My Last Words (song)

"My Last Words"
Song by Megadeth
from the album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
ReleasedSeptember 19, 1986 (1986-09-19)
RecordedFebruary–March 1986
Studio
GenreThrash metal
Length4:57
Label
Songwriter(s)Dave Mustaine
Producer(s)
  • Dave Mustaine
  • Randy Burns
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? track listing
8 tracks
  1. "Wake Up Dead"
  2. "The Conjuring"
  3. "Peace Sells"
  4. "Devils Island"
  5. "Good Mourning/Black Friday"
  6. "Bad Omen"
  7. "I Ain't Superstitious"
  8. "My Last Words"

"My Last Words" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth from their 1986 album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, written by Dave Mustaine.

Music and lyrics

"My Last Words" is about a game of Russian roulette and the fear one goes through when playing the game.[1][2] Despite being one of the lesser known tracks on the record, music journalist Martin Popoff said that the song was an example of the band's "fast thrashers" and an evidence why Megadeth were dubbed as the "fearless speed progenitors".[3] The end section features shouted gang vocals.[4]

Live performance

"My Last Words" is rarely performed live by Megadeth nowadays. The song was a setlist staple through the eighties, having been played at many shows, including their first (where it appeared under the title "Next Victim").[5] After Nick Menza and Marty Friedman joined the band, however, it was mostly dropped from setlists. It has popped up sporadically for the past three decades.

In 2010, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich requested that the band played the song at a concert at the Cow Palace on August 31, 2010.[6] The song is reportedly his favorite Megadeth song.[7]

Well, last night was fun. Lars asked us to play 'My Last Words' two minutes before we went onstage and being as we have never even rehearsed that tune with this lineup and Megadeth hasn't played that tune since 2005 in the land of OZ. I think we pulled it off rather well... That was actually really fun to just wing it and enjoy the moment. I hope the crowd did enjoy it as well.

— Shawn Drover - September 1st, 2010.[8]

In June and July 2018, Megadeth played the song at a few shows in dedication to Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, who died on June 22, 2018.[9] The performance at Hellfest was professionally shot and later uploaded to YouTube.[10] Mustaine announced the song by saying it was the first time the band played it in 20 years, although it had been played in 2005[11] and 2010.[12]

Accolades

Year Publication Country Accolade Rank
2022 Louder Sound United States The Top 20 Best Megadeth Songs Ranked[4] 15
2018 Billboard United Kingdom The 15 Best Megadeth Songs: Critic’s Picks[2] 10

Personnel

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[13]

Megadeth

Additional personnel

  • Casey McMackin - backing vocals[14]

Production

  • Dave Mustaine – production
  • Randy Burns – production, engineering
  • Casey McMackin – engineering
  • Paul Lani – mixing
  • Stan Katayama – mixing

2004 remix and remaster

  • Dave Mustaine – production, mixing
  • Ralph Patlan – engineering, mixing
  • Lance Dean – engineering, editing
  • Scott "Sarge" Harrison – editing
  • Tom Baker – mastering

References

  1. ^ Ramirez, Carlos (September 13, 2013). "10 Most Underrated Megadeth Songs". Noisecreep. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Titus, Christina. "The 15 Best Megadeth Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ^ Popoff, Martin (2002). The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time. ECW Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-1-55022-530-3.
  4. ^ a b Stewart-Panko, Kevin. "The top 20 best Megadeth songs ranked". Louder Sound. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  5. ^ The Scorpion (3 November 2008). "SCORPION Q+A". Megadeth.com. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Metallica's Lars Ulrich Pens Liner Notes for 'Timeless' Megadeth Album 'Peace Sells'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Lars On His Favorite MEGADETH Song, Napster, Favorite New Metal Bands & Cutting His Hair; Highlights Of His Reddit AMA". Metal Injection. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  8. ^ "MEGADETH PERFORM 'MY LAST WORDS' IN SAN FRANCISCO; VIDEO AVAILABLE". Brave Words. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  9. ^ "MEGADETH Dedicates 'My Last Words' To VINNIE PAUL (Video)". Blabbermouth. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  10. ^ Camp, Zoe (25 June 2018). "SEE MEGADETH SALUTE VINNIE PAUL WITH RARE "MY LAST WORDS" PERFORMANCES". Revolver Mag.
  11. ^ Ustaer, Feyyaz (25 June 2018). "MEGADETH REMEMBERS VINNIE PAUL ON STAGE: HERE'S PERFORMANCE OF "MY LAST WORDS"". Metalhead Zone. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  12. ^ Davino, Bianca (26 June 2018). "Watch Megadeth perform 'My Last Words in honour of Vinnie Paul". Tone Deaf. The Brag. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  13. ^ Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? liner notes (2004 reissue). Capitol Records. 2004. pp. 4–12.
  14. ^ Scorpion, The. "SCORPION Q+A". Megadeth.com. Retrieved 30 August 2022.