Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Skull Beneath The Skin
These Boots
Rattlehead
Chosen Ones
Looking Down The Cross
Mechanix
More info on this time period
Last Rites/Loved To Deth
According to Dave, "This is a song about me killing my girlfriend."
Although it is very simple, it is the best explanation of the lyrics.
The basis of the song is that the main character, possibly Dave,
possibly not Dave, loves someone who doesn't love him back he thinks
that she is absolutely perfect and can find no flaws in her. Out of
the jelousy that someone else will be loved by her at some point, the
character kills her. However, when the main character dies and goes
to hell for what he had done, he finds the girl down there with him
and realizes that she wasn't so perfect after all; and that he had
signed himself up for eternal punishment anyway by being so foolish.
Now you're gone; I miss you, but I told you.
I remember bad times more than good.
There's no coming back even if we could;
I loved you to deth.
If I can't have you then no one will;
and since I won't, I'll have to kill.
My only love; something I never felt.
Now you've gone to heaven and I'll burn in hell;
I loved you to deth.
And now I'm down below,
and what do I see?
You didn't go to heaven!
You're down in hell with me!
And now you're coming back, 'Baby take me please.'
I really think I would if you weren't such a sleaze;
I loved you once before, you kept me on a string.
I'd rather go without than take what you would bring.
I loved you to deth.
The main character of this song is an hit man. For the first part of
the song, he is trying to sell his services to someone, telling him
about how he always hits his mark, etc. The someone accepts his offer
and makes a deal with the main character; for $20,000, the main
character with do the hit. $10,000 as a front, and then another
$10,000 when the hit has been done. The main character goes out,
fullfills his part of the bargain, and comes back to collect his
second $10,000. And he is payed. But in this time he has signed
another deal with someone else, so after taking the payment from
his first employer, "it gives him great pleasure to say" his next
job is that same first employer. So he kills him too.
paid assasian working after dark.
Looking through the night,
using infra-red,
my target on you;
aimed at your head.
$10,000 up front,
$10,000 when I'm through,
and I know just what to do,
-- and ya know I'll do it too --
then I'm coming back for you...
back for you!
I do the 'getting rid of,'
don't tell me why;
don't need to hear the truth,
don't need the lies.
Now pay me quickly,
and now we're though...
It brings me great pleasure
to say my next job is YOU!
Don't you know that killing is my business...
And business is good!
And you'd better believe it!
This song describes Vic, the skeletal mascot of the band, who we have
been seeing less and less of over these past few years. It is
really just as simple as that. The lyrics describe the operation
in progress, the symbolic ideas behind the metal pieces, and the
thoughts which the 'patient' is thinking. It also makes it seem that
the creation is some sort of satanic ritual, but to the best of my
knowledge, there are no satanic rituals similar to what would be
required in order to make a Vic.
Dance the macabre as witches streak the sky.
Decadent worship of black magic; sorcery.
In the womb of the devil's dungeon,
trapped without a plea.
Seething in agony, necrosis is the fate;
pins stikcing through the skin, the venom now sedates..br
Locked in a pillory, nowhere to be found;
screaming for your life but no one hears a sound;
HEEELLLLP MEEEEEEEEEE!
Prepare the patient's scalp to peel away.
Metal caps his ears; he'll hear not what we say.
Solid steel visor riveted cross his eyes,
iron staples close his jaws so no one hears his cries.
The skull beneath the skin.
Now you're drawn and quartered; your bones make the 'X;'
symbol stands for poison, and it's chained to your head.
And as we fold your arme to make the holy cross,
we sross the crucifix; religion has been lost.
The skull beneath the skin.
This song is no longer availible on newer releases of the album since
the origonal preformer, Nancy Sinatra, decided to ask for more
royalties off of album sales. Rather than pay her, the song was cut
from the album. Any re-release of this album before 1996 will have
it though. What is the point of this song? Well, Dave says 'It has no
point, it just sounds cool when you play it ten times faster.' And I
agree. But to Dave, it at least has some signifigance; "When I was
growing up my sisters were listening to [ Nancy Sinatra ] and I just
thought, 'One day these Boots are gonna walk all over you' was a total
deformation of character. Like; 'You fuck with me and I'm gonna dance
on your grave and piss on your tombstone!' that's what the song's
saying." Note that Dave also changed the lyrics from the origonals.
Another question, why is Lee Hazelwood named as the writer of this
song in the album credits? Because Nancy doesn't write her own songs;
other people like Lee write them for her and she just preforms them.
something you call love but I call sex.
You've been kissing when you ought-a-be-a screwing,
and now someone else can kiss your ass.
These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do...
And one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.
You keep lying and there ain't no believing,
and you keep same'n when you ought-a-be-a leaving.
Now what's right is right,
but you ain't been right yet.
These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do...
And one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.
You keep dressing ways you shouldn't be dressing,
and you keep thinking you'll never get burned
-- HA! --
I just found me a brand new box spring mattress.
What you know bitch, you got a lot to learn.
These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do...
And one of these days these boots are gonna stomp all over you.
Are you ready, boots?
Are you ready, boots???
ARE YOU READY BOOTS???
START WALKING!!!
And you think I'm kidding, don't ya?
Like the Metallica song 'Whiplash,' the lyrics of this song describe
the live show experience; the concept behind the activity commonly
known as 'head-banging,' and the idea of using music as a drug to
change your mood. The beginning is slightly commanding and must be
the first-person view of the preformer while after that it becomes
more of a neutral idea rather than any person at all. The song
finishes in the first-person view of the fan; a cool litle cycle. it
is also the only song ever written by the band in which Megadeth
is mentioned in referance to the band.
Listen, I'm letting off steam.
Now throw your hands in the air...
let loose; I don't fuckin care!
Rattlehead.
A dose of metal, you need,
to bang your head 'til you bleed.
It's time for snapping some neck;
slashing, thrashing to Megadeth.
Rattlehead.
You; your head is pounding with pain.
Winning, sinning, beginning;
feeding the needing for bleeding;
bashing, smashing, crashing,
frying; anhilealating you!
There's someone back in the shadows
( you feel though you can't see his eyes ),
he'll bash your head if you cross him;
ain't quite your average guy.
Don't wear no leather to 'fit in,'
don't wear no spikes to be 'cool,'
Don't want no woman beside him;
just make it fast, loud and rude!
Rattlehead!
This song can be interpreted in two ways. One is the literal one,
which sticks to using the strict meaning of the words used. If that
is the case, then the song is about a bunch of guys who go out to kill
a dragon or monster of some sort. I prefer the looser interpretation
of the song, which uses more symbolism but also makes a bit more
sense. This version describes a group of the bravest knights who went
out to fight in a holy war, much like the crusades. They realize the
danger in what they are doing, but wish to take the land in the name
of their religion. And they fight the other religious group, who are
refered to as 'the beast.' And they win. After that is is difficult
to say exactly what happens. Either they rule the land themselves and
govern it extremely badly, just for their own good, or their religious
organization takes control of it and does the same thing.
Then don't you join with me,
for death surely awaits you with sharp and pointy teeth.
An animal so vicious no others fought and one,
so on the fields of battle we are the chosen ones.
Human bones blanket the dirt of the heathen's lair.
That we must pass through this den of death;
the only path from here. But I walk in the light,
the time to die has come; no one shall take my life;
I'm of the chosen ones.
Blach shadows fill the sky as the creature's eyes grow near;
raise the shield of the holy pilgrims high into the air.
Heaven's powers fill my arms, onward now to fight, I'm sent;
Oh, the beast is coming to put you to the test!
Look out!
Now this land is mine to pilage, rape and steal and take at will;
never let you cross this path;
I reign, for now, I stay... I stay to kill.
You doubt your strength or courage?
Then don't you join with me,
for death surely awaits you with sharp and pointy teeth.
An animal so vicious no others fought and one,
so on the fields of battle we are the chosen ones.
"This is a song about them hanging Jesus up on the cross," in Dave's
words. And it most definately is. But the end of the song is
completely different from any story of Jesus. In the song, it seems
that the man who they are hanging up either foresees or curses the
people to suffer some sort of plague. After that, it seems that he
is a false prophet of some sort, and he is taken down to hell. He
could be like the leader of some cult like those Manson people or
the mass-suicide alien/religion freak cult in Santa Fe, 1997.
now you know why death was summoned here tonight.
I'll recall my perils; they'll kill me with pride.
No, I can't get away; there's no place to hide.
I owe too much to live for, I owe enough to die.
Ask not for salvation; my death will mean their lives.
Hatred and guilt, the altar they've built; high prietes of sin.
Destiny, fate, the wicked one's gate beckoning you in...
beckoning you in.
Down the walkways, through the blood-stained town.
Looking down the cross, bleeding from the crown.
Lead to stay; to die beside the theives.
Kill the king of the world to be.
Now to you, this will come; a putrifying pestolence;
more noxious than the serpent's breath; malevolently destined;
more corrupt than the malice of choronozone;
more disease than the wind of the moonlight sun.
Putrifaction you have caused; no nead for confession.
Now you wish you had a god to stop the demolition.
Crunching the bones of a hundred fold; swinging the judgement hammer.
Man, woman, child; no one is safe; the heads of the dead are the banner.
And this was all you got, so don these broken wings;
sands of time run out, bells in hades ring.
Is this a nightmare, to unhollow thy name?
Smell of brimstone dancing in the flames.
No help now, as you fulfill his task;
cheif of evil has got you by the ass.
Set free, to sit upon the throne; just a dream?
You're weeping all alone.
Looking down the cross,
speak no evil.
I'm looking down the cross,
speak no evil.
There are two interpretations to this song. The first is for those
who have absolutely no imagination at all. If you are one of these,
the song, to you, is about a mechanic who sees a really nice car pull
into his station, and all of a sudden, crazy things start happening to
his work tools. The second interpretation, the one which you are
supposed to come to, is the story of a mechanic who is at his station
when a beautiful woman pulls up to his station, and he most likely has
a fantasy about her, although it could be real and it would be hard to
tell the differance. Wasn't this a cheesy takeoff of that Metallica
song 'The Four Horsemen?' NO!!! This one was written back in 1982 when
Dave was in Metallica and so the song is part his anyway. And he put
his own version of the lyrics to use; those in Metallica thought they
were a bit too offensive. Dave, on the other hand, considers the
Metallica version 'pussy wimp shit,' so to every man his own opinions,
I guess.
and you brought your motor to me.
You're a burner, yeah; a real motor car!
( chorus )
Said you wanna get your order filled,
made me shiver when I put it in.
Pumping just won't do, you know, luckily for you.
Who ever thought you'd be better at turning a screw than me?
I do it for my life!
Made my drive shaft crank; made my pistons bulge;
made my ball-bearings melt from the heat
( end chorus )
We were shifting hard when we took off,
put tonight all four on the floor,
when we hit top end, you know, it feels so slow
( repeat chorus )
I'm giving you my room service,
and you know it's more than enough.
Oh, one more time, you know I'm in love
( repeat chorus )
...And Business Is Good!!!
beadil@trend1.com jsimmons@compassnet.com
