Songfacts®:

• At the beginning of the Rock Era, "The Stroll," "The Twist" and the "Hitch Hike" were some of the dances young people preferred. Exodus frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza decided that moshers needed a similar song, so he created one and named it "The Toxic Waltz."
  
  It accurately describes the action in a violent mosh pit: blood on the floor, shots to the head, and general chaos. Souza got the idea after coming home late and watching a commercial for an album compilation of oldies dance crazes. He told Songfacts: "I wrote the lyrics as a parody and I wrote it as a joke. I didn't even think that we were going to use it. If you read the lyrics, they're kind of silly. I'm thinking, you know, here we are, this totally hard thrash band, we kick in your face and rape and murder your wife, and now here we're writing a parody of a '60s or '50s dance number."
• Exodus guitarist Gary Holt came up with the song's riff and suggested the title, asking lead singer Souza to write something about what their fans did at gigs. Souza wrote the lyric as a goof, but Holt loved it, and so did Exodus' fans - the song became one of their most popular tracks and a live stalwart.