"The Unforgiven" was the second single release of the black "Metallica" album.

Album:
Metallica

The S&M info:
Metallica wanted to include "The Unforgiven" in the S&M shows, but there was no way of tying the symphony into the song, so at the end, it was put from the setlist.

The video:
The music video for "The Unforgiven" was directed by Matt Mahurin, who has also later directed the video to "King Nothing". It was premiered on Mtv on 19th November '91. There are two versions of that video.

The two "The Unforgiven" videos:
- Normal version: It has the same lenght like the song (length: 6:30 min)
- Extra long version: Right after the song's acoustic intro it begins with a long Video intro and then the actual song sets in (length: 15 min).

The cover:
Apocalyptica covered the song for their debut album in 1996.

The rumored inspiration:
It is rumored but not confirmed by Metallica that this song was written after the book "Anthem" by Ayn Rand - cause of the book's similar subject matter.

Song Interpretation (assumed):
It is about people (or: the society/goverment) who are trying to control weaker people's lives.

The Unforgiven - Video Concept
Music video concept by Matt Mahurin, August 2 1991
A boy emerges. He has no parents, but many, too many seem to watch over him. He remains small although those around him become tall and prosper. The laws and limits seem to keep him small. He discovers an unknown place where he escapes his oppressive world. It is a windowless stone room with only a hole with no door that leads only back to this world he wants no part of. He comes here to be alone and to be himself, but he knows people will soon find him and his secret will be lost.

He must think. He begins to claw at the stone wall. Tireless and full of purpose as he breaks the stone bit by bit, he is growing older. He is chiseling a square shape from the wall. Just as the square is finished, he is now a very old man. With his last strength he pulls the square rock from the wall and lowers it onto his back. He struggles the short distance across the empty room to the hole that leads to his unwanted world. He sets the stone down within the hole and as he pushes it into place there appears a lock on the door. He reaches into his pocket, draws out a key and locks the door. He walks back to the hole left by the now chiseled door and sees now there is a window with just a simple, clean sky. He reaches out the window and, opening his hand, drops the key that locks out the world of the unforgiven. The old man returns to the center of the room and lays down to sleep forever.