Breadline (song)
# Breadline (song)

"Breadline" is a song by American heavy metal band Megadeth and the second single from their eighth studio album, Risk, in late 1999. "Breadline" was also released as its own EP in 2000 in Japan, which featuring several versions of the song, and remixes of other songs from Risk and Megadeth's back catalog. After leaving Megadeth, guitarist Marty Friedman would later cover this song on his solo album Future Addict.

## Background

"Breadline" is about homelessness and poverty in America.

   “"Breadline" is about when Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson used to have to drive downtown everyday past the soup kitchens and they would see the derelicts out in the street with their shopping carts. They realized that if they didn’t make it soon they would be one of them because they were running out of options and they had no other choice but to make it or die trying.”

The song has been played 46 times live by the band. An early version titled "Dancin' On The Breadline" received a test pressing single on February 12, 1999.

## Charts

| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
| - | - |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard) | 6 |
| US Active Rock (Billboard) | 10 |
| US Heritage Rock (Billboard) | 9 |

## Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

### Megadeth

* Dave Mustaine – guitars, lead vocals
* David Ellefson – bass, backing vocals
* Marty Friedman – guitars
* Jimmy DeGrasso – drums

### Production

* Produced by Dann Huff; Co-produced by Dave Mustaine
* Mixed and engineered by Jeff Balding with Mark Hagen
* Mastered by Bob Ludwig

### 2004 reissue

* 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
