Deadly Nightshade

Album: TH1RT3EN (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Frontman Dave Mustaine originally penned the song's riff in the mid 1990s but it didn't find its way onto record until Megadeth's 2011 TH1RT3EN album. Bass player Dave Ellefson recalled to MusicRadar.com: "I'm so happy that the riff matured into a complete song – it's so menacing. [laughs] I seem to recall playing the basis for the song in Rome, Italy, during a soundcheck, and I remember seeing the janitor and the popcorn lady turning around and getting into it. That meant something to me." [laughs]
  • The deadly nightshade plant (common name belladonna) is native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic, and can cause a bizarre delirium and hallucinations. It has a long history of use as a poison and in Roman times the wife of Emperor Augustus and the wife of Claudius both used it to murder contemporaries.

    Though rarely used as a cosmetic now, historically women used drops prepared from the plant to enlarge their pupils and make their eyes sparkle. Its common name originates from the Italian 'Bella Donna' meaning 'beautiful woman.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!