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The dramatic version of the 1823 poem initially debuted on the band’s SiriusXM channel\u00a0Maximum Metallica<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\tIf you\u2019ve ever dreamed of James Hetfield<\/a> reading you a festive bedtime story, consider this an early Christmas<\/a> present. The Metallica<\/a> frontman has released a spoken-word take on Clement-Clarke Moore\u2019s 1823 classic \u201c\u2018Twas the Night Before Christmas\u201d (originally known as \u201cA Visit from St. Nicholas\u201d), proving that all nostalgic poems sometimes deserve a fresh interpretation.<\/p>\n \n\tHetfield shared his impassioned rendition on Metallica\u2019s SiriusXM channel\u00a0Maximum Metallica last week before uploading it to the band\u2019s YouTube channel. \u201cGrab your cocoa and settle in by the fire before your long winter\u2019s nap for a reading of \u2019Twas the Night Before Christmas<\/em> by Papa Het,\u201d the caption notes. <\/p>\n \n\tIn the clip, Hetfield goes all in, narrating the tale of Santa visiting for Christmas with serious dramatic flair. It\u2019s possible no one has ever said \u201cHis eyes, how they twinkled\u201d with such an ominous intonation. The reading is accompanied by an animated fireplace hung with four stockings \u2014 one for each member of Metallica \u2014 and what appears to be a reindeer skull.<\/p>\n