Megadeth

Released: July 14, 1992

Songwriter: Dave Mustaine

Producer: Max Norman Dave Mustaine

[Instrumental Intro]

[Verse 1]
I had wrists donning slits
Flowing constantly
My broken body in a wreck
Wrapped around a tree
A crosswalk hit-and-run
The finish line for me
People clutter in the gutter
Take a look and see

[Chorus]
No escaping pain
You belong to me
Clinging on to life
By the skin o' my teeth
No escaping pain
You belong to me
Clinging on to life
By the skin o' my teeth

[Verse 2]
My blood flows through the streets
Deluge from the wounds
Empty jars of sleeping pills
On the dresser in my room
My wet-brained neighbor cranes
His neck to see
In time, the white light's, a train
Bearing down on me

[Chorus]
No escaping pain
You belong to me
Clinging on to life
By the skin o' my teeth
No escaping pain
You belong to me
Clinging on to life
By the skin o' my teeth

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 3]
I won't feel the hurt
I'm not trash any longer
That, that doesn't kill me
Only makes me stronger
I need a ride to the morgue
That's what 9-1-1 is for
So tag my toe and don't forget
Ooh, to close the drawer

[Chorus]
No escaping pain
You belong to me
Clinging on to life
By the skin o' my teeth
No escaping pain
You belong to me
Clinging on to life
By the skin o' my teeth

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):

more tracks from the album

Countdown to Extinction

From the albums

Megadeth popular songs

Skin o’ My TeethMegadeth

Megadeth

Countdown to Extinction