Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Fatal Illusion
Megadeth Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lost inside the system, locked away without a key
No one will ever miss a menace to society
A gross lack of potential, bad decisions made in spite
A touchy hairpin trigger and such a wasted life

Trying to break the mold of a broken family
Fight against your failure, and living on his knees
Guilty of a crime of nonconformity
A hanging judge and jury handing down the penalty

A lethal injection, now they watch the body jerk
Exterminate the problem, except it didn't work

No vital sign of life, they declared it wasn't there
Coroner never checked, because he didn't fucking care
Passing off the body, they all believe he died
Starting up the hearse, now for a final drive

Like whistling past a graveyard, when walking by at night
It's a fatal illusion to think that evil never dies

In a darkened mortuary, reeking of formaldehyde
Aroused from deadly slumber, something opened up his eyes
Spilling all their blood was a promise that he'd keep
Hate so strong revived him from a deep necrotic sleep
Clawing away the casket lid until his fingers bleed
He grabbed a knife and set out on a vivisection spree
A butcher, hell bent, massacring each one with his blade
From the first one to the last, he dispatched them to the grave

It's a fatal illusion
It's a fatal illusion

Evil never dies
It never dies

Overall Meaning

In "Fatal Illusion" by Megadeth, the verses describe a person who is lost and trapped within a flawed system with no hope of escape. The person's existence is so insignificant that they are unnoticed by society until they commit a crime. The crime they choose to commit is an act of defiance against the failure of their family, but ultimately results in a sentence of death from a harsh and unsympathetic judge and jury. The second verse describes the lethal injection and the indifference of those involved in the process, suggesting a cultural acceptance of violence and a disregard for human life.


The chorus then warns against the assumption that evil is gone when a person dies. The half-spoken words "It never dies" suggest that the singer has personal experience with the persistence of evil, and this proves to be true in the final verse. A person thought to be dead is aroused from the morgue and goes on a killing spree, motivated by a strong hatred for those who wronged him. The lyrics suggest that evil can arise from the dead and take revenge on the living.


Overall, "Fatal Illusion" paints a bleak picture of society's disregard for human life and the persistence of evil. The lyrics suggest that violence and hate are deeply ingrained in human nature and that they will persist even beyond death.


Line by Line Meaning

Lost inside the system, locked away without a key
Feeling trapped and powerless, stuck in a situation with no escape


No one will ever miss a menace to society
Being seen as a threat to society, with no one who would mourn one's passing


A gross lack of potential, bad decisions made in spite
Having no real skills, and making poor choices in defiance of the expectations of others


A touchy hairpin trigger and such a wasted life
Being prone to flying off the handle, and living a life that is ultimately unfulfilling


Trying to break the mold of a broken family
Attempting to overcome the negative effects of growing up in a dysfunctional family


Fight against your failure, and living on his knees
Struggling to avoid failure, but feeling like it is an inevitability


Guilty of a crime of nonconformity
Being punished for not fitting in with society's expectations


A hanging judge and jury handing down the penalty
Facing an unfair punishment at the hands of a corrupt legal system


A lethal injection, now they watch the body jerk
Being put to death by the state through a drug that causes violent muscle spasms


Exterminate the problem, except it didn't work
Attempting to solve a problem through violence, only to find that it is not effective


No vital sign of life, they declared it wasn't there
Assuming that someone is dead without properly checking for signs of life


Coroner never checked, because he didn't fucking care
Neglecting to perform one's job duties due to apathy


Passing off the body, they all believe he died
Simply assuming that someone has died without verifying the facts


Starting up the hearse, now for a final drive
Preparing to transport someone's body for burial or cremation


Like whistling past a graveyard, when walking by at night
Engaging in an activity that is lighthearted or even disrespectful in the context of something serious or somber


It's a fatal illusion to think that evil never dies
Being naive or misguided in believing that evil will ever truly be eradicated


In a darkened mortuary, reeking of formaldehyde
Being in a place where death is ever-present and the smell of embalming fluid is overwhelming


Aroused from deadly slumber, something opened up his eyes
Coming back to life after being presumed dead


Spilling all their blood was a promise that he'd keep
Being driven by a desire for revenge that is so strong it borders on obsession


Hate so strong revived him from a deep necrotic sleep
Feeling so much rage and resentment that it brings someone back to life


Clawing away the casket lid until his fingers bleed
Straining and struggling to escape from a place where one was buried alive


He grabbed a knife and set out on a vivisection spree
Going on a violent rampage, attacking people with a sharp instrument


A butcher, hell bent, massacring each one with his blade
Acting aggressively and without mercy


From the first one to the last, he dispatched them to the grave
Killing each person he encounters without hesitation


It's a fatal illusion
Believing in a falsehood that ultimately leads to one's downfall


It's a fatal illusion
Believing in a falsehood that ultimately leads to one's downfall


Evil never dies
Realizing that no matter how hard one tries, evil will always be a part of the world




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE MUSTAINE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Comments from YouTube:

Eros

That bass intro..

i Z

yea man its tricky

Beardz si Niko Chun

da normal

Bexspace

you need 5 more likes

Josh Miller

Exactly! Just heard this! Amazing 👌🙌

15 More Replies...

Random Stuff

It's a fatal illusion if people think metal is dead.

Ahmet Çalışkan

" its a fatal illusion to think that metal ever dies"

Devil Bird

New Wave tried to kill the metal. But they failed, as they were stricken down to the ground! Grunge then tried to kill the metal. Ha ha ha ha. They failed! As they were thrown to the ground!




AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YEAH!

Wayne Rudnick

@Natalie Morgan Tenacious D lives on!

Broadstone Productions

Its not dead just going through phases

More Comments

More Versions