"Holy Wars..The Punishment Due" is the first track as well as single from the album. The lyrical theme of "Holy Wars" deals with the Northern Ireland conflict.[13] In an interview with the UK magazine Guitarist, Mustaine says that he was inspired to write the song in Northern Ireland, when he discovered bootlegged Megadeth T-shirts were on sale and was dissuaded from taking action to have them removed on the basis that they were part of fundraising activities for "The Cause" (ie the Provisional Irish Republican Army). Mustaine also recently stated at a gig at Rock City (Nottingham, UK 18 February 2008) that it was at this venue that he wrote Holy Wars, after they travelled there from Ireland in a bulletproof bus. "The Punishment Due" is based on the popular Marvel comic book character, The Punisher. ************************************************************************************ Brother will kill brother Spilling blood across the land Killing for religion Something I don't understand Fools like me, who cross the sea And come to foreign lands Ask the sheep, for their beliefs Do you kill on God's command? A country that's divided Surely will not stand My past erased, no more disgrace No foolish naive stand The end is near, it's crystal clear Part of the master plan Don't look now to Israel It might be your homeland Holy wars [Solo - Friedman] Upon my podium, as the Know it all scholar Down in my seat of judgement Gavel's bang, uphold the law Up on my soapbox, a leader ...