Songfacts®:

• The genesis of this track is explained by the band in the 2005 documentary Motörhead: The Guts And The Glory. Shortly before they got their big break, Phil Taylor was practicing alone in the studio with his new bass drums when Lemmy and Fast Eddie walked in. He was about to stop but they both shouted at him not to, and the riff he was playing at that moment became the basis for the song.
• The song was recorded December 1978/January 1979, and released in the UK on March 10, 1979, the band having the previous day performed it live on Top Of The Pops. The B-side was another group composition: "Too Late Too Late". The full album version of "Overkill" runs to 5 minutes 12 seconds, and was produced by Jimmy Miller. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2
• "Overkill" is the title track to Motörhead's second album; the song is about rocking hard:
  
  Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud
  
  In the studio, the band set out to capture their live sound on the album.