Watch Metallica Cover Elton John At Gershwin Prize Ceremony!

Metallica gave Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” a very heavy makeover.

Metallica
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – SEPTEMBER 19: James Hetfield (L) and Kirk Hammett of the band Metallica perform on stage during a concert in the Rock in Rio Festival on September 19, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Back on March 20, the worlds of music and high society collided in Washington for the annual ceremony honoring this year’s Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song. Translation: it’s a lifetime achievement award for excellence in music-making.

This year’s honoree is actually a pair of incredibly talented folks. Elton John and Bernie Taupin. From “Your Song” to The Lion King and The Lockdown Sessions, their successes span an impressive six decades! And Metallica helped put a very loud point on the festivities with their cover of “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”.

If the above video no longer works, you’ll find Metallica’s performance starting around 50:00 below.

Looking for more cool Elton covers in the above two-hour span? Joni Mitchell got an assist from Annie Lennox and Brandi Carlile on a laid-back, swinging rendition of “I’m Still Standing” at about 1:19:00. Elton himself takes the stage for a three-song medley at 1:27:00. Elsewhere in the telecast you’ll find country legend Garth Brooks, modern country star Maren Morris, and pop artist Charlie Puth.

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