Mercyful Fate (song)

Song

Mercyful Fate is the Disc 1 seventh track from 1998's album Garage, Inc. It was written by King Diamond and Hank Shermann, and has a length of 11:10. It's the longest Metallica song featuring in a studio album.

About[]

This song is a mix of five songs by Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate ("Satan's Fall", "Curse of the Pharaohs", "A Corpse Without Soul", "Into The Coven", and "Evil"). "A Corpse Without Soul" was originally released by Mercyful Fate in 1982 on the Mercyful Fate EP. All other songs were originally released by Mercyful Fate in 1983 on the Melissa album. Metallica's version was recorded in Sep-Oct 1998 at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, CA.

Live[]

"Mercyful Fate" has been performed live 8 times as of January, 2025.
"Mercyful Fate" was first performed live on November 17th, 1998, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at The Warehouse, during the Garage Barrage tour.
It was last performed live on December 7th, 2021, in San Francisco, California, at the Fillmore, during the 30th Anniversary Tour.

Trivia[]

"Mercyful Fate" features in the Guitar Hero Metallica videogame.
Metallica played the song with Mercyful Fate during the 30th Anniversary show.

Lyrics[]

They're walking by the night
The moon has frozen blue
Long black coats a shelter for the rain
Their load must get through

Now bats are leaving their trees
They're joining the call
Seven satanic Hell preachers
Heading for the hall

Bringing the blood of a newborn child, yeah
Got to succeed, if not it's Satan's fall

Way out in Egypt in the valley of kings
Where the mummified pharaohs
Pretend dead in their sleep, yeah

Don't touch, never ever steal
Unless you're in for the kill
Or you've been hit, by the curse of the pharaohs
Yes you've been hit, and the curse is on you
 
Ooh, the curse of the pharaohs can be so deadly
Just destroying your future
Makin' it all shady

Don't touch, never ever steal
Unless you're in for the kill
In for the kill
Or you'll be hit, by the curse of the pharaohs
Yes you'll be hit, and the curse is on you

Listen, yeah
I'm a corpse
I'm a corpse
I'm a corpse without soul

Satan, yeah
He's taken
He's taken
He's taken his toll
He took it on me

I, yeah
I'm trapped
I'm trapped
I'm trapped in his spell

Tonight, yeah
I'm going
I'm going
I'm going to Hell, inside his spell 

Howl like a wolf
And a witch will open the door
Follow me, and meet our high priestess

Yeah, yeah, come, come into my coven
Yeah, yeah, and become Lucifer's child

Undress until you're naked
And put on this white coat
Take this white cross and go
To the center of the ring

Yeah, yeah, come, come into my coven
Yeah, yeah, and become Lucifer's child

I was born in the cemetery
Under the sign of the moon
Raised from my grave by the dead
And I was made a mercenary
In the legions of Hell
Now I'm king of pain, I'm insane

You know my only pleasure
Is to hear you cry
I'd love to hear you cry
I'd love to see you die
And I'll be the first
To watch your funeral
And I'll be the last to leave
I'd love to hear you cry 

And when you're down
Beyond the ground
I'll dig up your body again
And make love to shame
Oh lady cry, and say goodbye, goodbye
Oh lady cry, and say goodbye 

Yeah, you've gotta say goodbye
Yeah, 'cause I will eat your mind