Ain't My Bitch

With a "hard rocking groove", "Ain't My Bitch" is the closest song on Load to the thrash metal style of the band's early days. Despite this, it incorporates influences from 1970s Southern rock and 1990s alternative rock. The song is a mid-tempo "hard rocker", with wallowing bass, piercing cymbals and high-hats, and an "industrial tone" on the guitars. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett down-tuned to E♭ tuning, and used a slide on the song's country-influenced guitar solo, a first for Metallica. The title and lyrics of "Ain't My Bitch" were thought to be misogynistic by some. Frontman James Hetfield explained that the 'bitch' in the song does not refer to a woman, but acts as a metaphor for an obstacle or complaint, as exemplified by the lyric "it ain't my fall, it ain't my call, it ain't my bitch." ==Release==

"Ain't My Bitch" was released as a promotional single in 1996. The CD was issued by Mercury Records, instead of Elektra Records, who distributed the album, and only in Mexico. Despite this, the song got airplay in other countries, such as the US, where it peaked at No. 15 on Billboards Mainstream Rock chart. It was Metallica's first promotional single to do so. ==Critical reception==

Chad Bowar of Ultimate Metallica praised the song's "punch and attitude", while Melinda Newman of Billboard described "Ain't My Bitch" as "hard and crunchy". Drew Millard of Pitchfork called the song "comically distasteful" and mocked Hetfield for "taking great pains to never pronounce it the same way twice. In the first chorus it's 'biiiiii-tchah," while in the second chorus "he goes 'betch-yah.'" Loudwire placed the song at No. 46 on their ranking of every Metallica song and opined it "sounded like Lynyrd Skynyrd on steroids", adding that "had they released this as the first Load single, the media narrative around the band's post-Black Album return might have been a lot different." On another Loudwire list, "Ranking the Opening Song on Every Metallica Album", the song was ranked at No. 10, with Phillip Trapp labeling it "marginally better than 'That Was Just Your Life' as an album opener" and that it "gives Load its gritty first song to show Metallica can still rock". ==Live performances==

Upon the release of Load on June 4, 1996, "Ain't My Bitch" quickly became a staple in the band's live set, and was featured regularly during the Poor Touring Me world tour, as seen in the live video Cunning Stunts (1998). The song was first played in Sacramento, California on June 4, 1996 and last played in Wellington, New Zealand on April 17, 1998. As of 2025, it has yet to since be included in the band's setlist rotation. ==Track listing==

Credits are adapted from Load liner notes, except where noted. Metallica • James Hetfield – guitar, vocals • Kirk Hammett – guitar, slide guitar solo ==Charts==