"In My Darkest Hour" is a song by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 thrash metal band Megadeth

Megadeth

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

. It was the second single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 from Megadeth's third album, So Far, So Good...So What! (1988). According to the liner notes of the remastered album, band leader Dave Mustaine

Dave Mustaine

David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...

 wrote "In My Darkest Hour" in one sitting after learning of the death of former bandmate, Metallica

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

 bassist Cliff Burton

Cliff Burton

Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....

 in September, 1986. Mustaine was quoted in various magazines and Megadeth's Behind the Music

Behind the Music

Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...

as saying the song was inspired by Burton's passing.

A music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 was released for "In My Darkest Hour." It features clips of the band performing the song both live and in studio. MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

 refused to air the video for the song, believing that the lyrics refer to suicide

Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

. The video does appear, however, in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years

The Decline of Western Civilization II

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years is a documentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris about the Los Angeles heavy metal scene from 1986 to 1988. It is the second film of a trilogy by Spheeris depicting life in Los Angeles at various points in time. The first film The...

and has since aired on music channels.

Lyrical Meaning

According to the CD's booklet, Mustaine wrote the lyrics with his bandmate, David Ellefson

David Ellefson

David Warren "Dave" Ellefson is a bassist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Megadeth. He also goes by "Junior." He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona...

. Though the song is inspired by Cliff Burton's passing, the lyrics refer to Mustaine's failed relationship with his girlfriend at the time, Diana (he has written a few songs about her before).

Reception

"In My Darkest Hour" was released as a single, but failed to chart.

The song has become a fan favorite and a live staple, appearing on Rude Awakening

Rude Awakening (Megadeth album)

Rude Awakening is a live album by American heavy metal band Megadeth. The album was released by Sanctuary Records in 2002, the last release before the band broke up in 2002...

, That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires

That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires

-Disc 2:-Unreleased songs from the performance:#"The Scorpion"#"Train of Consequences"#"Of Mice and Men"#"Sweating Bullets"-Personnel:*Dave Mustaine - Rhythm and lead guitar, Lead vocals*Glen Drover - Lead and rhythm guitar, Backing vocals...

, and Blood in the Water: Live in San Diego

Blood in the Water: Live in San Diego

Blood in the Water: Live in San Diego is a live DVD from American thrash metal band Megadeth. It features a live concert recorded at Cox Arena in San Diego filmed during Gigantour 2008 on May 20, 2008. The band decided to release it as a full concert due to the other acts on the bill declining...

along with virtually all other live performances.