Megadeth -Countdown to Extinction
(Capitol Records, 1992)

Produced by Dave Mustaine and Max Norman
  1. Skin O' My Teeth (3:14)
  2. Symphony of Destruction (4:02)
  3. Architecture of Agression (3:34)
  4. Foreclosure of a Dream (4:17)
  5. Sweating Bullets (5:03)
  6. This Was My Life (3:42)
  7. Countdown to Extinction (4:16)
  8. High Speed Dirt (4:12)
  9. Psychotron (4:42)
  10. Captive Honour (4:14)
  11. Ashes In Your Mouth (6:10)

Total playing time: 47 m. 26 s.

Dave Mustaine: lead & rhythm guitar, lead vocals
Marty Friedman: lead, rhythm & acoustic guitar, backing vocals

Nick Menza: drums, backing vocals

David Ellefson: bass guitars, backing vocals 


Skin O' My Teeth
Dave Mustaine

I had wrists donning slits
Flowing constantly

My broken body in a wreck

Wrapped around a tree

A crosswalk hit and run

The finish line for me

People clutter in the gutter

Take a look and see

Chorus
No escaping pain

You belong to me

Clinging on to life

By the skin o' my teeth

My blood flows through the streets
Deluge from the wounds

Empty jars of sleeping pills

On the dresser of my room

My wet brain neighbor cranes

His neck to see in time,

The white lights a train

Bearing down on me

Chorus
Solo - Marty

I won't feel the hurt
I'm not trash any longer

That that doesn't kill me

Only makes me stronger

I need a ride to the morgue

That's what 911 is for

So, tag my toe and don't forget

Ooh to close the drawer

Chorus
 


Symphony of Destruction
Dave Mustaine

You take a mortal man,
And put him in control

Watch him become a god,

Watch peoples heads a'roll

A'roll...

Chorus
Just like the Pied Piper

Led rats through the streets

We dance like marionettes,

Swaying to the Symphony...

Of Destruction

Acting like a robot,
Its metal brain corrodes

You try to take its pulse,

Before the head explodes

Explodes...

Chorus
Solo - Marty

The earth starts to rumble
World powers fall

A'warring for the heavens,

A peaceful man stands tall

Tall...

Chorus
 


Architecture of Aggression
Dave Mustaine/David Ellefson

Born from the dark,
In the black cloak of night

To envelop its prey below,

Deliver to the light

To eliminate your enemy,

Hit them in their sleep,

And when all is won and lost,

The spoils of wars are yours to keep

Chorus
Great nations built from the bones of the dead,

With mud and straw, blood and sweat,

You know your worth when your enemies

Praise your architecture of aggression

Solo - Marty

Ensuing power vacuum,
A toppled leader dies

His body fuels the power fire,

And the flames rise to the sky

One side of his face a kiss,

The other genocide

Time to pay with your ass,

A worldwide suicide

Chorus
Solo - Marty

Born from the dark,
In the black cloak of night

To envelop its prey below,

Deliver to the light

To eliminate your enemy,

Hit then in their sleep,

And when all is won and lost,

The spoils of war are yours to keep

Chorus
 


Foreclosure of a Dream
Dave Mustaine/David Ellefson

Rise so high, yet so far to fall
A plan of dignity and balance for all

Political breakthrough, euphoria's high

More borrowed money, more borrowed time

Backed in a corner, caught up in the race

Means to an end ended in disgrace

Perspective is lost in the spirit of the chase

Chorus
Foreclosure of a dream

Those visions never seen

Until all is lost

Personal Holocaust

Foreclosure of a dream

Barren land that once filled a need
Are worthless now, dead without a deed

Slipping away from an iron grip

Nature's scales are forced to tip

The heartland cries, loss of all pride

To leave ain't believing, so try and be tried

Insufficient funds, insanity and suicide

Chorus
Solo - Dave

Now with new hope some will be proud
This is no hoax, no one pushed out

Receive a reprieve and be a pioneer

Break new ground of a new frontier

New ideas will surely get by

No deed, or dividend. Some may ask "Why?"

You'll find the solution, the answers in the sky

Solo - Marty

Rise so high, yet so far to fall
A plan of dignity and balance for all

Political breakthrough, euphoria's high

More borrowed money, more borrowed time

Chorus
Holocaust

 


Sweating Bullets
Dave Mustaine

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!

Chorus
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.

Solo - Dave

Hello me... It's me again
You can subdue, but never tame me

It gives me a migraine headache

Thinking down to your level

Yea, just keep on thinking it's my fault

And stay an inch or two outta kicking distance

Mankind has got to know

His limitations

Chorus
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

Well, me... it's nice talking to myself
A credit to dementia

Some day you too will know my pain

And smile its blacktooth 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

Chorus
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 committed me

Now you've acquitted me

Claiming validity

For your stupidity

I'm chomping at the bit

I'm sharpening the axe

Here I come again, whoa!

Sweating bullets

 


This Was My Life
Dave Mustaine

It was just another day
It was just another fight

It was words strung into sentences

It was doomed to not be right

There is something wrong with me
There is something wrong with you

There is nothing left of us

There is one thing I can do

Chorus
Lying on your bed,

Examining my head

This is the part of me that hates

Paybacks are a bitch

I throw the switch

Somewhere an electric chair awaits

Hey! This was my life

Hey! This was my fate

This was the wrong thing to do
This was the wrong one to be doing

This was the road to destiny

This was the road to my ruin

Now there's motives for the suspect
Now there's nothing left to say

Now there's method to the madness

Now there's society to pay

Chorus

In our life there's if
In our beliefs there's lie

In our business there's sin

In our bodies there's die

Solo - Dave

This was my life
This was my fate

 


Countdown to Extinction
Mustaine/Menza/Ellefson/Friedman

Endangered species, caged in fright
Shot in cold blood, no chance to fight

The stage is set, now pay the price

An ego boost, don't think twice

Technology, the battle's unfair

You pull the hammer without a care

Squeeze the trigger that makes you Man

Pseudo-safari, the hunt is canned...

The hunt is canned

Chorus
All are gone, all but one

No contest, nowhere to run

No more left, only one

This is it, this is the Countdown to Extinction

Tell the truth, you wouldn't dare
The skin and trophy, oh so rare

Silence speaks louder than words

Ignore the guilt, and take your turn

Liars anagram is "lairs"

Man you were never even there

Killed a few feet from the cages

Point blank, you're so courageous...

So courageous

Chorus

One hour from now,
another species of life form

will disappear off the face of the planet

forever...and the rate is accelerating

Chorus
 


High Speed Dirt
Dave Mustaine/David Ellefson

Do it if you dare
Leaping from the sky

Hurling thru the air

Exhilarating high

See the earth below

Soon to make a crater

Blue sky, black death

I'm off to meet my maker

Chorus
Energy of the gods, adrenalin surge

Won't stop til I hit the ground, I'm on my way for sure

Up here in the air, this will never hurt

I'm on my way to impact, taste the high speed dirt

Paralyzed with fear
Feel velocity gain

Entering a near

Catatonic state

Pressure of the sound

Roaring thru my head

Crash into the ground

Damned if I'll be dead

Chorus

Jump or die!

Solo - Dave
Solo - Marty

Dropping all my weight
Going down full throttle

The pale horse awaits

Like a genie in a bottle

Fire in my veins

Faster as I go

I forgot my name

I'm a dirt torpedo

Solo - Marty

High speed dirt...

Solo - Dave
 


Psychotron
Dave Mustaine

Assassin in stealth
Assailant from Hell

Impervious to damage

Computer on-board

Engaged in a war

Non-stop combatant

Maybe not a mutant, maybe a man

Chorus
Part bionic

And organic

Not a cyborg

Call him Psychotron

Burning inside
Godspeed in glide

Battle plan running

A killing machine

Just downright mean

And forever gunning

Maybe not a mutant, maybe a man

Chorus

Target to destroy
Arms in employ

Full assault fire threat

Sensors indicate

You will terminate

Life systems disconnect

Chorus

All solos - Marty

Psychotron
 


Captive Honour
Mustaine/Ellefson/Menza/Friedman

Madness comes, and madness goes
An insane place, with insane moves

Battles without, for battles within

Where evil lives and evil rules

Breaking them up, just breaking them in

Quickest way out, quickest relief wins

Never disclose, never betray

Cease to speak or cease to breathe

And when you kill a man, you're a murderer

Kill many, and you're a conqueror

Kill them all...Ooh...Oh you're a god!

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
Have you reached a verdict?

Yes, we have Your Honour, we find the defendant guilty!
On all counts for crimes against all humanity.

By virtue of the jury's decision and the power
Vested in me by the state I hereby sentence you to be

Incarcerated with no possibility of parole for life

Life?...Whadda ya mean life?...I ain't got a life

Boy!...Your soul better belong to Jesus!...
Hmmm-mmm cause your ass belongs to me!

Chorus
Captive honour, ain't no honour

No time for questions
No time for the games

Start kicking ass

And taking down the names

A long shit list

A shorter fuse

He is untouchable

And guarantees you'll lose

Chorus
Solo - Dave

Inside the bighouse
His nightmare unfolds

Before he got there

His manpussy was sold

Black blanket welcome

This tough guy's now a bitch

Praying for death

It can't be worse than this

Chorus
Solo - Dave

Solo - Marty

Chorus
 


Ashes In Your Mouth
Mustaine/Menza/Ellefson/Friedman

People have round shoulders from fairing heavy loads
And the soldiers liberate them, laying mines along their roads

Sorrow paid for valor is too much to recall

Of the countless corpses piled up along the wailing wall

Melting down all metals, turning plows and shears to swords
Shun words of the Bible, we need implements of war

Chalklines and red puddles of those who have been slain

Destiny, that crooked schemer, says the dead shall rise again

Chorus
Where do we go from here?

And should we really care?

The end is finally here,

God have mercy!

Now we've rewritten history
The one thing we've found out

Sweet taste of vindication

It turns to ashes in your mouth

Chorus

If you're fighting to live
It's O.K. to die!

The answer to your question is...

Welcome to tomorrow!

Solo - Marty - Marty - Dave

Where do we go from here?
God have mercy!

Chorus