The Shortest Straw Lyrics

THE SHORTEST STRAW
As recorded by Metallica
(From the 1988 Album ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL)
Words by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich
Music by Metallica
A5open B5 E5VII F5VIII
C5 A5V(type 2) G#5
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Untitled'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Untitled'
Moderate Rock Q=146
Gtr II
S E. E E Q Q S E. E E S E. E Q E E E Q Q S E.
Gtr I
Q W W W
E E S E. E Q E H. S E.
W W
E E S E. E Q E E E Q Q S E. E E E E E Q
W W W
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E +E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W W W
||o------------------|---------------|-------------------|---------------|
||o------------------|---------------|-------------------|---------------|
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E E E E E E E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / /
W W W
|-------------------|----------------|----------o||
|-------------------|----------------|----------o||
E E Q E E E E E E E E E E Q E E S S E E E E E
/ / / / / / / / / / / o / / / / / / /
W W W W
Gtrs I, II
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E
||o----------------|-------------------------o||
||--2----8-7b8-8---|-------------2-3-(3)-2-3--||
||o-2-/7---------7-|-------------2-3-(3)-2-3-o||
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E
|-2----8-7b8-8---|-------------2-3-(3)-2-3-|
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E
|-2----8-7b8-8---|-------------2-5-(5)-2-5-|
E5 E5A5openE5A5opE5
W W
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E
|-2----8-7b8-8-----|-------------2-2-(2)-2-2-|
Gtr I
W E E S E S +E S S +E E
Q Q Q Q Q S S E W
$
E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / / o /
W W W
||o------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
||o------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------|
E E S E. E. S +E E E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / / o /
W W W
E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E. E. S +E E E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / o / / / / / / / / o /
W W W
E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E. E. S +E E
o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / /
W W W
E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / / o /
W W W
E E S E. E. S +E E W
o / / / / / / /
Gtr I
W Q Q Q Q Q Q
W W
E E S E S E S S +S S E Q Q Q Q Q Q
|-------------2-3-(3)-2-3-|-2----8-7b8-8------|
E5F5 E5F5 B5 E5VII F5VIII
E E S E S E S S +S S E E E E E S S S S S S S S Q E E E E Q
|-------------2-3-(3)-2-3-|-4-4-4-4-2h3p2p0-2h3p2p0-||-9----9---9-10--|
B5C5 A5V(type E5F5VIIIB5C5
E E Q S S S S S S S S Q E E E E Q E E Q S S S S S S S S
|-4s5-5------------------|----------9s10--|-4s5-5-------------------||
|-4s5-3--2h3p2p0-2h3p2p0-|-7----7---9s10--|-4s5-5--2h3p2p0-2h3p2p0--||
|-2s3-3------------------|-7----7---7s=8--|-2s3-3-------------------||
Gtr II
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E +E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W W W
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E E E E E E E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / /
W W W
To Coda
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E +E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W W W
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E E E E E E E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / /
W W W
Gtrs I, II
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E
|-2----8-7b8-8---|-------------2-3-(3)-2-3-|
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E
|-2----8-7b8-8---|-------------2-5-(5)-2-5--|
E5 E5A5openE5A5opE5
W W
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E
|-2----8-7b8-8-----|-------------2-2-(2)-2-2-|
Gtr II
W E E S E +S E S S +E E
Q Q Q Q Q S S E W
|-----------------|------------------------o||
|-2-0-------------|------------------------o||
Gtrs I, II
Q Q Q Q Q Q E E S E S E S S +S S E Q Q Q Q Q Q
|-2----8-7b8-8---|-------------2-3-(3)-2-3-|-2----8-7b8-8---|
Gtr II
W W
Gtr I
E E S E S E S S +S S E E. S +E E E. S +S T T E
|-------------------------||----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|
W W
E. S +E E E. S +S T T E E. E +E E E. S E.
|----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|----2-(2)-4-5--7-7-----|
H E. S +E E W
Q E E Q E E E. S +E E E. S +S T T E
|-7------------7---|----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|
W W
E. S +E E E. S +S S S S E. S +E E Q.. S
|----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|----2-(2)-4-5-----7-|
Guitar Break Guitar Solo I
G5 F#5 F5 N.C. F5 F5
H E. S +E E W E E S E S E S S +S S E
/ / / / / o / / / / / / / / o /
Gtr I
\4______| \2.5/ \2.5/ \2.5/
Q E E E. S +E E S E. +Q E. +S +S +E. +E +Q.
|-7-----------------|-9p==5--(5)--||----(9)----(9)-(9)------(9)----(9)----------|
E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / / o /
Q Q Q +S S S S
E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / / o /
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-17p15p14-------12-15p14p==12------------14p12---------------12---------------12-|
|----------15------------------14p12h==15-------15p13p12h==13----15p==13p12h13----|
E E S E. E E E E E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / o / / / / / / / / o /
E E E E E +E +E +E E S S T T S S S T T S S S S S S S
E E S E S E S S +S S E
o / / / / / / / / o /
S S S S S S S S S S S T T S S S S
E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E. E E E E
o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / /
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q. S S
E E Q E S S +S S E
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S +S
|----------22-22----------20-20----22p20p19-22p20p==19------------|
|------------------------------------------------------20b21-(20)-|
H E S S +S S E
S T T S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-------------------------21-21-------21p19-19----21p==19----21---|
H E S S +S S E
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-20p19-------19p17----------17p15-------15p13p==12----12-|
E E Q E. S +E E E E Q E S S +S S E
S S S S S S S S Q. S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
H E S S +S S E
S S S S S S S S S S S S Q
H E S S +S S E E E Q E. S +E E
PM--------------------------------|
E E E E E E E E E E E E Q. Q Q.
W W
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
W
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
H E. S +E E
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-12p9----12p9----12p9-12p9----12p=9----12p9-|
W W
E. S +E E E. S +S T T E E. S +E E E. S +S T T E
|----4-(4)---5--4-(4)h5p4---|----4-(4)---5--4-(4)h5p4----|
G# A A5VAb5pe G5 F#5 F5
W H E. S +E E E. S +E E H
E. S +E E E. S E. S Q E E E. S +E E Q E E H
Gtr II
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E +E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W W W
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / /
W W
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E E E E E E E E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / / / /
W W W
Guitar Solo 2
E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / /
E Q. +H +Q E S S E Q.
|---17b18=====(17)---------|-(17)r---------------------------|
|---17b19=====(17)---------|-(17)r---17b19r(17)p15-17p15-----|
+E E Q E E S S E E E Q E Q E
/ / / o / / / / / / / / / /
Q H S S E Q +Q +Q E E
|-17b20---17b19------17b20r(17)p15-|-17b18====(17)r=(17)---15-------|
|----------------------------------|-17b19====(17)r=(17)---15-------|
+E E Q E E S S E
/ / / o / / / /
+Q E E E E E E
|-(18)---18-17-15----15---18b20-|
E E Q E Q E +E E Q E E S S E
/ / / / / / / / / o / / / /
S S S T T T T S S S S S S S S S S E E Q Q E E E E
D.S. al Coda
E E Q E E E E E E E E Q Q Q
<
E E S S E E E Q Q +Q E E E E +Q
|-15-17-17p15----15---------|-------------|-------1-(1)--||
|-------------17----17-15---|-17---(17)s==|=x-----2-(2)--||
&
Gtr II
E E E E E E Q E E S E S E S S +S S E E E S E S E S S +S S E
/ / / / o / / / / / / / / o / o / / / / / / / / o /
W W W
N.C.
Gtr I
E. S +E E E. S +S T T E E. S +E E E. S +S T T E
|----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|
E. E +E E E. S E. Q E E Q E E
N.C.
E. S +E E E. S +S T T E E. S +E E E. S +S S S S E. S +E E Q.. S
|----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|----2-(2)---3--2-(2)h3p2---|----2-(2)-4-5-----7-|
Gtr II
H E. S +E E E E S E S E S S +S S E E E E S S E Q.
W W W
Duration Legend
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
- natural harmonic
n
- artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
\n/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
\n - tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
- volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers - = BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths