Dave Mustaine - Megadeth - Sweating Bullets - Meaning of the song
"Sweating bullets" finds a man (apparently schizophrenic) being confronted by his dark side, who warns him that he cannot be repressed much longer. When this sinister side shows up, the man wakes up with blood stains on his hands, wondering what he did.
Dave Mustaine has said that the song is about himself, and that he wrote it after "it was pointed out to me that I'm kind of schizophrenic and that I live inside my head." He revealed that the song was inspired by a friend of his girlfriend (and later, his wife), Pam. This friend suffered from anxiety attacks - Mustaine called her "s--thouse crazy." She would take Pam to a party, have an anxiety spell and leave her; Mustaine would get the call and have to pick her up. After Mustaine wrote this song, Pam thought it was about her, but Dave assured her she was "not that crazy." Said Mustaine, "I wrote this song about her nutty friend."
Dimebag Darrell of Pantera loved this song and got a tattoo of a black tooth grin after a tour, a reference to the line, in this song, "Someday you too will know my pain and smile its black tooth grin." Darrell also created a drink he named after the song, which is mostly whiskey with a splash of Coke. Regarding the line, Dave Mustaine explained:
"I think there's no better description of the joy of a good fight than when you see a boxer who's smiling after he's won, but he's had a tooth knocked out."
Sweating Bullets - Lyrics
Hello me, meet the real me and my misfits way of life A dark, black past is my most valued possession Hindsight is always 20-20 But looking back, it's still a bit fuzzy Speak of mutually assured destruction Nice story, tell it to Reader's Digest Feeling paranoid, true enemy or false friend? Anxiety's attacking me and my air is getting thin I'm in trouble for the things I haven't got to yet I'm chomping at the bit and my palms are getting wet Sweating bullets Hello me, it's me again You can subdue, but never tame me It gives me a migraine headache, sinking down to your level Yeah, just keep on thinking it's my fault And stay an inch or two out of kicking distance Mankind has got to know his limitations Feeling claustrophobic like the walls are closing in Blood stains on my hands and I don't know where I've been I'm in trouble for the things I haven't got to yet I'm sharpening the axe and my palms are getting wet Sweating bullets I hear it in hear... Blood stains on my... hands The big axe... Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha... Sweating, sweating Sweating, sweating Sweating, sweating Well, me, it's nice talking to myself A credit to dementia Some day, you too will know my pain And smile its "black-tooth grin" If the war inside my head won't take a day off, I'll be dead My icy fingers claw your back Here I come again Feeling paranoid, true enemy or false friend? Anxiety's attacking me, and my air is getting thin Feeling claustrophobic like the walls are closing in Blood stains on my hands and I don't know where I've been Once you've committed me (Committed me) Now you've acquitted me (Acquitted me) Claiming validity (Validity) For your stupidity (Stupidity) I'm chomping at the bit I'm sharpening the axe Oh, here I come again, whoa! Sweating bullets
Comments