Currently Reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West By Gregory Maguire see related

The Pain..THE PAIN...

Harsh times

Currently Listening Toxicity By System of a Down Prison Song see related

So, back again, with yet another installment of my interpertations of System's music. Crowd: Cheerrrr. This time, I tackle Toxicity, which some fans consider their best work(perhaps, depends on what you expect from System).

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1.Prison Song

Serj summarized the song very well in this interview:

It's about mandatory minimum sentences and the drug policy that this country harbors, utilizing it for its own globalist purposes. The drug war shouldn't be waged in Columbia or anywhere else in the world, it should be waged on our borders. We are the biggest drug-using nation, and if we can't stop it from coming into our borders, we have no right to go and mess with other people's countries and crops and what-not. And set up puppet regimes to give us what we want.

The true matter-of-fact reason for the drug war is to fund things that Congress will not fund in foreign policy, that the administration wants to achieve. We all know that. We've seen the [San Jose] Mercury [News] reports--I think it was they who first released the CIA's importing cocaine from Argentina and some other nations. [Ed. note: That controversial 1996 story did not report a concrete link between the CIA and the cocaine trade, but strongly implied a connection. Click here for some background.] We've all seen this many times. Our security forces, if you want to call them that, have been caught with white powder in their hands, importing it themselves, and that's very sad.

But you've got to think of when the drug problem started in the first place. It started in the '60s, not because of the freedom movement or the rights movements. It started in the '60s in the ghettos as a form of oppression, when the police were going and shooting around the Black Panthers offices, when they needed something like drugs to make people ... numb. So I think the administration has been very complicit in the drug problem. In my opinion, they partially created it.

2.Needles

I think Needles is about an ordinary man that does the same thing everyday. Sleep, Work, Eat, Sleep. But he doesn't feel good about it and wants to get out of the system. In this song the tapeworm is the system that holds him down. This man is waiting for the tapeworm to come out. And if he's ever going to be free of the system. He's waiting for the system to let him go and consume someone else. SOAD is trying to reach out to the "system-people" that live by the rules of the system. The sentence "My tapeworm tells me what to do / where to go" is the system keeping him in and telling him what to do. With these words: "Pull the tapeworm out of your ass" SOAD tries to get the people pull the system out of themselves. Pull the tapeworm out of me is a cry for help from this system-man. He wants to be freed by someone, he wants the tapeworm pulled out of him.

Cause you,
My tapeworm tells me what to do,
You,
My tapeworm tells me where to go,
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, Hey [4x]
Pull the tapeworm out of me?

I'm just sitting in my room,
With a needle in my hand,
Just waiting for the tomb,
Of some old dying man,

This piece of lyric reflects the system-man when he's old and gray. He's old and lived his live like the system wanted it to be. He wasted his live and knows it deep inside. He's sitting in his room with a needle to inject himself with the medicine he needs and he's waiting for the grave.

OR, It could be that “Needles” is talking about drugs. Like, when it say’s, “I’m sitting in my room, with a needle in my hand…” he’s talking about heroin or some sort of other needle drug. And when he’s talking about the parasite, he means the craving people try to overcome, the addiction. Other examples are, “I, cannot disguise, all the stomach pains, and the walking of the (Pimp.) canes.”

3. Deer Dance(personal favorite)

***This is an essay by Serj, expressing his disgust for a free concert put on by SOAD a year ago before the initial release of "toxicity", it's basically the meaning of deer dance, it has many references to lyrics. This was on their official website under the "News" section for a while, and was taken down after they updated to the new spiffy "steal this album" lay out.*** this is the essay:

Labor Day weekend Sept. 3rd, 2001 KROQ FREE SHOW FEATURING SYSTEM OF A DOWN

What happened?

3,000-4,000 people were expected to attend this free Kroq show featuring System and 10,000 showed up. The venue and security were not prepared adequately for such a show of heads. Barricades came down early before the band was scheduled to play. The streets were overwhelmed with bodies outside of the venue, and got closed off. The police got weary of the situation and along with the Fire Marshal called off the show before the band was scheduled to take the stage at 5:00pm. The band was ready to play the show and even ceded to cutting their set list short, despite looming threats of arrests of band members and danger to their lives. THE POLICE WOULD NOT HAVE IT! SYSTEM OF A DOWN NEVER CANCELLED THE SHOW! There were so many people there that only a part of them could even actually view the stage. It was FEARed that had the band set foot on stage, people would push, shove, and possibly trample others to get a visual fix on the band. At that point, the barricades had all come down, and the band could not safely make it to the stage.

The police may have FEARed that had the band announced that the show was being cancelled by LAPD, that it would have lead to anger and hostility against their presence. HOWEVER, NOBODY GOT ON STAGE AND ANNOUNCED WHAT WAS GOING ON. This left everyone to assume everything and anything, and some people out of frustration started to loot, fight, etc. My belief is that violence in all forms is a low-level human energy output, and undermines our existence as beings of light.

MOST SYSTEM FANS WERE APPALLED BY ALL THESE ACTIVITIES AND IMMEDIATELY FLED THE SCENE.

The fleeing of this mass of people may have in turn caused FEAR in the police, seeing groups of people running, etc. Let's not underestimate the amount of fear created by the visible police presence, not in casual police uniform, but in riot gear and horses, reminding some of ancient feudal tactics. It is this CIRCLE OF FEAR that prevailed yesterday in Hollywood, much to the band's regret.

What was missing was an invitation to peace....a deer dance perhaps, as in the DNC protests a year before, where Native Americans from Arizona delivered a welcoming dance to deer during their respective season. The eloquent movements and delivery of methodical action on stage derailed the overwhelming aggressive visuals of riot police, and created the only thing that could have saved the day-the smile of a young child watching the event.

That did not happen yesterday....

We believe that all of this could and should have been avoided had the band been allowed on stage. We also believe that there is lack of understanding and communication dealing with such events between promoters and the LAPD. We strongly suggest the creation of a communications forum and an officer training program between the LAPD and KROQ, as well as other promoters/radio stations.

Someone told me that because of this, free shows will not be allowed in Hollywood, at outside venues. That's one more blow to our freedom to convene, and System Of A Down is completely opposed to this.

Today, we were told that our Tower Records "Toxicity" record release signing was cancelled in FEAR of more drama.

FEAR is the worst reason to make any decisions in life. People came to the show to have a good time, in peace. Someone needed to give them the respect that they deserved to let them know what was going on, especially since they would not allow the band themselves to do so. It is my firm belief that the problem of undefined and unknown fear among people is a direct result of the insecurities harbored in any densely populated Metropolis, and defines the times that we live in.

Without judging it, I have decided not to be a party to the CIRCLE OF FEAR, and I hope that you will all join me in doing so.

All of us are radiant beings with physical temporary shells that seem to define us more than it should. When you listen to music and you are uplifted, the place you go is not physical........

Serj

AND, The song Deer Dance is about a Democrat convention that was being held at the Staples Centre in LA. It happened in August of 2000. Rage against the Machine was playing a concert not to far from the Staples Centre, and they were believed to have caused the riot. Lines of youths advanced on police clad in riot gear.

4.Jet Pilot

There is no specific reference to blinders (device used to narrow a horse's field of vision) in this song, but I feel this is the implied meaning of the horse's eyes. When we are ignorant of things going on around us, we plow blissfully through life with diminished regard for the consequences. (For instance, not realizing that heroin, a.k.a. "horse", is a highly addictive substance - and then sticking a needle in your vein.) We have lots of fun while we are young and stupid, but once the damage is done we are left with grey skies and shackles.

I also can't help but wonder if Serj throws complete nonsense out every now and then just to see what kind of idiotic speculation we'll indulge ourselves with. :D

5.X

“X” is talking about cloning, and the morals of it. “Ask you people, ask your people what is right.” Is a great example. And where it says, “Show your people, show your people how we died.” Is a way of saying how the human race could become expendable, and easily replaced. Another example is, “We don’t need to multiply

6.Chop Suey

"The song is about how society views death. Like, if I died from cancer you'd be like 'Oh poor Daron!' But if I died of a drug overdose you'd be like 'Well, he did it to himself.' But what people don't realize that they are both diseases. And sick people deserve to be treated not judged."

- Daron Malakian P.S. This explanation didnt leave room for me to question the lyrical meaning of this song....damn....

7.Bounce

Basically it's about 'showing off' in dating and social situations, with phoney people, or people who like to brandish their egos. His date put him on the firing line to do his thing, tell everyone how great he is, and all his accomplishments, possessions, big car, etc. Hence the 'pogo stick', bouncing for everyone else, showing off. Kind of like Tom Saywer doing handstands for Becky (of course no one ever read that crap!).

Each person gets their turn to show off, (bounce on the pogo stick), and show the group just how truly cool they are. This song is a slam at the 'social status', name dropping, ego centered types, not just in Hollywood but all over the place. Just one pogo stick means only that each person gets their turn in the spotlight. Their turn to either make or break, with a good showing. She had so many friends...another slam at the social, keep up with the Joneses mentality of that type of person. Lots of shallow 'friends' but all into themselves. None are really friends, or even fully 'human', just shallow shells, all showing off for each other.
Or, its about an orgy. You choose.

8.Forest(interesting and Bizarre song)

It could be about a person with a split personality who "goes inside the forest" (he isolates himself from society and develops a split personality). "Speak with me my only mind" he is talking to his other personality which is really his own mind, and he is talking to himself.

"Why can't you see that you are my child,
Why don't you know that you are my mind,
Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you,
Take this promise to the end of you."

Alter ego talking to him. (Also could be schizophrenia)
"Take this promise for a ride,
You saw the forest, now come inside"

Alter ago (his own mind) telling him to "change" so he has a split personality.

"You took the legend for its fall,
You saw the product of it all"

Alter ego still talking to him about the obvious, he took the legend (He thought it would turn out good) and he now realises that it was a bad idea. At the end of it all, I think it is either a person developing a split personality or a person who hears voices..and has schizophrenia.

OR, It seems to be that forest could be a song about self denial. The 'child' represents the predjudice/idea in the persons mind, 'the forest of denial' is the persons mind, and turning the forest to wine is representing poisoning your mind with the idea, and convincing yourself that something that is untrue, is true. 'tell everyone in the world that im you' talks of the person who the mind belongs to trying to convince everyone that they are something which they are not. 'you took the legend for its fall, you saw the product of it all' is the outcome of the self denial, that it will only lead to bad things.

9.ATWA = Air, Trees, Water, Animals

A song espousing killer Charles Manson's ecological philosophy and titled after his anti-pollution organization, Air, Trees, Water, Animals. And how people only saw the bad things he did and overlooked the good thing he contributed to humanity.

10. Science

I believe when Serj says "Science, has failed, our world" he may be reffering to the fact that because of science there are now technologies that are ruining the earth. "Scienece has failed our Mother Earth." And that all the medical technologies have led to such things as cloning which we know is wrong and will get out of hand causing God knows what to the earth, "Spirit moves through all things" that all you need is to believe and you will be fine. This is actually a very good song. (But so is every other).

"Letting the reigns go to the unfolding is faith, faith, faith, faith." Allowing yourself to observe without preconceived expectations for a particular outcome, whatever it might be, is to entrust your belief system to something greater than your own ego. To refrain from imposing your own will/opinion on your observations and allow God/Universe/Whatever to be whatever It will be, that is an exercise in spirituality.

"Science has failed our world." Having a truly open mind is necessary for proper scientific observation. However, scientific "authorities" are reluctant to openly admit the possibility that the entire universe may be constructed, controlled, or otherwise influenced by a spiritual entity (or entities). This materiocentric view is a failure unto itself, leading to all sorts of mischief. We are trained to ignore and suppress all spiritual perception, so we no longer hear the earth scream in pain as we stab our heels into her skin. The failure is not so much science itself, but our seeming inability to use it properly and respectfully, without arrogance and ego.

"Spirit moves through all things." This statement is quite literal. Don't underestimate inanimate objects, or anything in your environment for that matter, especially if it doesn't have the ability to defend itself. Respect each pebble as if it was God incarnate... because it might actually be just that.

11.Shimmy

"Shimmy" concerns the mandatory schooling of children in the United States. It criticizes the cliché life of an average american. "I think me, I want life, I think me, I want a house and a wife". It also suggests that mandatory schooling is, in fact, indoctrination... "Indoctrination of a nation". The last things it criticizes is the fornication that goes on in school, and the way that the government subdues the children, with "education". "Education, subjugation, in you are go, Education, fornication, now you're out go".

12.Toxicity

Toxicity is a song about how our world has become so materialistic, and how beauty is being drowned out by the city and the hustle and bustle of the city. It's about how human beings have taken over space, and how they think that they own everything, however 'how do you own disorder?' is bringing up the point that the world will always being in chaos, and that we in fact, do not own the world. 'Eating seeds as a pastime activity' symbolises how we exploit the environment, and its new growth (seeds) for leisure purposes (pastime activity).

13.Psycho

The song aims at burnt out, drug-addled groupies.

So you want the world to stop, / Stop in and watch your body fully drop, / From the time you were a / Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy,

It is implying that groupies will try to become the center of attention, even if they have to resort to sexual means.

So you want to see the show, / You really don't have to be a ho / From the time you were a / Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy

System is stateing that there is no point in whoreing themsleves out, for it doesn't impress them.

14.Aerials

I believe Aerials is about all of the faults, especially fickleness and greed, of the human race. "We're one in the river and one again after the fall" refers to the fact that we were all one united people who were wholly good in the beginning of time (the river), then split and were overcome by greed and fought against ourselves in the present (the waterfall itself), then after an unforeseen apocalypse we will unite again and start over (after the fall). "We are the ones that want to play, always want to go, but you never want to stay" refers to our fickleness; at first we want one thing, but when we get it we want another. "Always wanna play but you never wanna lose" refers to our competitiveness. "We drink from the river then we turn around and put up our walls" tells of our greed, how when we see something good, we all go and take it, but then we turn around and resume our fighting. When the song says, "When you lose small mind you free your life," it means if we just forget all those negative things like greed we will be free and open and achieve peace. "Aerials, so up high, when you free your eyes, eternal prize," means that when our leaders (the aerials) stop seeing things with prejudice, we will be rewarded with peace.

15.Arto(The stuff at the end of the CD.)

The last song on Toxicity is a very personal piece of work. All four band members descend from Armenia, a little country in the south of the former Soviet Union. 'Arto' is a very emotional piece of Armenian folklore and has its own history. John Dolmayan: "The artist we recorded this song with is Arto Tuncboyaciyan, also an Armenian. We invited him to the studio to do the percussions for this traditional armenian song. He's the only artist outside the band who can be heard on the album. The moment we recorded the song was very magical and emotional, almost spiritual. When I played the song to my mother she cried. It's a sorrowful song that is played at funerals." A reaction of Serj Tankian's family is also known: "My grandfather reacted also very emotional to the song because he lost his whole family in the first half of the last century. They were all killed by the Turkish army."
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Crowd: Cheeerrr. Thank you, and goodnight.

Currently Listening System of a Down By System of a Down Peephole see related

Hey, so I thought i'd make a list of my thoughtson the lyrics of my favorite band, System of a down. In this post, I will start with their first CD, then I will work me way up to Hypnotize, their a newest album.

System of a Down- System of a Down

1. Suite-Pee

I think the song carries a distinctly different message, which I will now explain… The song starts by mentioning, in a critical light – I think, the devotion which people have for Jesus ‘’for her, everyone cried…’’ and ‘’You’ll die for her philosophy’’, the whole concept of dying for Jesus is repeatedly emphasised throughout the song, which undeniably means this song is not a tribute to Jesus at all. Then it uses the lines ‘’Crossed and terrored ravages of architecture, lend me thy blades, we’re crossed and terrored ravages of architecture, hoist around thy spade’’ – I interpret this as religion’s leadership manipulating people to labour and build huge works of architecture (despite their own poverty) in the name of religion and ‘’Lend me thy blades’’ is another case of religion being used to justify conquest in the name of itself (many references are made to this in War?… i.e. ‘’We will fight the heathens’’). Then another line ‘’lie naked on the floor, let the messiah go through our souls’’ this is a reference to the extremity to which religion demands you submit to its judgement. Lie (prone, defenceless) naked (humiliation) on the floor (uncomfortable) and let the messiah go all though your soul – allow him to go completely throughout you as you unreservedly accept whatever he (or his earthly priests and Kings...) may wish to do. ‘’Die like a mother fucker’’ shows the vengefulness and brutality regularly inflicted in the name of all religions, (Middle Eastern conflict, The strict Islamic law enforced in northern Nigeria, the crusades – the list goes on and on,) One of the more striking lines of the song is ‘’I wana fuck my way to the Garden, Cause everyone needs a mother... FUCKER’’ this, to me, implies the absurdity of the story of the creation of humanity. God made Adam out of clay, and Eve out of a rib, (or something like that) according to the Old Testament hence, no mothers involved – just a ‘Father’- a God. Fucking his way there – creating offspring in a much more believable way. The last lines ‘‘the following of Christ... the falling of Christ’’ is much less clear, but I feel it underlines the decline in interest in Jesus and Christianity in the western world these days.

2.Know

This song, to me, is about the oppresion of society (or other groups, for that matter) on individuals. The people live in the valley of the walls - they are enlcosed, unable to see what's outside (unable to see different beliefs or ways of life.) The whole world is this way - we live on a cursed earth. There is a metaphor throughout this song that relates flying and truly having a free mind and spirit. "I will never feed off the evergreen luster of your heart." - This is a declaration that he will never rely on the cursed earth, no matter how appealing it may be.

"When we speak, we can peak, from the windows of their mouths." This means that when people express themselves, they get a breif glimpse of what is outside of the place they are in: someone else's head (the people are stuck with this other person's ideas and way of life, not having a choice for themselves.) I think that the women chanting and being able to fly is about women gaining more rights within the last century, so it may be used as an example of people speaking their minds, therefore being able to fly off of our cursed earth. I'm not too sure on that though.

"Books all say different things." Religions (the books refering to the Bible, Koran, etc.) are seen as a source of enlightenment to some, but are all contradictory to each other. People are only TRYING to fly by performing actions that are seen as proofs of faith, such as communion or fasting (flapping their yellow wings.) These wings are physical and not mental; true wings can only be obtained through the mind.

"Sheep that ran off from the herd, may be dead, but now's a bird." People who don't follow the majority, and think for themselves, will become "dead" to this society. "Able to fly, able to die, able to break your cursed earth." By leaving the norm, these people will be able to truly be free, and break ties with the cursed earth.

The next part of the song is a transition which changes the point of view of the song - "On the other side" - from a person free of the world to the mind of society, or whatever group or individual is in control of the cursed earth. Society warns people to never try to free their minds, and threatens that if they don't conform, they will be dead to this world.

3.Sugar

I have listened to sugar, like most system fans, about a thousand times or so. I mean, its a great song. Even after listening to the song this many times, I still never recognized its meaning. After recently seeing the uncut video, the meaning came to me: This song is a bunch of problems strung together to make one big stand against the problems in our world. I mean think about it "the kombucha mushroom people, sitting around all day" is talking about a bunch of lazy waste of space people, and in the video there is an image when the line "I got a gun the other day from sako its cute small fits right in my pocket" of an old lady with a guy which is talking about how bad society is that old ladies should carry guns. The meaning of this song was so clear to me, there are also many other references in the song such as "My girlfriend ya know she lashes out at me sometimes and I just fucking kick her", "What do i do, what do i say, fuck you it all goes away"
OR, It could represent a insane man that finally loses control, and murdurs someone. OR, it could represent the stages and side effects of cocaine."Sugar" is a slang term for Cocaine. "I play Russian Roulette everyday" is a metaphor of the suicidal thoughts that a cocaine-addict will have. "The Kombucha Mushroom People" are Hallucinations caused by the drug. "i gotta gun the other day from Sako" is the paranoia that is caused by Cocaine. "My girl lashes out at me and I kick her and shes ok" is the abuse that Cocaine-addicts will show. System really shines in the lyrics, they could mean so amny things.

4.Suggestions

'Watching from a post up high' indicates that the one who is assessing the situation is in control - they preside over those that are being watched. It could be referring to the government, or else could highlight the idea of surveillance - the 'well - trained eye' could be that of a Big Brother figure, which looks upon the 'ships' (the lesser mortals)to check that they are performing their duties. The 'lightpost' is the upper realms of society, the privileged, which are separated from the masses. The word 'sir' could suggest a deferential tone,as it is applied to the 'multiplying' of the ships - the massess grow and grow, and in turn are indistinguishable from each other - there is no sense of individuality - just a merging of a community into one vast abyss. The sleevenotes refer to the 'remote viewing and monitoring' that society is subject to - the 'weapon' of control. This can also be linked to the question of free will vs the constraints placed upon us as a society, and whether these limitations are a good or a bad thing. Indeed, to be liberated may seem like a blessing in disguise but the subsequent loss of control could result in something far worse. 

5.Spiders

I’m not sure about this one but this is my own interpretation of the song, however I’m sure my interpretation was in many ways influenced by the video, the song itself is very vague and could be applied to many things. I think the song is basically talking about our media saturated and in many ways ‘false’ society and environment. The video seems to make an intertextual reference to the matrix through out. As many of you may know, the matrix is a metaphorical criticism of our society from a mainly Marxist point of view. I feel both the song and the video are trying to get similar points across as the matrix did. The matrix metaphorically explaining to audience about how we are living in a dream world and how what we do day to day doesn’t really matter, it’s, merely nonsensical crap pulled over our eyes so that those with power can profit from us. The same point is being made in the song “Dreams are made winding through my head.” I think this is talking about how the media and our socialisation makes us believe conforming to this society is extremely important, but in reality it’s all a dream world. Serj explains how he gradually begins to see this. “Approaching guiding light, Our shallow years in fright.” He is referring to heading towards ‘enlighten’ or seeing through it all, our shallow years in fright is referring to how many are scared to look beyond the shallow constraints of our society.
The song often makes reference to the “v-chip”, I think this likely to be a metaphorical symbol of what ever it is in our minds that makes conform to this nonsensical false society that doesn’t provide what us best for humanity and earth but does what is driven by greed and profit. “The V-chip gives them sight” this is referring to the fact that we find some comfort in the way things are, dreams are created in our mind and reinforced by the media how we could one day ‘become a pop star’, ‘get a high paid job and live the high life’ or what ever peoples dreams may be. It means that our false society gives us some sense of sight.
I’m still not sure exactly what the name of the song represents itself. Perhaps it is a metaphorical reference to fear of leaving the ideology pumped into our brains by our environment. The spiders may represent our unwillingness to leave this society of falsehood, the blocks in our brain constraining us, if you will.

6.Ddevil

The song Ddevil is about how the writers of modern times will plagiarize some olden works (i.e. those of Shakespeare) in order to make themselves known. “Strong refrigerators” means that these artists store this information and keep it cool and “edible” for the world. Yet, it IS the same information. “Stupid people do stupid things” is in reference to the plagiarists. And “smart people outsmart each other” would symbolize the fight among society about always being right or winning whatever award would make them even more popular. This is mankind’s focus-- being important and the focus of attention. “People feeding frenzy” signifies how the info offered by the “strong refrigerators” is still being eaten and sinking into society’s existence. “Photographic relapse” shows how the stuff advertised and offered to the pubic is the same smudge regurgitated by mortality years and years before. It doesn’t change, the message is still the same – and the message is that the devil, the same monotonous info, will never stop revealing it self to the new generations.
Of course, it could have a easier answer. Ddevil could be one of the songs that they made just for fun. if you look in the back of their song booklets, it says: "all sings: (copywrite symbol) 2001 sony/atv tunes llc and Ddevil music". So, as you can see, this song could have been written as some kind of silent joke towards Ddevil Music.

7.Soil

Now,I know the story of the Band "Soil" and people take this for the bible but I think not,neither I think it has something to do with the Armenian Genocide.

"The phoenix he helped create" is someone helped us out to create

"Out of control boy without a dad

Shot the gun that startled my life"

Is some guy is acting like a kid without a dad and he shot me,"startling my life"

"While I drove him with a forty-five"

And I counter-attacked.


"Friends for years images in red"

Is my life flashing in front of my eyes and they're stained with blood

"Blew off his own motherfuckin head"

Is the killer committed suicide

"Confidence,death,insecurity"

I feel confidence,I'm dying and I feel insecure

"Men fall unrealised"

People are without a clue how these things go.


"Making a decision of death while everyone around you pled"

You will kill or die while everyone escapes the situation

"Now you fly in peace I hope,my friend"

Now you can go as you wish,without chains I hope my friend.

"A man can't avoid to do what he's meant to do if he's meant to do it"

You have a destiny,and if it's your destiny,you can't escape it.

"Even if he doesn't really want to"is obvious.

"My memories are of fun and friendship of the weakness whithin the strength of youth"

I have fun and friendship memories but those are weaknesses,when you're young and strong.

"For reasons undefined"

I can't give you no reasons.


"Don't you realise that evil lives in the motherfuckin skin"

Don't you know you can be evil too?


And at the end where Serj screams "Why the fuck did you take him away from us you motherfuckers?"is the crowd talks to the killer,asking why did he do that shit?

8.War?

When you first look at the name of the song you might get the wrong idea what System Of A Down is meaning. War with a question mark can be so vaguely interpreted in many different ways. For me, after reading the lyrics to War?, doing some research ; I think I came to my own understanding of what this song is trying to let me know. First what I did is look at any words I did not understand. The first word that caught my eye easily was Seljuks. I looked it up in the dictionary and I got a Turkish Empire. With further research in a book I attained (while discussing this song among friends) I came to understand that the Seljuks lived in the time period from the tenth century to the thirteenth century (vaguely). And this Turkish Empire, Muslim, took over the Holy Land of Jerusalem. And this is what brought on many Christians to start a holy war against the Seljuks. This is the time of the Four Crusades and the Children’s Crusade. This is what the song is trying to get out. The consistent battle for the Holy Land. This song is in the time of the Crusades. In the second verse the song says, “That lead the noble, to the East, To fight the heathens,” meaning the Christians from the West (mainly Germany and France) went on a Crusade to fight the Seljuks or heathens. The reason the Seljuks are considered heathens is because in the eyes of the Christians anybody who takes the Holy Land away from them, are evil. In the third verse the song says, “The reason he must attain, must be approved by his God, his child, partisan brother of war.” Those lines are saying the reason they have to go to war over the Holy Land is because the Seljuk’s God and the Christian’s God is telling them to. And “His child, partisan brother of war,” means the child of the “he” in the line “he must attain” is a supporter of the holy war because the child is brought up that way (propaganda). Also in the third verse it says, “history teaches us so,” which is leading to the thought that there is still a war over that same Holy Land (Jerusalem) today. The Jewish people and the Muslim people are fighting over that land for the same reason. Their God tells them that it is okay. Their God wants them to fight until they win. And finally in the bridge, “Of war, we don’t speak any more,” is talking about how thousands of people die in the holy war and nobody fighting in the war stops the ask if this is really what their God is asking them. Hence, they don’t speak to their God any more. Because every child is brought to hate the other side, not knowing why. They fight because they are taught to do that. This brings me back to the song title war with a question mark. To me I think is has spilt meanings. One, should there really be a war? And two, should it be considered a war? Because Jerusalem has been a never-ending battle for thousands of years. War? you decide.

9.Mind

Mind I think is about the religions these days. The first verse says "mutually, mentally, molested children of a mother" the mother being Eve...and " molested children of sin" saying how Eve 'sinned'. It's saying how the religions are all thinking theyre in the right, and that "free thinkers are dangerous". When it says "lives rearranged" I think it means that the religions these days have been rearranged more to suit the modern lifestyle, and in turn how this has also rearranged peoples lives. "Blame, Hate, For fate's seed" means the people blaming and hating people for their religion...and that they think that fate will ultimately control our lives. At the end when it has "gonna let you Mother F'ers die" it means that the religious people of the world are saying to the opposing religions that in the end you will all die and we will benefit from it. "Look at eachother" means that we don't look at ourselves to blame, but we "look at eachother".

10.Peephole(one of my personal favorites on this album)

The song is a tribute to pot, as Serj explained in an interview once. AND if you read the booklet, which many of you may not have done (let's get this straight, you don't download soad, you buy it. I don't care about any other bands, but respect the bands that keep the quality of music a step further these days), you'll read about how a publication about pot being less toxic than smoking wasn't allowed to be published. Or, they might be talking about humanity and how "God" and catholicism has destracted us (trapped us in the sky).Catholicism took away from the real purpose of religion which was to have representations and ways of looking at things in order to keep the Earth alive.Religion is for the good of the earth while god was a distraction laid out from the ones in power. We need to take back the earth from the ruiners, although it's probably too late. Whether the song is about drugs or not,  I would like to inform/remind people that it was said by Karl Marx "religion is the opiates of the masses".

11.Cubert

I believe that CUBErt is about the average man who is stuck in his everyday 9-5 job (CUBE = Cubicle) or everybody that sticks to a daily routine with no excitement and i think this song is a dare to all the people like this just to breakout! "Humans everywhere, canned" as if all humans are manufactured just to do one thing and serve one purpose only.

"I want to be, / A fallen ruby, / Guest vibrations, / Don't leave your seats now" means theres all this great stuff in the world and you just sit there and let opportunities pass you bye.

12.darts

Ninti and ishkur are Sumarian gods. Ishkur specifically holds the key to the silver gates of “heaven”. I think it is about a return to traditional eastern civilization. Throughout the CD, the lyrics emphasize the pointlessness and irrationality of a single god. Here, a solution is provided. We find that there is a wait for these gods who will come out of the sky and judge. They also suggest that any extreme lifestyle with either too much violence, one sided love, and or connection is borderline dangerous. Also, they say to leave behind the weak which is directly characterizing middle eastern religion in that they cut off the weak non-believers. Lastly, I believe the name of the song originates through the story of two ancient anglo-saxon gods. One of these gods, and I can’t remember the name, but he was indestructible except for one weakness (mistletoe). The other gods picked ion him and tried to hurt him even though he woulod never get hurt. Finally one god made a dart out of mistletoe and killed him. For this, that god was thrown into hell.

13.P.L.U.C.K

This song has only one subject and that's the genocide that took place back in 1915-1919 in Turkey. Approx. one-and-a-half million (!!!) Armenians were killed by the Turks. It's the first genocide of the twentieth century.

Even now, when there's lots of evidence about these cruelties, the Turkish government denies that there has been a genocide. The Armenian Problem does not exist they say. SOAD tries to get it recognized throughout the world. The U.S. still haven't recognized it for example. Remember, wasn't it Hitler himself who said: "Who still remembers the Armenians?", the rest we all know...

Awareness is thus necessary to avoid things like this happen throughout the world. But still, if you watch the news nowadays....? I mean, think about former Yugolavia, Ruanda, Sudan.

I guess we have all got to work together to avoid that we're all in a system, down!!!
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Well, that was exhausting, and I doubt no one will see it but Hodge, but it was fun. Need....Sleeeeeeppp....(snore)

Currently Listening Die for Government By Anti-Flag see related

I have come to a disturbing conclusion. After a long while, and much consideration, I have decided that ideals can only be attained through violence. This saddens me, I am a non-violent person, but what saddens me more is the fact that the christian people are so close-minded, and so violent to ANYTHING that is out of their short view. I have been attacked for a long time, by the christian beliefs, but I have taken it in stride. I have not tryed to "convert" or sway anyones beliefs, yet I am still attacked. The violence in this world overwelms me, it sickens me, yet I feel it is impossible to dent it, to pierce it. Any attempt to enlighten or at least make someone become non-violent to diffrence, has had an unequal, and completely opposite effect on the world.

...

Ill get back to you, I need to leave.