"Good Mourning/Black Friday"
Song by Megadeth
from the album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
ReleasedSeptember 19, 1986 (1986-09-19)
RecordedFebruary–March 1986
Studio
GenreThrash metal
Length6:41
Label
Songwriter(s)Dave Mustaine
Producer(s)
  • Dave Mustaine
  • Randy Burns
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? track listing
8 tracks
  1. "Wake Up Dead"
  2. "The Conjuring"
  3. "Peace Sells"
  4. "Devils Island"
  5. "Good Mourning/Black Friday"
  6. "Bad Omen"
  7. "I Ain't Superstitious"
  8. "My Last Words"

"Good Mourning/Black Friday" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth from their 1986 album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, written by Dave Mustaine. Despite not being released as a single nor having a music video filmed, the song has become very popular over time.[1]

Music and lyrics

"Good Mourning/Black Friday" is a two-piece song, which begins with an instrumental section called "Good Mourning".[2] The first section starts with a clean intro, highlighted by a melodic guitar solo played by Chris Poland.[3][4]

Lyrically, Mustaine has described the second part, "Black Friday", as being about "a homicidal madman who goes on a killing spree".[5] With an excessive use of gory language and violent imagery, the song chronicles the acts of a serial killer.[6][7] It was inspired by Dijon Carruthers, who was one of the band's drummers prior to the hiring of Gar Samuelson. According to Mustaine, Carruthers was hanging out with people who were practicing occultism, and they inspired him to write songs based on spiritual themes.[8]

Abandonment live

Up until 1991, the song was a setlist staple, being played at nearly every known concert, including being played live in 1984 with Kerry King onstage.[9] After 1991, however, the band stopped playing the song, due to Mustaine's Christian beliefs being at odds with its subject matter.[10] Several months before the 25th anniversary of the release of the album Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? in 2011, Mustaine reiterated his reluctance to perform the song.[11]

Accolades

Year Publication Country Accolade Rank
2022 Louder Sound United States The Top 20 Best Megadeth Songs Ranked[12] 9
2018 Billboard United Kingdom The 15 Best Megadeth Songs: Critic’s Picks[13] 9

Personnel

Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[14]

Megadeth

Additional Personal

  • Casey McMackin - backing vocals[15]

Artwork

  • Edward J. Repka – cover illustration and album design
  • Dave Mustaine, Andy Somers – cover concept

Production

  • Dave Mustaine – production
  • Randy Burns – production, engineering
  • Casey McMackin – engineering
  • Paul Lani – mixing
  • Stan Katayama – mixing

2004 remix and remaster

  • Dave Mustaine – production, mixing
  • Ralph Patlan – engineering, mixing
  • Lance Dean – engineering, editing
  • Scott "Sarge" Harrison – editing
  • Tom Baker – mastering

References

  1. ^ Waring, Olivia. "Twitter has been celebrating the REAL Black Friday — aka, the best Megadeth song ever". Metro.co. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  2. ^ "23 Questions With Dave Mustaine". Metal Sludge. September 4, 2001. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  3. ^ "MEGADETH PEACE SELLS…BUT WHO'S BUYING". Metal Nerdery. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  4. ^ Begrand, Adrien. "MEGADETH: PEACE SELLS… BUT WHO'S BUYING? (25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)". Pop Matters. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  5. ^ Parker, Matthiew (March 18, 2011). "Dave Mustaine: "Black magic ruined my life!"". Total Guitar. Music Radar. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  6. ^ Berelian, Essi (2005). The rough guide to heavy metal. Rough Guides. p. 200. ISBN 1-84353-415-0.
  7. ^ Waring, Olivia (2016-11-25). "Twitter is celebrating the real Black Friday — aka, the best Megadeth song ever". Metro. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  8. ^ Ellefson, David (2013). My Life with Deth: Discovering Meaning in a Life of Rock & Roll. Simon and Schuster. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-4516-9989-0.
  9. ^ Metal Hammer (2022-03-24). "Watch Slayer's Kerry King thrash it up onstage with Megadeth… in 1984". loudersound. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  10. ^ "Dave Mustaine Explains Why He Refuses To Share Stage With His 'Confessed Enemy' – Blabbermouth.net". Roadrunnerrecords.com. May 8, 2007. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  11. ^ Parker, Matthiew (March 18, 2011). "Dave Mustaine: "Black magic ruined my life!"". Total Guitar. Music Radar. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  12. ^ Stewart-Panko, Kevin. "The top 20 best Megadeth songs ranked". Louder Sound. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  13. ^ Titus, Christina. "The 15 Best Megadeth Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  14. ^ Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? liner notes (2004 reissue). Capitol Records. 2004. pp. 4–12.
  15. ^ Scorpion, The. "SCORPION Q+A". Megadeth.com. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
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