Set Me Free
Megadeth feat. Christina Scabbia Lyrics


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Don't remember where I was
I realized life was a game
The more seriously I took things
The harder the rules became
I had no idea what it'd cost
My life passed before my eyes
I found out how little I accomplished
All my plans denied

So as you read this, know, my friends
I'd love to stay with you all
Please smile when you think of me
My body's gone, that's all

[Chorus]
A tout le monde
A tout mes amis
Je vous aime
Je dois partir
These are the last words
I'll ever speak
And they'll set me free

If my heart was still alive
I know it would surely break
And my memories left with you
There's nothing more to say

Moving on is a simple thing
What it leaves behind is hard
You know the sleeping feel no more pain
And the living are scarred

[Chorus]

(So as you read this, know, my friends
I'd love to stay with you all
Please smile, smile when you think about me
My body's gone, that's all)

[Chorus x 2]

(These are the last words




I'll ever speak
And they'll set me free)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Set Me Free" by Megadeth and featuring Christina Scabbia appear to be a personal reflection on life, mortality, and the emotional pain that comes with the acceptance of one's own mortality. The song begins with the singer reflecting on their life and how everything they thought they had accomplished now seems like very little. The tone of the first verse is one of regret as the singer realizes that they have not lived life to their fullest potential and that their time is now limited.


In the chorus, the singer repeats the phrase "A tout le monde / A tout mes amis / Je vous aime / Je dois partir," which translates to "To everyone / To all my friends / I love you / I have to leave." This repetition reinforces the theme of saying goodbye and accepting the inevitability of death. The repeated phrase also emphasizes the idea that the singer wants to be remembered fondly by those they are leaving behind.


In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that moving on is a simple thing, but what is left behind is much harder to deal with. The living are left to cope with the pain of loss while the deceased feel no more pain. Ultimately, the singer ends by saying that their last words will set them free, which can be interpreted as a release from the physical pain and suffering of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't remember where I was
I cannot remember the place I was in


I realized life was a game
I came to the understanding that life is a game


The more seriously I took things
The more earnestly I approached things


The harder the rules became
The more arduous the rules seemed to be


I had no idea what it'd cost
I had no conception of the price to be paid


My life passed before my eyes
My life flashed before my eyes


I found out how little I accomplished
I realized how little I had achieved


All my plans denied
All my schemes thwarted


So as you read this, know, my friends
As you read this, understand, my companions


I'd love to stay with you all
I would cherish to be with all of you


Please smile when you think of me
When you think of me, kindly smile


My body's gone, that's all
My body has departed, no more than that


These are the last words
These are the final words


I'll ever speak
That shall ever pass my lips


And they'll set me free
And they will unfetter me


If my heart was still alive
Had my heart persisted to beat


I know it would surely break
I know it would undoubtedly shatter


And my memories left with you
And my remembrances left with you


There's nothing more to say
There is nothing to add


Moving on is a simple thing
Advancing is an uncomplicated matter


What it leaves behind is hard
What it leaves in its wake is difficult


You know the sleeping feel no more pain
You are aware that those asleep no longer suffer


And the living are scarred
And those alive bear the scars


These are the last words
These are the final words


I'll ever speak
That shall ever pass my lips


And they'll set me free
And they will unfetter me




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
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@The.Artistic.Squirrel

Listening to this song takes me back and fills me with tears & love.

My best friend loved this band. It was over Megadeth that we sparked the friendship of a lifetime. We were in the Navy back in 2001. He was amazing & larger than life.

We were in New Orleans on break and he saw this street called Elysian Fields Drive. He had to stop to take a picture.

We were partying hard later and he got serious, which was rare for him. He told me not to cry for him when he dies. To play this song and remember him. I was a kid struggling to survive, like I’d been tossed in an ocean full of sharks. He was the only human who reached out and pulled my head out of the water. The last thing I wanted was to contemplate his leaving.

I told him “Dude quit that! You aren’t gonna die YET!”

Anyways we stayed the best of friends through highs and lows but maybe he knew something. Maybe he had a clock he didn’t like to face often that told him time was short.

It kills me inside that he did end up passing exactly 5 years ago. He was 43 and had retired from the Navy some years before and was one credit shy of his BS.

I regret I never got to say goodbye.



All comments from YouTube:

@granulosum1

this song made me sit up and listen when i was 18,now 48 and i still sit up and listen,brilliant song

@pavelkhromov6940

The song was released in 1994, full 30 years have not passed since then... Really a good song by the way, with beautiful woman vocals from Cristina.

@granulosum1

@Pavel Khromov my mistake,apx 20 years

@JHoliday330

The original 'Youthanasia' version was a lot darker, practically in Emo territory. The more upbeat 'United Abominations' version featuring Cristina Scabbia and the post-apocalyptic imagery of the video is my favorite recording of this. It reminds me of my late wife, Jan (1961-2003), and it's great for channeling my grief and anger over the circumstances (Vioxx) of her passing. If not for this version, I probably would have sought out and beaten the crap out of multiple Big pHARMa executives a long f•••ing time ago. Karma will get them eventually, God is not mocked!

@CliffBlazkowicz

the original demo still rocks too, i love all versions, cheers

@jamesgowin611

I feel you. I'm 47 and it does the same to me.

12 More Replies...

@zublacus

This song HAS IT ALL....literally. Great meaning, catchy melody, great music, and playing....can listen to it over and over...till I say goodbye.

@zublacus

@rumblefish14 The song is DEFINITELY about saying goodbye to your loved ones when you die. Dave has stated this many times this is what he would say, if he had 3 seconds to say goodbye.

@freetorhyme1234

they have to do more collaborations. that woman and dave sound really good together. i wish they did more duets with more megadeth songs

@pfnieks

That woman is Lacuna Coils' Cristina Scabbia.

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