In the original lineup, King, Hanneman and Araya contributed to the band's lyrics, and all of the band's music was written by King and Hanneman. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as serial killers, torture, genocide, organized crime, secret societies, occultism, terrorism, religion or antireligion, fascism, racism and war, have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and criticism from religious groups. However, its music has been highly influential, being cited by many bands as an influence musically, visually and lyrically; the band's third album, Reign in Blood (1986), has been described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums.
Slayer released twelve studio albums, three live albums, a box set, six music videos, two extended plays and a cover album. Four of the band's studio albums have received gold certification in the United States. Slayer sold 5 million copies in the United States from 1991 to 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and over 20 million worldwide. The band has received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song "Eyes of the Insane" and one in 2008 for the song "Final Six", both of which were from the album Christ Illusion (2006). After more than three decades of recording and performing, Slayer announced in January 2018 that it would embark on a farewell tour, which took place from May 2018 to November 2019, after which the band disbanded.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slayer
Studio albums
Show No Mercy (1983)
Hell Awaits (1985)
Reign in Blood (1986)
South of Heaven (1988)
Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
Divine Intervention (1994)
Undisputed Attitude (1996)
Diabolus in Musica (1998)
God Hates Us All (2001)
Christ Illusion (2006)
World Painted Blood (2009)
Repentless (2015)
PayBack
Slayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause I was born to be the thorn in your side
No matter what you think you're gonna see
You never wanted this barrage of fucking pride
You don't want none of me
You've got a fucking catheter in your brain
Pissing your common sense away
For my own peace of mind, I'm going to
Tear your fucking eyes out
Rip your fucking flesh off
Beat you till you're just a fucking lifeless carcass
Fuck you and your progress
Watch me fucking regress
You were made to take the fall, now you're nothing
Payback's a bitch motherfucker
You only live to be a parasite
Your life must suck when nothing's going your way
Everything melts away before your eyes
You're just a punk that doesn't have the sense to get away
Get the fuck away
You've got a fucking catheter in your brain
Pissing your common sense away
When you draw first blood you can't stop this fight
For my own peace of mind, I'm going to
Tear your fucking eyes out
Rip your fucking flesh off
Beat you till you're just a fucking lifeless carcass
Fuck you and your progress
Watch me fucking regress
You were made to take the fall, now you're nothing
Payback's a bitch motherfucker
I will never become your fucking scapegoat
I don't know how it feels to come up short
I only want vengeance
To come shining down on me
I don't want you to die
Before I get the chance to kill you myself
You've got a fucking catheter in your brain
Pissing your common sense away
This is for the mind fuck
This is for the hell of it
This is for me, I'm going to
Tear your fucking eyes out
Rip your fucking flesh off
Beat you till you're just a fucking lifeless carcass
Fuck you and your progress
Watch me fucking regress
You were made to take the fall, now you're nothing
Tear your fucking eyes out
Rip your fucking flesh off
Beat you till you're just a fucking lifeless carcass
Fuck you and your progress
Watch me fucking regress
You were made to take the fall, now you're nothing
Now you're nothing
You ain't fuckin' shit
Slayer's song "Payback" is an aggressive attack against an individual who has wronged the singer. The lyrics suggest that the singer is seeking revenge and will not stop until they have completely destroyed their enemy. The song is full of violent and disturbing imagery, with the singer threatening to "tear your fucking eyes out" and "rip your fucking flesh off."
The first part of the song is directed at the singer's enemy, with lyrics such as "You need to take a closer look at me/Cause I was born to be the thorn in your side/No matter what you think you're gonna see/You never wanted this barrage of fucking pride." The singer is taunting their enemy and letting them know that they cannot handle what is coming their way.
The second part of the song is more focused on the singer's own feelings of anger and vengeance. The lyrics suggest that the singer is deeply hurt by what their enemy has done to them and that they will not rest until they have exacted their revenge. The repeated refrain of "tear your fucking eyes out/Rip your fucking flesh off/Beat you till you're just a fucking lifeless carcass/Fuck you and your progress/Watch me fucking regress/You were made to take the fall, now you're nothing" emphasizes the extreme violence and brutality that the singer is willing to inflict.
Overall, "Payback" is a disturbing song that explores themes of revenge, violence, and anger. The lyrics are full of graphic and violent imagery, making it one of Slayer's most intense and aggressive tracks.
Line by Line Meaning
You need to take a closer look at me
I demand your full attention and acknowledgement of my presence.
Cause I was born to be the thorn in your side
My purpose in life is to cause you discomfort and inconvenience.
No matter what you think you're gonna see
You may have expectations of me, but I will defy them and surprise you.
You never wanted this barrage of fucking pride
My superior confidence and self-assuredness may intimidate you, but I am unapologetic about it.
You don't want none of me
You are not equipped to handle me and my intensity.
You've got a fucking catheter in your brain
You are mentally impaired and unable to think clearly or logically.
Pissing your common sense away
Your lack of common sense is evident and embarrassing.
When you draw first blood you can't stop this fight
Once provoked, I will not back down and the battle will continue until I am victorious.
For my own peace of mind, I'm going to
I am determined to take action to satisfy my personal desire for revenge and justice.
Tear your fucking eyes out
I will physically harm you by removing your eyes from your body.
Rip your fucking flesh off
I will cause you physical pain by tearing your skin from your body.
Beat you till you're just a fucking lifeless carcass
I will violently attack you until you are completely helpless and unable to fight back.
Fuck you and your progress
I reject your ideas and any progress you may have made without consideration.
Watch me fucking regress
I will purposely revert back to an earlier state or condition to spite you and reject any effort you may have put into my improvement.
You were made to take the fall, now you're nothing
Your downfall was inevitable and now you are worthless and insignificant to me.
Payback's a bitch motherfucker
You will experience the harmful consequences of your actions and suffer as a result.
You only live to be a parasite
Your existence solely relies on taking advantage of others and feeding off their resources without contributing anything of value.
Your life must suck when nothing's going your way
You must lead a miserable life when you face any resistance or opposition.
Everything melts away before your eyes
You are easily overwhelmed and defeated by any obstacles that come your way.
You're just a punk that doesn't have the sense to get away
You are foolish and lack the intelligence to recognize when you should remove yourself from a situation.
Get the fuck away
Leave this situation immediately before I cause more harm to you.
I will never become your fucking scapegoat
I refuse to take the blame for your mistakes or any negative outcomes that result from your actions.
I don't know how it feels to come up short
I am accustomed to achieving my goals and succeeding, so I do not know what it feels like to fail.
I only want vengeance
My sole desire is to seek revenge and inflict harm on those who have wronged me.
To come shining down on me
I want retaliation to be successful and bring me satisfaction and joy.
I don't want you to die
I want you to suffer and endure pain, rather than easily dying and escaping the consequences of your actions.
Before I get the chance to kill you myself
I want to be the one to physically harm you and cause you pain and suffering.
This is for the mind fuck
My actions are meant to cause you mental and emotional distress, as well as physical pain.
This is for the hell of it
I will cause you harm and suffering without reason or justification, simply because I derive pleasure from it.
This is for me, I'm going to
My actions are solely for myself and my own pleasure, without any regard for your wellbeing or feelings.
Now you're nothing
You have been completely defeated and are now worthless and insignificant.
You ain't fuckin' shit
You are completely worthless and do not deserve any respect or recognition.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SADE ADU, ANTHONY S CRUZ, ANDREW PAUL HALE, CALVIN JONES, STUART COLIN MATTHEWMAN, JEAN LOUIS PINOT-PUDOUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind