No hears a word I say
And my prayers are never answered
But you'll never see the pain inside of me
Stabbing me over and over and over
I trusted you and I loved you
And you spit back in my face
How could you do this to me?
When will you stop trying to hurt me?

I've walked a minefield for you
A career in hell with you
I have made it through the things
Others would surely die just watching
And the oath I take on this day
Is to know that you will be repaid
One day the the sun will die and the night will crawl
Until then, until I see your world implode
I wish you death and suffering
Misery to spare
Time to release your pain
Face the last enemy
I am the last thing you will know
The last thing you will see
I see your death surrounding me
I know you, yes I do
I know you

When no words are spoken and please are ignored
Your tears go unnoticed, will you say enough?
When prayers are unanswered and your calls are unheard
The pain cuts right through you, have you seen enough?

It all seems so deceitful and the verdict is lies
A black cloud of indecision compromised your life

When judgement has failed you
When your own heart's impaled you
Your wandering mind has destroyed you
Will you ever know when?

When you give everything and the feeling is gone
All the giving is fake, did you fake enough?
When you take everything and you stay too long
When there's nothing left, did you take enough?

It all seems so deceitful and the verdict is lies
A black cloud of indecision compromised your life

When judgment has failed you
When your own heart's impaled you
Your wandering mind has destroyed you
Will you ever know when?


Lyrics submitted by elmoz, edited by Tunisian0rock0fan

When Lyrics as written by Dave Mustaine

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

When song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

24 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    Taken off of Wikipedia: Mustaine also dedicated the song "When" to all the nay-sayers on Megadeth's internet message board who spoke ill of him and the band after their recent attempts at commercial success (or, a "big fuck you to all the wishy-washy fans out there".) The main riff and structure of "When" is reminiscent of "Am I Evil?" by Diamond Head, which Mustaine has said was intentional, as a homage to Diamond Head and the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement

    Trifarceon December 18, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song isn't a rip-off. It's a tribute to Diamond Head's Am I Evil? You can almost think of it as a cover. No one had a bitchfit when Metallica covered Am I Evil? so why get pissed about this?

    MetalNickon April 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Musically, this is SUCH an "Am I Evil?" tribute (He wrote this with the guy from Diamond Head, apparently)... lyrically, I think it's great.

    Prodigalon April 09, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    To me, this song sounds like the call of ctulu, well the beginnig anyway.

    ceramic_elephanton May 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Holy shit! Do they have to pay Diamond Head royalties for this?!?!?

    L3Pon April 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is the biggest i hate my ex song ever i have dedicated this song to my ex-fiance more than enough times

    cyberiouseon September 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    You are all right (this is my first post, I signed up just to make it after listening to this song). This song is basically taking the intro from 'the call of ktulu' and the rest from 'am I evil.' I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it, Did mustaine use any of his own material in this at all? I'm a bit disapointed by it actually, being a new Megadeth fan having been won over by 'rust in peace,' to hear a song that is just a blatant rip off of metallica and diamond head does not increase my love of megadeth.

    The Fifth Horsemanon September 23, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Dave mustaine wrote the riffs...

    risingpoweron December 17, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    first of all,Dave Mustaine wrote fucking call of klutu so he can defentely use it like he did with hangar 18. Second of all he wrote the lyrics and i think they are amazing. Last of all he wrote this song with the guitarist for diamond head so he got permission to do this so its not like he "stole" am i evil?

    Metal_Up_Ya_Ass_Jayon December 21, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Mustaine might've written the riffs and shit for the first couple of tallica albums but who gives a fuck, the fact is it's tallica's shit not mustaine's, and he's just ripping off tallica, just like in mechanix. I dont care if he used the same chords or whatever for hangar 18, thats a fuckin kickass song and sounds nothing like metallica so i dont care if he uses the same shit but changes it, but he shouldnt ripp off metallica by copying their shit exactly.

    The Fifth Horsemanon December 26, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/