1,320

Album: Endgame (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Frontman Dave Mustaine said that this is, "a song about nitro fuel funny cars (something I enjoy)."
  • The song's title refers to the length of the standard drag racing strip, which from the starting line to the finish line is 1320 feet - exactly a quarter mile.
  • Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover commented to Kerrang!: "I remember hearing the riffs for this tune from Dave's 'Pandora's box of metal riffs.' Knowing that this song had to be on the record. I really like the overall punk vibe the song has (I was a huge hardcore punk fan back in the day – Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, Cryptic Slaughter and the lot; I still am to this day) and I knew that a big sector of our fanbase would dig this song. Like I have said previously, Endgame covers a lot of musical ground in metal and '1,320'' is just another example of that."
  • Endgame features some interesting sound effects throughout the record. Frontman Dave Mustaine told Rolling Stoneabout the ones on this track:: "I learned a very valuable lesson about music and how to take everything I learned from [1997's] Cryptic Writings and [1999's] Risk, and working with Jeff Balding and Dan Huff, and how to put stuff in the background - little "ear candy" that makes things sound better. Like the song "1,320," we were struggling trying to find the sample for the drag racing, because I told Andy [Sneap, who co-produced Endgame with Mustaine], "Nitro Funny Cars." So he got a Top Fuel Funny Car [makes sound of a weak car], and I went, "That ain't a Nitro Funny Car, bro! When you hear a Nitro Funny Car, the world stops around you." When we got that sample, it made all the difference in the world. I said, "See! This is what I'm telling you about!" And in the background, I said, "When [Shawn Drover] is doing that kind of punk rock/Sex Pistols drum beat in the verses of the song, man, we need a clap track in the back." And he's like, "They've got those little pieces of wood that are all stuck together, you shake it together, and it sounds like people clapping." I said, "I don't want that. I want three people clapping, then double it. Make sure it's underneath the snare, so it gives is that little bit of sex appeal."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.