Use the Man
title: "Use the Man" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["megadeth-songs", "1997-songs", "1997-singles", "songs-written-by-dave-mustaine", "songs-about-drugs", "songs-about-heroin", "american-rock-songs"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_the_Man" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Use the Man |
| type | single |
| artist | Megadeth |
| cover | Use The Man.jpg |
| album | Cryptic Writings |
| released | |
| recorded | September 1996 |
| studio | The Tracking Room (Nashville, Tennessee), The Castle (Franklin, Tennessee) |
| length | ( on reissue) |
| label | Capitol |
| producer | |
| writer | Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman |
| prev_title | Almost Honest |
| prev_year | 1997 |
| next_title | A Secret Place |
| next_year | 1998 |
| :: |
| name = Use the Man | type = single | artist = Megadeth | cover = Use The Man.jpg | alt = | album = Cryptic Writings | released = | recorded = September 1996 | studio = The Tracking Room (Nashville, Tennessee), The Castle (Franklin, Tennessee) | genre =
- Rock
- thrash metal | length = ( on reissue) | label = Capitol | producer = | writer = Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman | prev_title = Almost Honest | prev_year = 1997 | next_title = A Secret Place | next_year = 1998 | misc = "Use the Man" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released as the third single from their seventh studio album, Cryptic Writings (1997). The song was one of the band's biggest hits, at #15 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Background
Music
The first half of "Use the Man" contains a rock-oriented sound, while the second half transitions into a faster tempo, more in line with the thrash metal sound the band usually play. The first half features prominent use of acoustic guitars and strings.
The song begins with a sample of Needles and Pins by The Searchers, which was removed for the radio edit and remaster.
Lyrics
The lyrics for "Use the Man" were inspired by a recovering addict who went to a halfway house, used heroin, and died.
These guys come out of prison, go to a halfway house, their systems have cleaned out, but they think they can use half as much and get twice as high. They don't realize that their systems have cleaned out, and they O.D. So that's what "Use the Man" was about. It's a very, very sad song about people overdosing on drugs.”|author=Dave Mustaine, 2017}}
Live
"Use the Man" has been performed 194 times by Megadeth, as well as once by both Mustaine and David Ellefson. Since the band reformed in 2004, it has been played only a handful of times, and exclusively at acoustic concerts. The song was among the first Mustaine played live after his arm injury which caused him to be unable to play guitar.
Track listing
| headline = Promotional CD | title1 = Use The Man (Edit) | length1 = 4:02 | title2 = Use The Man (Album Version) | length2 = 4:36
Chart performance
::data[format=table] | Chart (1998) | Peak position | |---|---| | 15 -- | | ::
Personnel
Megadeth
- Dave Mustaine – guitars, lead vocals
- David Ellefson – bass, backing vocals
- Marty Friedman – guitars, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Nick Menza – drums, backing vocals
Production
- Dann Huff – production
- Dave Mustaine – co-production
- Jeff Balding – recording, mixing
- Mark Hagen – recording assistant, mixing assistant
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Bud Prager – A & R direction, E.S.P. management
- Mike Renault – E.S.P. management
- Giles Martin – producer (remaster)
2004 remaster/remix
- Produced by Dave Mustaine
- Mixed by Ralph Patlan and Dave Mustaine
- Engineered by Ralph Patlan with Lance Dean
- Edited by Lance Dean, Scott "Sarge" Harrison, and Keith Schreiber with Bo Caldwell
- Mastered by Tom Baker
References
References
- (June 17, 2017). "Megadeth: 'Cryptic Writings'".
- Golemis, Dean. (July 4, 1997). "Megadeth: Cryptic Writings (Capitol)". [[Chicago Tribune]].
- (July 23, 2013). ""Cryptic Writings" Megadeth Review". Word Press.
- (April 16, 1997). "'Cryptic Writings' Coming Soon From Megadeth". MTV.
- (June 17, 2022). "'Cryptic Writings': Deciphering Megadeth's Shift To Radio-Ready Metal".
- (September 23, 2002). "Story Behind The Song - Megadeth's Cryptic Writings".
- (May 3, 2006). "SCORPION Q+A".
- "Megadeth's Dave Mustaine: My Life in 15 Songs".
- "Use the Man performed by Megadeth".
- (February 9, 2012). "MEGADETH - AUDIO OF 'USE THE MAN' PERFORMED ACOUSTICALLY AVAILABLE".
- (August 24, 2021). "Album Review: Megadeth – Unplugged in Boston".
- "APR 9 2003 Dave Mustaine Setlist at Nita's Hideaway, Tempe, AZ, USA".
- "Megadeth - Use The Man".
- https://www.billboard.com/artist/megadeth/chart-history/rtt/ {{bare URL inline. (March 2023)
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