Songfacts®:

• This song is about death and destruction, evoking a nuclear armageddon. Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine paints a picture of a fiery hell as the black curtains of death close in around him. It's a topic he's covered in other Megadeth songs as well, including "Rust in Peace... Polaris" and "Ashes In Your Mouth."
• The song opens with a reference to Charles Manson:
  
  Hey, look around you
  Everything's helter skelter
  
  Manson was the deranged leader of a group that killed nine people in 1969. The story was big news, shocking in how seemingly normal people could be compelled to murder by a madman. Manson heard the phrase helter skelter from a "Beatles song of that name" and appropriated it, having his followers write it on the walls of one of their crime scenes.
• "Black Curtains" is from Megadeth's Youthanasia album, one of their most popular. Dave Mustaine formed the group in 1983 after he was kicked out of Metallica. A talented songwriter, he proved to be a compelling frontman as well, and Megadeth earned their place as one of the "Big Four" of thrash metal, along with Slayer, Anthrax, and of course, Metallica.