The Mechanix
Encyclopedia
"The Mechanix" is a song originally performed by American heavy metal
band Metallica
. Dave Mustaine
originally wrote the song for Panic
, and later brought it with him to Megadeth
. He was kicked out of Metallica right before the recording of their debut album, Kill 'Em All
.
The different versions of the song are as follows:
, the remaining members of Metallica changed the lyrics of "The Mechanix" and added a bridge section and a new guitar solo that is played over melodic section, and released it on the album, retitling it "The Four Horsemen". Mustaine was still given credit for the song, although Mustaine claims he asked the band not to use his material, a statement Metallica disputes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyZkVwRuBYQ&feature=related The new lyrics refer to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
.
"The Four Horsemen" is a fan-favorite song of Metallica. The title also served as a source for one of the band's nicknames.
The lyrics, as the title suggests, are about the end of the world and the apocalypse, referring to the Biblical
text about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
. However, many believe the song is about Metallica themselves as the "horsemen".
The lyrics refer to the horsemen as Time, Famine, Pestilence and Death. This is a revision upon an already non-canonical misinterpretation of the Biblical passages. In the Bible, the four horsemen are actually Conquest, War, Famine and Death. In other popular culture they are known as Pestilence, War, Famine and Death.
During the bridge of the song, bassist Cliff Burton
's voice can be heard providing the backing vocals.
The iTunes bonus track of the song can be watched on the Live Shit: Binge & Purge
box set. The song was performed in Seattle on August 29, 1989.
An excerpt of "The Four Horsemen" is used in the queue video for the Zombiegeddon house in Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights
XX: Twenty Years of Fear.
Mustaine has publicly admitted that the bridge to the song The Four Horsemen is a direct copy of the main riff in the Lynyrd Skynyrd
song Sweet Home Alabama. As of yet, Lynyrd Skynyrd has not sued Metallica and/or Mustaine for plagiarism. Such a case would not be unprecedented, as Joe Satriani
sued Coldplay
for plagiarism.
. When it was released, Mustaine retitled it to just "Mechanix". The original lyrics are about a gas station attendant who is sexually attracted to one of his customers, and uses several different automotive phrases and terms as sexual innuendos. This is the way the song was originally written (as can be heard on the early Metallica demo, No Life 'Til Leather), but has a much faster tempo than the original Metallica incarnation of "The Mechanix", being at approximately 247 beats per minute.
Later, after forming Megadeth, Mustaine would sometimes perform the song in concert, differentiating between "their (Metallica's) way" (referring to "The Four Horsemen") and "our way" on the Rude Awakening
CD and DVD: "There are two ways you can hear this next song. There's our way and there's their way. For those of you who think this is their way, the song is called The Mechanix." In some concerts in 2009, Mustaine changed the line to "If there's one thing I want you to take with you tonight, it is that this song is not "The Four Horsemen", this is "The Mechanix".
In the original version of the song, Mustaine screams "Fuck yeah!" at 3:07; however, on the Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
, this was cut out.
Megadeth has started incorporating the song into others such as "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" and "Peace Sells
". The band plays the song to a key section, changes and plays "The Mechanix" and then finishes the original song.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
. Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
originally wrote the song for Panic
Panic
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reaction...
, and later brought it with him to Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. He was kicked out of Metallica right before the recording of their debut album, Kill 'Em All
Kill 'Em All
Kill 'Em All is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on July 25, 1983. Since its release, it has been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA, having sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone.-Music:...
.
The different versions of the song are as follows:
- "The Mechanix" – Metallica – No Life 'Til Leather – 1982
- "The Four Horsemen" – Metallica – Kill 'Em AllKill 'Em AllKill 'Em All is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on July 25, 1983. Since its release, it has been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA, having sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone.-Music:...
– 1983 - "Mechanix" – Megadeth – Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in June 1985 through Combat and Relativity Records. During the beginning of 1985, the band was given $8,000 by Combat Records to record and produce their debut album, but this...
– 1985 (re-released 2002)
The Four Horsemen
Released as the second track on Kill 'Em AllKill 'Em All
Kill 'Em All is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on July 25, 1983. Since its release, it has been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA, having sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone.-Music:...
, the remaining members of Metallica changed the lyrics of "The Mechanix" and added a bridge section and a new guitar solo that is played over melodic section, and released it on the album, retitling it "The Four Horsemen". Mustaine was still given credit for the song, although Mustaine claims he asked the band not to use his material, a statement Metallica disputes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyZkVwRuBYQ&feature=related The new lyrics refer to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
.
"The Four Horsemen" is a fan-favorite song of Metallica. The title also served as a source for one of the band's nicknames.
The lyrics, as the title suggests, are about the end of the world and the apocalypse, referring to the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
text about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
. However, many believe the song is about Metallica themselves as the "horsemen".
The lyrics refer to the horsemen as Time, Famine, Pestilence and Death. This is a revision upon an already non-canonical misinterpretation of the Biblical passages. In the Bible, the four horsemen are actually Conquest, War, Famine and Death. In other popular culture they are known as Pestilence, War, Famine and Death.
During the bridge of the song, bassist Cliff Burton
Cliff Burton
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
's voice can be heard providing the backing vocals.
The iTunes bonus track of the song can be watched on the Live Shit: Binge & Purge
Live Shit: Binge & Purge
-San Diego:Recorded at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California on January 13 and 14, 1992.-VHS one/DVD one:#"20 Min. MetalliMovie"#"The Ecstasy of Gold"#"Enter Sandman"#"Creeping Death"#"Harvester of Sorrow"#"Welcome Home...
box set. The song was performed in Seattle on August 29, 1989.
An excerpt of "The Four Horsemen" is used in the queue video for the Zombiegeddon house in Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights is an annual Halloween event that occurs at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore. Universal Studios remains operational during the day and transitions to Halloween Horror Nights at night...
XX: Twenty Years of Fear.
Mustaine has publicly admitted that the bridge to the song The Four Horsemen is a direct copy of the main riff in the Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
song Sweet Home Alabama. As of yet, Lynyrd Skynyrd has not sued Metallica and/or Mustaine for plagiarism. Such a case would not be unprecedented, as Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
sued Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
for plagiarism.
Mechanix
Mustaine formed Megadeth and released the song with its original lyrics a year later on Megadeth's debut album, Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in June 1985 through Combat and Relativity Records. During the beginning of 1985, the band was given $8,000 by Combat Records to record and produce their debut album, but this...
. When it was released, Mustaine retitled it to just "Mechanix". The original lyrics are about a gas station attendant who is sexually attracted to one of his customers, and uses several different automotive phrases and terms as sexual innuendos. This is the way the song was originally written (as can be heard on the early Metallica demo, No Life 'Til Leather), but has a much faster tempo than the original Metallica incarnation of "The Mechanix", being at approximately 247 beats per minute.
Later, after forming Megadeth, Mustaine would sometimes perform the song in concert, differentiating between "their (Metallica's) way" (referring to "The Four Horsemen") and "our way" on the Rude Awakening
Rude Awakening (Megadeth album)
Rude Awakening is a live album by American heavy metal band Megadeth. The album was released by Sanctuary Records in 2002, the last release before the band broke up in 2002...
CD and DVD: "There are two ways you can hear this next song. There's our way and there's their way. For those of you who think this is their way, the song is called The Mechanix." In some concerts in 2009, Mustaine changed the line to "If there's one thing I want you to take with you tonight, it is that this song is not "The Four Horsemen", this is "The Mechanix".
In the original version of the song, Mustaine screams "Fuck yeah!" at 3:07; however, on the Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start is the second greatest hits album by Megadeth. It was released in 2005 by Capitol Records. The tracklist for Back to the Start was largely the result of a poll on their official website, in which tens of thousands of fans voted for their favorite tracks from the...
, this was cut out.
Megadeth has started incorporating the song into others such as "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" and "Peace Sells
Peace Sells
"Peace Sells" is a song by the American thrash metal band Megadeth from the 1986 album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, written by Dave Mustaine. It, along with Wake Up Dead from the same album, has been a staple at Megadeth concerts. Lyrically, it deals with negative stereotypes about...
". The band plays the song to a key section, changes and plays "The Mechanix" and then finishes the original song.