A Skeleton in the Closet

Album: Among the Living (1987)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is based on the Stephen King novella Apt Pupil. It tells the story of a boy who meets a man who was a Nazi during WWII. The boy suddenly has a desire to kill and has nightmares when he isn't killing. He eventually takes a rifle, goes to a highway, and starts shooting people. It takes police officers five hours to take him down. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Cody - Kansas City, MO
  • The Among the Living LP on which this track appears was dedicated to the memory of former Metallica bass player Cliff Burton, who was killed in a bus accident six months prior to the album's release.
  • Stephen King is one of the passions of Anthrax, and both this track and "Among the Living" were inspired by his stories. However, the lawyers at their record label got paranoid about the lyrics and said the band had to get permission. Once Anthrax's manager spoke to the author on the phone, it turned out that he is a fan of the group.

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