Megadeth

Songwriter: David Ellefson Nick Menza Dave Mustaine

Producer: Dave Mustaine Dann Huff

[Verse 1]
There once was a familiar face
Battle scars in disarray
A simple man, power drunk
No worries of dying, no more anything

[Refrain]
Deep inside I've seen it rise
Bastards possessed to no end
Mirror, mirror, please look inside
Do you see the evil that’s within?

[Verse 2]
Pyramids of dead men and dogs
Spoils of war or so they say
Once burned, forever marked
Hurt by just a few but so many have to pay

[Refrain]
Deep inside I've seen it rise
Bastards possessed to no end
Mirror, mirror, please look inside
Do you see the evil that's within?

[Instrumental Break]

[Bridge]
Pressure coming down
Down on me, gonna break
Broken fingernails
Digging in, scratch your face
Nervous, like a cat
Gonna jump through my skin
Shadows on the wall
Stretching out, grope for me

[Outro]
(Evil) Evil
(Evil) Deep in me
(Evil) Let me be
(Evil) Let me bleed
(Evil) Set me free
(Evil) Set me free
(Evil) Set me free
(Evil) The evil that’s within

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

Cryptic Writings

From the album

Cryptic Writings (1997)

Megadeth popular songs

Evil That’s WithinMegadeth

Megadeth

Cryptic Writings