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Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (song)

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"Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!"
Song by Megadeth
from the album Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
ReleasedJune 12, 1985 (1985-06-12)
RecordedDecember 1984 – January 1985
Studio
Genre
Length3:05
LabelCombat
Songwriter(s)Dave Mustaine
Producer(s)

"Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!" is a song by the American thrash metal band Megadeth. It is the second track from their debut studio album of the same name, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, which was released in 1985 by Combat Records.

Music and lyrics

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"Killing Is My Business..." is divided into two distinct musical sections: a mid-tempo heavy section, and a fast tempoed, thrash section.[3][4] The song alternates between the two during its three minute runtime.[4] The song is in the key of C#, and has swing styled drums.[5] The vocals are double tracked, with the two tracks having an octave difference in pitch.[3][6]

The lyrics for the track were inspired by The Punisher comic book.[7][8][9] Holy Wars... The Punishment Due would later continue the story of this song.[7] The song tells the story of an assassin who completes a job, and then kills the man who hired him.[6]

Controversy

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The song caused media controversy when a man named David J. Lefever posted an online request to a radio station to play the tune, saying "Watch the national new (sic) tomorrow I am going to go a shooting spree in Appleton WI," and that the song was "good music to go postal and kill a bunce (sic) of people to".[10][11] The DJ's who were operating the station immediately contacted the police.[12] Lefever was quickly apprehended and arrested due to the threat of a shooting spree.[9][10][12]

Personnel

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Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes except where noted.[13]

Megadeth

Production

  • Produced and mixed by Dave Mustaine and Karat Faye
  • Co-produced by Megadeth
  • Pre-production by Jay Jones

2002 remix and remaster

The Final Kill 2018 remix and remaster

References

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  1. ^ "Loud Rock". CMJ New Music Report: 45. February 11, 2002. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  2. ^ "Killing Is My Business.. and Business Is Good! - Review". metal-archives.com.
  3. ^ a b Meyer, Frank (January 31, 2002). "Megadeth Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good (Deluxe Edition)". KNAC. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Mikesn (January 1, 2007). "Megadeth Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!". Sputnik Music. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  5. ^ Schoendorff, Ed. "SCORPION Q+A". Megadeth.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good Songs Ranked". Return of Rock. October 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "MEGADETH Frontman Dave Mustaine Says Song "Holy Wars" Inspired by THE PUNISHER".
  8. ^ Begrand, Adrien (April 30, 2002). "Megadeth: Killing is My Business... and Business is Good!". PopMatters. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  9. ^ a b "Megadeth - Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!". Face Off Rock Show. June 11, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022. The album's theme song tells the story of a hired killer (why not?) And was influenced by the comic book series "The Punisher". This song managed to create problems for the band from the beginning, when a listener of a radio station asked to listen to the song and stated that it was "good music to freak out with and kill some people ...". The man was later arrested for questioning, because the police feared he would carry out a mass shooting incident.
  10. ^ a b The Hollywood Reporter Staff (September 2, 2011). "Megadeth Song Used in Internet Radio Terror Threat". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  11. ^ Jay Allen Sanford (September 3, 2011). "Man Arrested After Requesting DJ to Play Megadeth Song". San Diego Reader. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "MEGADETH - 'KILLING IS MY BUSINESS' ONLINE RADIO REQUEST LEADS TO ARREST". Brave Words. September 1, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  13. ^ Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! liner notes (2002 reissue). Loud Records. 2002. pp. 2, 7–8.
  14. ^ a b "KILLING IS MY BUSINESS...AND BUSINESS IS GOOD!". Megadeth.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
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