Metallica Reimagines Loretta Lynn’s “You’re Lookin’ at Country” into a Rock Cover

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Rock music meets country; Metallica performs “You’re Lookin’ at Country” during their concert on January 24, 2019, at the Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee. With band members James Hetfield, Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammett, and Lars Ulrich, the heavy metal icons have produced timeless rock songs such as “Ride the Lightning” (1984), “Master of Puppets” (1986), and “Until It Sleeps” (1996). They played all their hits and picked Lynn’s song to entice their Nashville audience. 

Famously known as Loretta Lynn’s original song, “You’re Lookin’ at Country,” was released on May 7, 1971, as part of her eighth studio album with the same name. The single peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Charts and topped the Canada Country Charts on RPM. It is essentially one of the most popular songs of Lynn that tackled her roots in the rural area.

Metallica Rocks Country

Being one of the pioneering artists of thrash metal, Metallica dominated the Nashville stage that night with their raucous performance of “You’re Lookin’ at Country” when bassist Trujillo and guitarist Hammett started playing in front of their fans. Band members Hetfield and Ulrich took a break during the jam session after playing their fan-favorite tracks.

The jamming session proved that their music artistry is a timeless masterpiece in the rock industry. As they introduced their love for Lynn, Trujillo gave a short speech saying: “If we blow it, don’t kick our a–, all right! We’re gonna have some fun and party, remember that.” Hammet started with a subtle guitar performance. Trujilo’s style of singing brought smiles to the audience, and everyone on the front row clapped their hands together to the music. Then, the duo paused for a while and shortly followed it with an electrifying guitar performance. 

One of the lyrics sung by Metallica was “I love runnin’ barefoot through the old cornfields, and I love that country ham,” which showcases Lynn’s universal love for the open country. The band’s delightful version can be easily distinguished from other artists who covered the classic song, like Ashley McBryde and Carrie Underwood, who performed it with such fervor.

Loretta Lynn’s Take

Queen of Country Loretta Lynn later shared her reaction to the band’s performance and posted a 1-minute clip on her Facebook page saying: “Well, y’all ain’t gonna believe this! Check out Metallica covering my song, “You’re Looking at Country”. 

The singer was feeling enthusiastic and teased the band as she added: “Now I’ve seen everything. I loved it, boys! Keep rocking and it’s good by me if you do a few more of mine. Maybe I’ll have to sing one with you sometime!”

So, have fun and clap along to Metallica’s cover of “You’re Lookin’ at Country” by Loretta Lynn in the video below.

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