Released: August 30, 1999

Songwriter: Marty Friedman Dave Mustaine

Producer: Dann Huff Dave Mustaine

[Intro]
My victims are rich or poor
Young or old, strong or weak
I cause millions of accidents
I am cancer in your bones
I fathered the lie, twist what you say
Speak not the truth
I am insidious, impartial
Deep inside your chromosomes
I take what you love
And leave you in tears
I imprison your soul
Your hopes are my games
I strip you of pride
My promise is in vain
While you burn at the stake
I dance with the flames
I bring poverty, sickness and death
A worthless handshake
The slickest thief, I steal your wealth
I answer your prayers for greed and lust
More than evil, I laugh at your trust
I am more powerful
Than all the armies of the world
I am more violent than violence
More deadly than death
I have destroyed more men
Than all the nation's wars
I am relentless, unpredictable
Waiting for your last breath

[Verse 1]
Evil, more evil than violence
Violent, more violent than death
Deadly, more deadly than man
I am, yeah, yeah, I'm evil, I am!

[Pre-Chorus]
My kingdom corrupt with dissent
Your sins erupt by my intent
I loathe your prayer, I wallow in sin
Let the nightmare begin

[Chorus]
Prince of darkness
Your satanic highness
Prince of darkness
The devilish serpent, the dreaded Lucifer
Prince of darkness

[Verse 2]
I take what you love, and leave you in tears
Imprison your soul, your hopes are my games
I strip you of pride, my promise is in vain
While you burn at the stake I dance with the flames

[Pre-Chorus]
My kingdom corrupt with dissent
Your sins erupt by my intent
I loathe your prayer, I wallow in sin
Let the nightmare begin

[Chorus]
Prince of darkness
Your satanic highness
Prince of darkness
The most beautiful angel
Prince of darkness
The devilish serpent, the dreaded Lucifer
Prince of darkness

[Instrumental Interlude]

[Chorus]
Prince of darkness
Your satanic highness
Prince of darkness
The most beautiful angel
Prince of darkness
The devilish serpent, the dreaded Lucifer
Prince of darkness
Unpredictable, the prince of darkness
Prince of darkness

[Instrumental Outro]

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):