Released: June 17, 1997

Songwriter: Dave Mustaine Marty Friedman

Producer: Dann Huff Dave Mustaine

[Intro]
I saw her today, I saw her face
Was the face I loved and I knew
I had to run away
And get down on my knees and pray-ay
That they'd go away
But still they begin...
Needles and pins
Needles and pins
Needles and pins...

[Verse 1]
I heard somebody fixed today
There was no last goodbyes to say
His will to live ran out
I heard somebody turned to dust
Looking back at what he left
A list of plans and photographs
Songs that never will be sung
These are the things he won't get done
The things he won't get done...

[Chorus 1]
I've seen the man use the needle
Seen the needle use the man
I've seen them crawl from the cradle
To the gutter on their hands
They fight a war but it's fatal
It's so hard to understand
I've seen the man use the needle
Seen the needle use the man

[Verse 2]
Just one shot to say goodbye
One last taste to mourn and cry
Scores and shoots, the lights go dim
Just one shot to do him in
He hangs his head and wonders why
Why the monkey only lies, lies, lies...
But pay the pauper, he did choose
He hung his head inside the noose
He hung his head inside the noose, oh...

[Chorus 2]
I've seen the man use the needle
Seen the needle use the man
I've seen them crawl from the cradle
To the coffin on their hands
They fight a war but it's fatal
It's so hard to understand
I've seen the man use the needle
Seen the needle use the man
Cryptic writing on the wall
The beginning of the end
I've seen myself use the needle
Seen the needle in my hand

[Instrumental Break]

[Outro]
I've seen the man use the needle
Seen the needle use the man
I've seen them crawl from the cradle
To the coffin on their hands
They fight a war but it's fatal
It's so hard to understand
I've seen myself use the needle
Seen the needle in my hand
In my hand, in my hand
In my hand!

Megadeth

After being kicked out of Metallica, Dave Mustaine decided to form a Thrash Metal band that not only rivaled his former band, but played faster, more technical Metal. Along with bassist David ‘Junior’ Ellefson and a revolving door of guitarists and drummers, Mustaine set the world afire as Megadeth became known as the world’s state-of-the-art Speed Metal band throughout the 80s and the early 90s. One of the Big Four of Thrash Metal, Megadeth remains one of Metal’s most popular acts today.

However, Dave Mustaine’s fledgling band got off to a shaky start. Initially unable to find like-minded individuals, it was not until an altercation with his (underage) downstairs neighbours Dave Ellefson and Greg Handevidt, that led to him buying them beer and forming the first incarnation of the band with drummer Dijon Carruthers in 1983.

The band was named after a political pamphlet that referred to a “megadeath” (one million deaths by nuclear explosion):