Wake Up Dead

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This article is about the song. For the album, see Incite (band).
"Wake Up Dead"
Wake Up Dead.jpeg
Single by Megadeth
from the album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
Released1986
Recorded1986
GenreThrash metal
Length3:38
Label
Songwriter(s)Dave Mustaine
Producer(s)
  • Dave Mustaine
  • Randy Burns
Megadeth singles chronology
"Wake Up Dead"
(1986) 		"Peace Sells"
(1986)

"Wake Up Dead" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth, and was the lead single from their 1986 album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, written by Dave Mustaine. It has since become a staple at their concerts, being their sixth most played song.[1]

Lyrics[]

"Wake Up Dead" features lyrics which describe a man who has been cheating on his wife or girlfriend and is sneaking into his house, knowing that if his wife finds out about his other lover, she will kill him.[2] Mustaine said that "Wake Up Dead" was written about him cheating on a girl with whom he was living with. He stayed with her because he was homeless at the time and needed a place to stay. Unfortunately, he was in love with another girl and thought the one he lived with would be mad because he was cheating on her. He had to leave her because he thought she had intentions to kill him.[3]

Music video[]

A music video was produced for the song, directed by Penelope Spheeris. The video begins with a shot of the stage surrounded by a metal wire fence. A group of fans gather around and rush at the stage, and the band begins to play.[4] Fans crowd surf and climb the fence while the band plays. The video has a blue hue throughout. The video was released on April 28th, 1987.[5]

Covers[]

Track listing[]

7-inch edition

  1. "Wake Up Dead"
  2. "Good Mourning/Black Friday"

12-inch edition

  1. "Wake Up Dead"
  2. "Black Friday (Live)
  3. "Devils Island (Live)

Cassette edition

  1. "Wake Up Dead"
  2. "Black Friday (Live)
  3. "Devils Island (Live)

Charts[]

Chart (1986) Peak
position
UK Singles[7] 65

References[]

  1. ^ "Megadeth Tour Statistics". setlist.fm. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Konow, David (2009). Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal. Crown Publishing Group. p. 244. ISBN 978-0-307-56560-0.
  3. ^ Popoff 2002, p. 134.
  4. ^ "Megadeth: Wake Up Dead". IMDb. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "Megadeth: Wake Up Dead". IMDb. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "EXODUS And OVERKILL Members Join Forces For Quarantine Cover Of MEGADETH's 'Wake Up Dead'". Blabbermouth.net. May 26, 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Megadeth". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 20, 2021.

External links[]

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