song we did acoustic and we're doing it heavy in the acoustic version way," began James Hetfield, who then laughed, "So, I hope you're as confused as we are." Lars Ulrich then quipped, "This is really the fourth dimension, bro. Here we go, check this out."[21]
^Lynch, Joe (March 16, 2022). "The 50 Best Album Covers of All Time". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2023. The gut-punch, anti-war imagery brings the lyrics of Master of Puppets gem "Disposable Heroes" to life and tips to the theme of manipulating the masses that runs throughout the record.
