Album: St. Anger (2003)

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Songfacts®:

• On the surface, this song is about a girl and her dangerously addictive personality. In addition to being a girl's name, Amber is also the color of many beers, leading many listeners to determine that the song deals with James Hetfield's past addition to alcohol, specifically beer. But contrary to popular belief, this song's lyrics don't deal with Hetfield's addictions - at least not intentionally. According to the book This Monster Lives: The Inside Story of Some Kind of Monster, it was written in the spur of the moment after Metallica's label forced them to record commercials for their sponsors, hinting that they had to do it if they were to remain on good terms with the label: "Scratch your back so you won't stab mine." >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Joachim - Modum, Norway
• "Sweet Amber" is the eighth track on Metallica's eighth studio album, St. Anger. Metallica started recording the album on April 23, 2001. They stopped in July when Hetfield entered rehab for his alcoholism and possibly other unspecified addictions (reports conflict on details). The band picked up recording again in 2002 but worked only four-hour days so Hetfield could continue recovering. It wasn't released until June 5, 2003.
• Metallica played this song live just once: in Lubbock, Texas on September 4, 2004.

Comments: 18

• 9 from KiSaint Anger and wonder why you so f--ked up smh y’all better wake tf up These folks are out here releasing ish or feeding it energy and keeping them alive in the music Energy never dies it only transfers
• Christian from Norther Yeah it makes sense because in the song James sings " oh and she holds my hand, and I lie to get a smile." To me I thought the song was about a relationship that james was in.
• Joel from Columbia, ScYeah, okay. I'll go with that. Kinda ironic that Amber was the name of a nurse on our ward when I was at Greenbriar Psychiatric hospital.
  
• Jose from San Salvador, OtherThis album is a great one and I will say to all that people who don't like it, just play the dvd and the drums sound ok, the whole album is great and helps you to express all the anger we carry inside.
• Andrew from Brunswick, Methis song...ehhh...this song is almost too creepy. ironically, i fell in love with a girl aptly named Amber. i soon learned just how fake her life really was, and lies surrounded her life to make others sympathize her or to feel important. i didnt learn this until the end of our relationship when i caught her cheating...uhh multiple times. i was told i was stupid for loving her and taking her back time and time again, but i could not decide if i was in love or if i was really just stupid. it was indeed her personality that got me. she was very luring and could tell me the things i wanted to hear. so this song, although im not a fan of how it SOUNDS, i do like the lyrics b/c it explains how i feel when i kept being pulled back into her drama-fed deciet. and beer's okay too i guess
• Jaimy from Eden, NyOne of my favorite songs, such great lyrics.
• Dan from Melbourne, AustraliaI love the lyric.
  "She holds the pen that spells the end.
  She traces me then draws me in"
• Jess from Milford, PaI agree with Richard. Bourbon is definitely more an Amber color than Beer is, and much MUCH stronger. Though I, myself prefer Beer, or flavored beers such as Smirnoff.
• Richard from Perth, AustraliaDefinitely about ol' alcoholic James. Alot of people seem to think it's about his "beer addiction", in my experience most drunks dont drink beer to get wasted.
  If you drink habitually beer is WAY to weak to get drunk on...bourbon is the alco's choice...sweet amber.
• Ian from New York, NyI think it's about being controled in general. It could be about a girl or achohol. Man Metallica lyrics have gotten better over the years.
• Isaac from Industry, PaI think it's not only about Alchohol and a girl, but there's a series of books written by Roger Zelazny that are called the "chronicles of Amber" and this song sounds like it's written about the books. James is a literary man, so I wouldn't doubt if he read them.
• Mariah from Miami, FlThe best song (and most/only memorable) track on St. Anger.
• Jake from Burke, Vawhen james hetfield entered rehab, he became only the latest addition on that long list of rockers who had also entered alcohol rehab. let's not forget eddie van halen, david crosby, eric clapton, billy joel, elton john, pete townsend, joe walsh, and all the other rockers who are in alcohol or drug rehab.
• Dusan from Berkely, IaThis song is cleary about james Hetfield addiction to alcohol. Hes using sweet amber as a metaphor to liquor or beer, because amber could be the color of many different types of alcohol. This is just the way i saw it though. There is no way to find out what a song means, because a song means what it means to you. But all in all this song is pretty good but arent all metallica songs goog!
• Tom from Billericay, EnglandSweet Amber is about being 2-faced & how someone can change attitudes at will.
• Mike from Drayton Valley, CanadaThe song is about terrible adictions to achohol and drugs..In James case, it is about his alchohol addiction, mainly to beer, "Using what I want to get what you want", is saying that alchohol has a evil personalty.. and it wants you to use it to get drunk and addicted to it, so that you need alchohol to maintain a normal life style
• Anthony from Melrose Park, IlFun fact: The opening line "Wash your back so you won't stab mine" was said by Hetfield when the group was facing being banned from a broadcasting conglomerate's radio stations. Metallica didn't want to do a promo and the bigwigs were threatening to blacklist them from future air time. But regarding the song as a whole I'd have to say its all about James and the booze.
• Jennifer from Mt. Vernon, TxMetallica is my all time favorite band. They freakin' rock. Every song has some little meaning in about me............I think me and James are connected somehow..lol..St. Anger was a disappointment compared to what they have done before....but the fact it being metallica its ok. Sweet Amber really matches how I feel about a girl named Amber, totally word for word.....Good going James!!!!!!

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