VORTEX
Megadeth Lyrics
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Multiple personalities
Terror inside of me
A mask of silent agony
Curse the falling rain
The vortex of pain
As medieval as Merlin
A pact for power was made
It's time the price was paid
Scorching the domain
The vortex of pain
A telestic message
Written in torment
Howl out dirges
Like the horns of Jericho
Distorted faces
Writhing in rage
Walls of purgatory
Tumble down
Endless death
The jewels of a crown
The song "Vortex" by Megadeth is about the internal struggles of the human mind. The lyrics speak of internal combustion and multiple personalities, which symbolize the different thoughts and emotions that battle within oneself. The line "terror inside of me, a mask of silent agony" shows how these internal struggles can cause great distress but may not be visible to the outside world. The curse of falling rain and vortex of pain are metaphors for the chaos and confusion that arise from these internal conflicts.
The lyrics also mention a pact for power made with Lucifer in transition. This could represent the temptation to give in to negative thoughts and emotions, which can lead to a darker path. The line "it's time the price was paid" suggests that there are consequences to feeding into these negative feelings. The distorted faces and walls of purgatory illustrate the torment that comes with such internal struggles. The final line, "endless death, the jewels of a crown," suggests that these negative thoughts and emotions are a burden that can destroy a person from the inside out, even though they may seem desirable on the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
Internal combustion
A metaphorical description of the singer's emotional state, as if they are a machine that is overheating and at risk of exploding.
Multiple personalities
The singer feels like they have different versions of themselves inside, each competing for control.
Terror inside of me
The singer is consumed by fear and anxiety.
A mask of silent agony
The singer is hiding their pain and suffering behind a facade of calmness or indifference.
Curse the falling rain
The singer is angry at the world and everything in it, including the natural elements.
The vortex of pain
The singer is caught in a cyclone of agony, unable to escape.
As medieval as Merlin
The singer compares their current state of suffering to an earlier time period that was marked by magic, superstition, and barbarism.
A pact for power was made
The singer is implying that they made a deal with the devil, exchanging their soul for something they desired.
Lucifer in transition
The devil is changing forms or moving from one place to another; possibly a reference to the devil taking control of the singer's body or soul.
It's time the price was paid
The singer has come to realize that the cost of their deal with the devil was too high, and they must now pay the consequences.
Scorching the domain
The singer is destroying everything around them, possibly as a result of their deal with the devil.
The vortex of pain
The singer is still trapped in the same cyclone of agony, unable to escape or find relief.
A telestic message
A message that has some kind of mystical or supernatural meaning or origin.
Written in torment
The message was written by someone who was suffering greatly, or it contains words of pain and anguish.
Howl out dirges
The singer is screaming in pain, as if they are singing a funeral song.
Like the horns of Jericho
The singer's cries are so loud and powerful that they can bring down walls, like in the Bible story of Jericho.
Distorted faces
The singer sees the faces of those around them as twisted and distorted, possibly as a result of their own mental state.
Writhing in rage
The people around the singer are angry, and they are squirming, contorting, or twisting in response.
Walls of purgatory
The singer is trapped in a place or situation that feels like purgatory, where they are neither fully alive nor fully dead.
Tumble down
The walls of purgatory are collapsing, giving the singer a chance to escape.
Endless death
The singer feels like they are in a never-ending cycle of pain, and each moment feels like a small death.
The jewels of a crown
This line is ambiguous, but it may be referring to something (perhaps the singer's own life) that has been stripped of its value and beauty, leaving only worthless jewels behind.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE MUSTAINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bryan Diaz
Internal combustion
Multiple personalities
Terror inside of me
A mask of silent agony
Curse the falling rain
The vortex of pain
As medieval as Merlin
A pact for power was made
Lucifer in transition
It's time the price was paid
Scorching the domain
The vortex of pain
A telestic message
Written in torment
Howl out dirges
Like the horns of Jericho
Distorted faces
Writhing in rage
Walls of purgatory
Tumble down
Endless death
The jewels of a crown
Kieler Klenk
VORTEX
on Cryptic Writings
Lyrics
Internal combustion
Multiple personalities
Terror inside of me
A mask of silent agony
Curse the falling rain
The vortex of pain
As medieval as Merlin
A pact for power was made
Lucifer in transition
It's time the price was paid
Searching the domain
The vortex of pain
A telestic message
Writtin in torment
Howl out dirges
Like the horns of Jericho
Distorted faces
Writhing in rage
Walls of purgatory tumble down
Endless death, the jewels of a crown
Solo - Friedman
Music & Lyrics - Mustaine
]V[ E G A D E T ]-[
superponx99
Such a huge Tornado of Souls vibe...this is probably my favorite song off the record.
Dahveed
I scrolled down expecting to find a comment just like this, and was not disappointed :)
Kay Will
1:47 and on sounds like the riff
Karthik Menon
Evil Lord Gains Ye bud the riff is prob my all time fav
Karthik Menon
The solo plus 2:51 onwards my otyer super fav riff
Vic Rattlehead
My fav from this album too, one of my fav from Megadeth in fact. Love the riff and song progression. The tempo shift in mid section and outro are trademark of the oldschool Megadeth.
On his official site, Marty said the solo on this one is his fav from the record which is why he copied note to note from the earlier version.
John River
Hugely underrated album, masterpiece song
PeppyHydra
Album's so-so, but this song is a fuckin banger.
Mark Wildt
Definitely an underrated album.
Caprise - Music
The album is so so, but it happens to have the best song ever on it. No other song on that album comes even slightly close to Vortex