Countdown To Extinction is Megadeth’s fifth album, released in 1992. This album is a bit more serious than Rust In Peace, except in songs like “Sweating Bullets” and “Skin O’ My Teeth.” This is also the first album not to feature Vic Rattlehead on the cover in any form.
Huge
Syme did the non-Vic covers (Countdown, Youthanasia, Cryptic
Writings), as well as the cover of Iron Maiden’s 1995 album The
X Factor. Vic appears on the back of the CD, with an abacus of
skulls. The cover features an old man floating in a cell screaming.
Two little skulls are on a plate in the cell. The Megadeth logo is
smaller, 3-D rendered, with a shadow on the wall. It is a silvery
color, darkening at the lower half. The videos released from this
album are: “Symphony Of Destruction,” “Foreclosure Of A Dream,” “Skin
O’ My Teeth,” “High Speed Dirt,” and “Sweating Bullets.”
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 onto life
By the skin o’ my teeth
(Repeat)
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
(Mustaine)
You take a mortal man,
And put him in control
Watch him become a god,
Watch peoples heads a’roll
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…
Explodes…
Chorus
Solo • Marty
The Earth starts to rumble
World powers fall
A’warring for the heavens,
A peaceful man stands tall
A tall...
A tall...
Chorus
Architecture Of Aggression
(Mustaine/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
(Mustaine/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
Hello me… Meet the real me.
And my misfit’s 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.
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.
Solo • Dave
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
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
Spoken:
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
Reporter:
One hour from now,
another species of life form
will disappear off the face of the planet
forever… and the rate is accelerating.
Harmony
Chorus
High Speed Dirt
(Mustaine/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
High speed dirt
High speed dirt
High speed dirt
Solo • Dave
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
Repeat Chorus
Solo • Marty
Target to destroy
Arms in employ
Full assault fire threat
Sensors indicate
You will terminate
Life systems disconnect
Chorus
Repeat Chorus
Solo • 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
Spoken:
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!
Judge:
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
Have you reached a verdict?
Foreman:
Yes, we have Your Honour, we find the defendant guilty.
On all counts for crimes against all humanity!
Judge:
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.
Convict:
Life?… Whadda ya mean life?… I ain’t got a life!
Judge:
Boy!… Your soul better belong to Jesus,
Hmmm-mmm… cause your ass belongs to me!
Chorus
Captive honour, ain’t no honour
Captive honour, aint’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
Captive honour, ain’t no honour
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
Spoken:
If you’re fighting to live
It’s O.K. to die!
The answer to your question is:
Welcome to tomorrow!
Solo • Marty
Solo • Marty
Solo • Dave
Harmony
Where do we go from here?
God have mercy!
Chorus
Mercy…