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The Skull Beneath the SkinMegadeth

Released: June 12, 1985

Songwriter: Dave Mustaine

Producer: Karat Faye Dave Mustaine

[Instrumental Intro]

[Intro]
Whoa!

[Verse 1]
Mean and infectious, the evil prophets rise
Dance of the Macabre, as witches streak the sky
Decadent worship of black magic sorcery
In the womb of the Devil's Dungeon trapped without a plea, oh

[Instrumental Break]

[Verse 2]
Seething in agony, necrosis is the fate
Pins stickin' through the skin, the venom now sedates
Locked in a pillory, nowhere to be found
Screaming for your life, no one hears a sound
Help me!

[Verse 3]
Prepare the patient's scalp to peel away
Metal caps his ears, he'll hear not what we say
Solid steel visor riveted across his eyes
Iron staples close his jaws so no one hears his cries

[Chorus]
The skull beneath the skin
The skull beneath

[Verse 4]
Now you're drawn and quartered, your bones will make the 'X'
Symbol stands for poison and it's chained to your head
And as we fold your arms to make the holy cross
We cross the crucifix; religion has been lost

[Chorus]
The skull beneath the skin
The skull beneath the skin

[Instrumental Break]

[Outro]
The skull beneath the skin

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):

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