"My Last Words" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth from their 1986 album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, written by Dave Mustaine.

Music and lyrics

"My Last Words" is about a game of Russian roulette and the fear one goes through when playing the game. Despite being one of the lesser known tracks on the record, music journalist Martin Popoff said that the song was an example of the band's "fast thrashers" and an evidence why Megadeth were dubbed as the "fearless speed progenitors". The end section features shouted gang vocals.

Live performance

"My Last Words" is rarely performed live by Megadeth nowadays. The song was a setlist staple through the eighties, having been played at many shows, including their first (where it appeared under the title "Next Victim"). After Nick Menza and Marty Friedman joined the band, however, it was mostly dropped from setlists. It has popped up sporadically for the past three decades. In 2010, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich requested that the band played the song at a concert at the Cow Palace on August 31, 2010. The song is reportedly his favorite Megadeth song. "Well, last night was fun. Lars asked us to play 'My Last Words' two minutes before we went onstage and being as we have never even rehearsed that tune with this lineup and Megadeth hasn't played that tune since 2005 in the land of OZ. I think we pulled it off rather well... That was actually really fun to just wing it and enjoy the moment. I hope the crowd did enjoy it as well." In June and July 2018, Megadeth played the song at a few shows in dedication to Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, who died on June 22, 2018. The performance at Hellfest was professionally shot and later uploaded to YouTube. Mustaine announced the song by saying it was the first time the band played it in 20 years, although it had been played in 2005 and 2010.

Accolades

Personnel

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes. Megadeth Additional personnel Production 2004 remix and remaster