Tuesday’s Gone

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove with the Zoo Crew as we spin "Tuesday’s Gone" by Metallica from their 1998 album Garage, Inc.. This track is a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic 1973 song from their debut album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd), and it’s packed with wild trivia. Recorded live on December 18, 1997, during a San Jose radio station KSJO’s “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” Christmas special, this version wasn’t cut in a fancy studio but captured raw and unplugged. What makes it epic? Metallica brought in a star-studded crew of guest musicians, including Lynyrd Skynyrd’s own Gary Rossington on guitar, alongside Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney from Alice in Chains, Les Claypool from Primus, John Popper from Blues Traveler, Pepper Keenan from Corrosion of Conformity, and Jim Martin, formerly of Faith No More. This is the only track on Garage, Inc. that credits guest artists, making it a unique jam session. The song clocks in at 9:04 and has been performed live by Metallica just five times as of January 2025, with its first acoustic outing at the 1997 Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California.

Another cool tidbit comes from drummer Lars Ulrich, who’s a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan. In a December 2023 episode of Metallica’s podcast, The Metallica Report, he raved about Skynyrd’s heavier, less mainstream tracks like “On the Hunt” and “Saturday Night Special,” showing how their influence shaped this cover. Fans sometimes rag on the “Acoustic Metal” bootleg from that KSJO session for dragging solos, but “Tuesday’s Gone” gets a pass for its soulful vibe and killer lineup. The song’s bittersweet lyrics, penned by Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, hit hard, and Metallica’s take blends their thrash roots with a slow, heavy groove that nods to Skynyrd’s Southern rock soul.

Now, let’s rewind to how Metallica got rolling. Formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, the band was sparked by drummer Lars Ulrich, who posted an ad in a local paper, The Recycler, looking for musicians to jam with. Enter vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, and the two bonded over their love for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Diamond Head and Iron Maiden. Their fast tempos and aggressive riffs helped make them one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands, alongside Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. After moving to San Francisco, they built a cult following with raw demos and relentless gigs. Their 1983 debut album, Kill ‘Em All, set the stage, and by the late ‘80s, they were global icons. Today, the lineup includes Hetfield, Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett (joined in 1983), and bassist Robert Trujillo (joined in 2003), with over 120 million albums sold worldwide.

Stay connected with Metallica at their official website, where you can grab tour dates, merch, and join the Fifth Member fan club. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest news and throwback posts. Fans go wild on sites like Metallica Wiki, a treasure trove of band lore, and on Facebook groups like Metallica Fans, where Zoo Freaks can geek out over trivia and share their love for tracks like “Tuesday’s Gone.” Keep it heavy, and keep it real!