And Justice for All Performed by Metallica - Research Paper Example

The army of Metallica's fans was numerous. The song was released at the time when metal was extremely popular; therefore, the message that was spread by the song was heard by a considerable number of people, not being limited to the subculture of metalheads though.

The very first line of the song, namely: “Halls of justice painted green // Money talking” reflects the increased significance that the economy plays in the social life of the United States (Everling 33). Indeed, there is a group of professional lobbyists who promote the interests of their sponsors so that the latter would be able to receive certain privileges when it comes to lawmaking. The overall message of the song focuses on the fact that the image of blind justice should be reinterpreted in the present day: it is blind not because it wants to be objective, but because it is blinded deliberately by other people with the help of money to achieve their personal or corporate goals. This might be the biggest tragedy of contemporary American society when it comes to understanding the place of a person in a social environment.

All this results in a series of conclusions that one can draw from the song. First of all, the society of the United States is heavily influenced by its economy. Indeed, the latter is largely thought to be a part of the social environment; however, in theory, it is not supposed to have any influence on the system of justice. Nevertheless, the song simply reflects the widely known fact: big corporations are always able to find a way to ensure their interests. Secondly, the song shows that the culture of the United States is rather materialistic.

The only thing that the economy can provide is financial benefits; therefore, if people were less inclined to perceive the latter as a unit of measurement of success, the part of the social environment in question would not be so influential. Finally, the existence of such a song that criticizes some conventional values shows that freedom of speech exists to a certain extent. In other words, the citizens need to be able to raise concerns about the state of affairs that they can witness. That is why Metallica simply articulated what many people had in mind when they perceived the social environment and the power that large corporations are enjoying in it. Read More