Question
Dear Scorpion,
What does Dave mean when he sings about the lack and overdose of mercy killings in ...The Punishment Due? From what point of view are the lyrics speaking?
-Macarius
Answer
Macarius,
What an excellent question! Not only is "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" a cornerstone of the Megadeth catalog, but I personally love how the song has two chapters.
I believe the lyrics you are speaking of are:
"I know what I said now I must scream
Of the overdose and the lack of mercy killings"
This line was based upon the Dr. Kavorkian trials that were happening at the time. He was known as "Dr. Death" and was famous for being a euthanasia activist. He claimed to have assisted at least 130 patients in physician-assisted suicide, and famously said, "dying is not a crime". Dr. Death was convicted of second-degree murder and served eight years of a 10-to-25-year prison sentence. He was released on parole on June 1, 2007, on condition he would not offer suicide advice to any other person.
The "lack of mercy killings" is about forcing people to live that want to end their life.
Paging Dr. Kavorkian...
-ScorpioN
