Many misunderstood metal and hardcore bands fought for artistic expression throughout the ’90s—including Megadeth. Following controversy surrounding the lyrics to their 1994 track “A Tout Le Monde,” the music video was reportedly banned by MTV.
As singer-guitarist Dave Mustaine tells SPIN backstage at Louder Than Life, the song (which includes the chorus “A tout le monde / A tout mes amis / Je vous aime / Je dois partir / These are the last words / I’ll ever speak / And they’ll set me free”) were inspired by a dream in which his late mother shared a message of love.
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“In my dream, my mom was able to come back to Earth and say one thing only, and that one thing was ‘I love you.’ I thought, ‘That would be great if I was able, when I go to heaven, to come back and say one thing to the people I love.”
“The song itself was very meaningful,” he adds. “[It’s] a beautiful song, and people love it.”
The band’s bassist, James LoMenzo, acknowledged that the battle for self-expression persists in music today. “There’s so many people who are instantly canceled for just having an erroneous idea that people aren’t really comfortable with,” LoMenzo says. “It’s a shame. … I can’t see any reputable artist who can keep from just saying their truth and their art and having people hear what’s inside their soul.”
Megadeth, he says, recognizes the immense staying power of music—and how it can enrich people’s lives.
“We have the best job in the world because we create memories with people,” LoMenzo says. “These memories are things that they will remember 10 years from now, 20 years from now, and pass down to their family and to their kids. It’s music in the end—it’s a great communication.”
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