Dave Mustaine was an early member of the band Metallica, and helped pen tracks that wound up on their first two albums. In 1983, Mustaine was let go from the group by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield due to personal conflicts and substance abuse. He would be replaced by Kirk Hammett, guitarist for the Bay Area thrash band Exodus, who remains with the band to this day. Dave felt slighted and vowed to make his own band, which would be even faster and heavier than Metallica. Mustaine picked the name "Megadeth" from a pamphlet by California senator Alan Cranston that read: "The arsenal of megadeath can't be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to."
In 1985, Megadeth released their debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, on the independent record label Combat Records, to moderate success. It caught the attention of bigger labels, which led to Megadeth signing with Capitol Records. Their first major-label album, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, was released in 1986 and was a major hit with the underground metal scene. Band members' substance abuse issues and personal disputes had brought Megadeth negative publicity during the late 1980s. Nonetheless, the band went on to release a number of platinum-selling albums, including So Far, So Good... So What! (1988), Rust in Peace (1990), and Countdown to Extinction (1992). These albums, along with worldwide tours, brought them public recognition.
Megadeth has had numerous guitarists, drummers and bassists throughout its 39-year career, with Mustaine being the only remaining original member of the group. The band temporarily disbanded in 2002 when Mustaine suffered an arm injury and re-established in 2004 without longtime bassist David Ellefson, who had taken legal action against him. Ellefson settled out of court and rejoined the band in 2010, but was fired in 2021 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Megadeth's current lineup includes Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo, guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren.
Megadeth earned platinum certifications in the United States for six of its sixteen studio albums, and has received twelve Grammy nominations. Megadeth won its first Grammy Award in 2017 for the song "Dystopia" in the Best Metal Performance category. The band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead, regularly appears on album artwork and live shows. Megadeth has hosted its own music festival, Gigantour, several times since July 2005, and held its first MegaCruise in October 2019.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadeth
Studio albums
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985)
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? (1986)
So Far, So Good... So What! (1988)
Rust in Peace (1990)
Countdown to Extinction (1992)
Youthanasia (1994)
Cryptic Writings (1997)
Risk (1999)
The World Needs a Hero (2001)
The System Has Failed (2004)
United Abominations (2007)
Endgame (2009)
Thirteen (2011)
Super Collider (2013)
Dystopia (2016)
The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! (2022)
The Killing Road
Megadeth Lyrics
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At mach speed we engage
Feeding people's rage
The big cat's left its cage
Back in the bus again
To catch another plane
This behavior's quite insane
But we do it for the fame, yeah
I lost my life to the Killing Road
The road will never end
It always starts again
Another show's around the best
Another long lost friend
Faceless as the snow
There's nothing special about the road
It's just another haul
It's just too damn long that's all, yeah
The Killing Road by Megadeth is a song that describes the life and experiences of a musician. The lyrics talk about how the band stalks the stage at mach speed to engage with their audience and feed their rage. The band members are always on the move, with their big cat left in the cage, catching planes back and forth, and this behavior is quite insane. However, they do it all for the fame and the adrenaline rush that comes with it.
The lyrics go on to describe how the road never really ends, and it always starts again. The band members meet new people all the time, including old friends they haven't seen in a long while. The road is described as being faceless as the snow, and there's nothing special about it. It's just a haul, nothing more, but it's also too damn long.
Overall, The Killing Road is a song about the sacrifices and difficulties that come with being a musician. It's a tough and often lonely road, but for those who persevere, the rewards can be great.
Line by Line Meaning
Again we stalk the stage
Once again, we take the stage with determination
At mach speed we engage
We engage in our performance at an intense speed
Feeding people's rage
Our music energizes and excites the audience
The big cat's left its cage
Our band has been unleashed and is ready to rock
Back in the bus again
We travel from one show to another on our tour bus
To catch another plane
Our schedule is so tight that we need to travel by plane to reach our destination in time
This behavior's quite insane
Our constant travel and performance can be seen as crazy by some
But we do it for the fame, yeah
Despite the craziness, we pursue our passion for music and fame
I lost my mind, I lost all my money
The rigor of touring has taken a toll on me mentally and financially
I lost my life to the Killing Road
Touring has become my life, and I am fully committed to it
The road will never end
Touring is a never-ending cycle of performances and travel
It always starts again
Once one set of performances are over, we start again with a new venue
Another show's around the bend
We are eager to put on another performance
Another long lost friend
We look forward to rekindling old friendships as we travel
Faceless as the snow
The vastness of our travel and many venues make the people we meet faceless
There's nothing special about the road
Despite its craziness, the touring life is ordinary and not glamorous
It's just another haul
Touring is just another part of being a musician
It's just too damn long that's all, yeah
The long-haul travel can become tiresome and overwhelming
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE ELLEFSON, DAVE MUSTAINE, DAVID ELLEFSON, MARTIN FRIEDMAN, MARTY FRIEDMAN, NICK MENZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind