He said he'd try just a little bit
He didn't want to end up like them
And now he blames the voices of a toothless wonder
Pounding on the door to make the next score

Anything for a hit, any sin to pay for it
For that next bowl, he'd sell his soul

Spiral to destruction, it's too late to break the spell
He wants the ride to stop on the freight train straight to hell
Without the truth he'll never find in a dungeon of his lies
His cause of death, high speed on burnt ice

Always looking at the ground, a broken, beaten man
Memories of his family are calling after him
He can hardly thing, hardly walk
Phone keeps ringing, he can't talk
With just one hit the pain would go away
But he's dead if he does

Shadow people follow him everywhere he goes
Looking over his shoulder, the paranoia grows

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Megadeth's song Burnt Ice describe the spiral to destruction of an addict who is willing to do anything to get their next hit. The first verse describes how the character started using drugs, perhaps justifying their experimentation and vowing not to end up like other addicts. However, as addiction takes hold, they blame the addiction or the people pushing drugs on them for their problems. The second verse highlights the character's desperation to get their next hit, even selling their own soul or committing any sin just to pay for it. The character is unable to break free from their addiction and feels trapped in their situation. The chorus suggests that the character is now fully addicted and is careening out of control with no hope of stopping or getting better. The final verse paints a picture of a man who is at the end of his rope, suffering physical and emotional pain as he tries to stay one step ahead of his addiction. The character is constantly looking over his shoulder, paranoid that the "shadow people" are following him.

Overall, the lyrics to Burnt Ice convey a dark and desperate mood that speaks to the destructive power of addiction and the difficult road to recovery. Megadeth's signature blend of heavy metal and thrash elements creates an appropriately intense and urgent sound that underscores the lyrics' themes.

Line by Line Meaning

He said he'd try just a little bit
He initially planned to use drugs in moderation

He didn't want to end up like them
He didn't want to become addicted to drugs like the others

And now he blames the voices of a toothless wonder
He blames the drug dealer who introduced him to addiction

Pounding on the door to make the next score
The drug dealer keeps harassing him for more money

Anything for a hit, any sin to pay for it
He is willing to do anything, even immoral acts, to get drugs

For that next bowl, he'd sell his soul
He is ready to give up anything to get his next fix of drugs

Spiral to destruction, it's too late to break the spell
He is already on a dangerous path towards self-destruction and it's difficult to stop

He wants the ride to stop on the freight train straight to hell
He wishes to stop the addiction and the path to certain death

Without the truth he'll never find in a dungeon of his lies
His addiction traps him in a false reality that he can't escape

His cause of death, high speed on burnt ice
The cause of his eventual death will be the overdose from drugs

Always looking at the ground, a broken, beaten man
He is physically and mentally destroyed by addiction

Memories of his family are calling after him
His family is trying to reconnect with him but he can't hear them

He can hardly think, hardly walk
His addiction has left him physically and mentally impaired

Phone keeps ringing, he can't talk
The drug dealer keeps calling him for more money and drugs

With just one hit the pain would go away
He believes that drugs can solve all his problems and relieve his pain

But he's dead if he does
Taking drugs will ultimately kill him

Shadow people follow him everywhere he goes
He is suffering from hallucinations that make him think he is being followed

Looking over his shoulder, the paranoia grows
His drug addiction increases his paranoia and makes him more delusional

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