Sweating Bullets by Megadeth

Album: Countdown to Extinction (1992)

Charted: 26

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Songfacts®:

This song finds a man (apparently schizophrenic) being confronted by his dark side, who warns him that he cannot be repressed much longer. When this sinister side shows up, the man wakes up with blood stains on his hands, wondering what he did.
Dave Mustaine has said that the song is about himself, and that he wrote it after "it was pointed out to me that I'm kind of schizophrenic and that I live inside my head."

He revealed on VH1's That Metal Show, however, that the song was inspired by a friend of his girlfriend (and later, his wife), Pam. This friend suffered from anxiety attacks - Mustaine called her "s--thouse crazy." She would take Pam to a party, have an anxiety spell and leave her; Mustaine would get the call and have to pick her up.

After Mustaine wrote this song, Pam thought it was about her, but Dave assured her she was "not that crazy." Said Mustaine, "I wrote this song about her nutty friend."
Dimebag Darrell of Pantera loved this song and got a tattoo of a black tooth grin after a tour, a reference to the line, in this song, "Someday you too will know my pain and smile its black tooth grin." Darrell also created a drink he named after the song, which is mostly whiskey with a splash of Coke.

Regarding the line, Dave Mustaine told Billboard: "I think there's no better description of the joy of a good fight than when you see a boxer who's smiling after he's won, but he's had a tooth knocked out."
The music video was directed by Wayne Isham, who also did Megadeth's videos for "Symphony Of Destruction" and "99 Ways To Die." Mustaine says he started off sober for the shoot, but ended up very drunk by the end, and he even kicked a hole in the wall at one point. The video shows multiple images of Mustaine as it takes us through his descent into madness. Headbangers Ball host Riki Rachtman placed it #4 on his list of the Best Metal Videos of the '90s.

Comments: 23

Lost from Earthnot a huge fan of the voice it kinda reminds me of my grandma X_x but the groove is good
Dan Gillespy from Courtenay BcThis song has a nice catchy and groovy but heavy beat to it.
Metal from OhListen to the lyrics closely and it is his dark side talking to him and the guy is scared about which makes since because in the lyrics it says " 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

Then he wakes up and sees blood on his hands. The guy murdered someone after his darkside finally got through to him because the last verse it goes " 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
Jodie from XxDave Mustaine
said on 'That Metal Show' that he wrote this song about his wife's friend.
No 1 Guido from Philadelphia, PaRead the lyrics and watch the video closely then step into Dave's mind and world. It is about his struggle to lead the band and commit to writing the lyrics for the songs on the album they are producing. The whole band is locked away contribute and learn their guitar, bass and drum parts as they have to commit to a deadline, therefore, the term "sweating bullets". So to wrap it up into one comment, there are all going crazy trying to meet the commitment to make their best music for another album release and cannot submit to the demons inside no matter what they may be to ignore their contractual commitments. The chorus is very telling with words like sharpening the AX (his guitar practice), blood on his hands (responsibility for others), feeling paranoid (eyes are on him to complete writing the words), icy fingers (cannot put pen to paper), chomping at the bit (showing frustration & impatience when something is delayed). This is the great wonder of musicians and their music/lyrics. This is why we love them so much regardless of their personal faults. It takes a musician to understand this world, especially one who write the music.
Christian from Oslo, Norwaymy personal oppinion is that is about DID/depression/paranoia, all common to be present at the same time... love the song!
Jim from Las Vegas, NvYou are all f--king stupid. Dimebag Did not name the black tooth after this song. first of all. He is talking about dimebag in the song the when he says the line about war inside my head hes talking about suicidal tendencies. the band, not himself having suicidal tendencies. you dumbass idiots. learn about metal.
Joe from El Paso, TxI think that this is about a man who hears voices, perticuarlly, his own which drives him crazy and destructive.
Travis from Charleston, WvGoing by the video, it's a personality disorder, be it schizophrenia or "disosiative identity disorder." Although I like the thinking of Neil, I just always took this particular song at face value.
Alejandro from West Bloomfield, MiGoing along with what Niel from London said, all the lines that go "Hello me... Meet the real me" or something like that could be the USA and Russia looking at each other as 2 different parts of one. Also each line seems to alternate before 2 different personas. Like in the first verse "Hindsight is always 20-20
But looking back it's still a bit fuzzy
Speak of mutually assured destruction?" then the other side anwers "Nice story, tell it to Reader's Digest" (which is an american magazine)
Arthur from Pittsburgh, Payour right brendan the meaning they put is completely wrong but i think it's more about killing someone and now being real nervous about getting cought it an being suicidal.
thats why it says and my misfits way of life a dark black past is my most valued possesion

this part shows hes nervous.
Feeling paranoid
True enemy or false friend?
Anxietys attacking me, and
My air is getting thin.
Im in trouble for the things
I havent got to yet.
Im chomping at the bit, and my
Palms are getting wet, sweating bullets

and saying the war inside my head takes a day off ill be dead shows he regrets and is suicidal
Brendan from Easton, CtMaybe this is wrong, but I have read from several places that the song is about DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). If this is the case, the video makes much more sense, as schizophrenics do not have visions of the "real me", which can occur in DID. That said, this is a great song. Neil in London, now that you mention it, I think you're onto something. That's really interesting.

BTW, the phrase "sweating bullets" has nothing to do with sweating. It means to be incredibly nervous.
Julie from Beatrice, NeFirst off the RIP to Dime Bag Daryell should be placed in a comment section of Pantara NOT Megadeath. Second I love this song too and thanks to one of my closest friends who is a metal head he turned me on to Megadeath and all the metal greats. This song is too one of my favorites along with peace sells
Chris from Philly, Pa1st,R.I.P. Dime bag.

2nd great song by megadeth
Dylan from Olmsted Falls, United StatesOne of my favorite.
Me from Yermum, Mithis song is acctually about disosiative identity disorder, not schizophrena. comon mistake.
Garrett from Rapid City, SdDimebag Darrell Named his Favorite drink after this Song, The blacktooth grin
Liam from Oshawa, Canadathis song reminds of the story : Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde how every person has an evil side and a good side and then the evil side finally takes over but thats my opinion on the song
AnonymousI think this song is about someone who was working out. Maybe he tried to bench too much weight and didnt know his own limitations. Anyway he was really sweating and he felt like he was sweating bullets.
Tasty from Canton, NdGenius Neil, total genius...
James from Hazlet , Nmi don't know if this is true or not but i heard that he wrote it after he got out of jail
kinda makes sences.
Nev from Gold Coast, Australiadave said in an issue of guitar world he wrote this around the time his wife was pregnant
Neil from London, EnglandThis may not be the intention, but for me, this song sums up the paranoia between East and West during the cold war. The lines in particular which inspire this believe are:

'Thinking down to your level
Yea, just keep on thinking it's my fault' -
This is exactly how the two sides saw eachother, blaming the other side for every little disagreement

'And stay an inch or two outta kicking distance' -
both always moving closer to war, but afraid to launch the first missile

'Mankind has got to know
His limitations' -
This sums up why they never crossed the line, because they knew it was beyond them.

This is my intrepretation, and may have nothing to do with the motivation for the song, but it is fairly fitting to all the lyrics

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