This song is a reflection of Dave Mustaine's former heroin addiction. The t… Read Full Bio ↴This song is a reflection of Dave Mustaine's former heroin addiction. The title is analogous to methadone, a narcotic often used in treating heroin addiction. In theory, doses of methadone will substitute those of heroin and can gradually be decreased until the patient is free of his addiction. Often, however, the patient's methadone addiction will simply replace his heroin addiction. Another interpretation is that when Dave first turned to drugs, his life was not going very well and he was looking for a cure. Drugs were the temporary cure but turned out to be poison.
The solo for this song is the first solo that Marty recorded for the album after joining the band.
The song is very technical, and among the fastest of Megadeth's catalogue, thus forming an integral part of Rust in Peace's composition.

The song has been performed for the first time live in Megadeth's 20th Anniversary of Rust In Peace 2010 tour.

Poison Was The Cure
Megadeth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I miss the warm embrace I felt
First time you touched me
Secure and safe in open arms
I should have known you'd crush me

A snake you were when me met
I loved you anyway
Pulling out your poisoned fangs

The venom never goes away

Serpent swims free in my blood
Dragons sleeping in my veins
Jackyl speaking with tongue
Roach egg laying in my brain
Once stalked beneath your shadow
Sleepwalking to the gallows
I'm the sun that beats your brow in
'Til I finally threw the towel in
Never knowing if I'd wake up in a whirlpool got redundant
My brain was just some driftwood in a cesspool, I became dead
From a rock star to a desk fool was my destiny, someone said

Love's a tidepool, taste the waters, life's abundant
Taste me

Overall Meaning

The first stanza talks about the singer's initial emotional attachment to someone. The warm embrace they received when they were first touched is something that they missed. The singer felt secure and safe in the person's open arms, but they should have known that this person would eventually crush them. The second stanza uses animal imagery to describe the person as a snake that the singer loved anyway. The singer tried to remove their poisoned fangs, but the venom never truly goes away. The third stanza talks about the aftermath of the relationship. The singer equates the person to a serpent swimming in their blood, dragons sleeping in their veins, a jackal speaking with a tongue, and a roach laying eggs in their brain. They feel like they were once beneath their shadow and sleepwalking to the gallows, but now they are the sun that beats their brow in until they finally threw in the towel. The singer talks about not knowing if they would wake up in a whirlpool, and their brain was just some driftwood in a cesspool, eventually becoming dead. The final line invites someone to "taste me," implying either a desire for revenge or a warning to others about the dangers of love.

Line by Line Meaning

I miss the warm embrace I felt
The feeling of your first embrace is unforgettable

First time you touched me
The first physical connection with someone can be powerful

Secure and safe in open arms
Embracing someone can make you feel protected and at ease

I should have known you'd crush me
Despite initial comfort and safety, there were red flags indicating a potential for emotional pain

A snake you were when we met
The person in question had a deceptive nature from the very start

I loved you anyway
Despite seeing warning signs, love can make a person ignore them

Pulling out your poisoned fangs
Attempting to remove negative traits or actions of a person

The venom never goes away
Even if the poison is removed, the negative effects may linger

Serpent swims free in my blood
The toxicity of the relationship has affected the person on a physical and emotional level

Dragons sleeping in my veins
The stress and negativity has resulted in inner turmoil and chaos

Jackyl speaking with tongue
There is deceit and trickery at play

Roach egg laying in my brain
Negative thoughts and emotions have taken up residence in the person's mind

Once stalked beneath your shadow
Feeling overshadowed or trapped by the person

Sleepwalking to the gallows
Feeling trapped and powerless, with no clear way out

I'm the sun that beats your brow in
Opposing and resisting the toxic person

'Til I finally threw the towel in
Eventually walking away from the harmful relationship

Never knowing if I'd wake up in a whirlpool got redundant
Feeling stuck in a pattern of chaos and instability

My brain was just some driftwood in a cesspool, I became dead
Mentally and emotionally exhausted, feeling drained and defeated

From a rock star to a desk fool was my destiny, someone said
A reference to the ups and downs of life, including success and failure

Love's a tidepool, taste the waters, life's abundant
Love can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous, but life is full of opportunities and experiences to be enjoyed

Taste me
A reference to the venomous nature of the toxic relationship, and perhaps an invitation to move on and find something better

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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