Toxicity
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They're trying to build
a prison,
They're trying to build a prison, Following the rights movements I buy my crack, I smack my bitch, Nearly 2 million Americans are incarcerated They're trying to build a prison, Minor drug offenders fill your prisons I buy my crack, I smack my bitch, The percentage of Americans in the prison
system They're trying to build a prison, They're trying to build a prison, All research and successful drug policy
show Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars
around the world, I buy my crack, I smack my bitch, Drug money is used to rig elections, They're trying to build a prison, |
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meaning |
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Prison Song Criticizes the justice system inequities in the US.
i think what this song means is that the
US justice system is putting people in prison for no reason. "Nearly
2 million Americans are incarcerated In the prison system, prison system,
Prison system of the U.S." and this one "The percentage of Americans
in the prison system Prison system, has doubled since 1985" I'm not
sure why they r doing that. trying to stop population overgrowth?
After Listening and reading lyrics of system of a downs music i still cant reach a conclusion if the music is clearly blasphemous or different views and thoughts of there band members on society issues and government. I think the bands religion or beleifs are more cult like rather than straight out Religion and Christianity hating like most people make them out to be read the end of "toxicity" on the paper the cd comes with; DARON MALAKIAN THANKS: "God, Buddha, Allah and lucifer because they are all so lovely; charles manson for his inpiration and honesty....."(clearly no standard for faith nor direct hate for christianity)I would like to know what there faith is or all there beleives, but i think i speak for alot of soad fans when i say system's lyrics and meanings are very unclear . I agree on there thoughts in the prison song by Soad, Talking about how easy it is for our children to get drugs in our society and our government just wants to throw money at it and get a prison built and lock up our future generation rather than help them and straighten them out. "Minor Crack offendors fill your prison you dont even flich" This song is clearly against our government as well i on some topics but this band is very radical and cult like.
I read somewhere that Daron went 1 day to jail because he was caught with weed. That inciddent inspired him to help Serj with the song. Actually it was Daron's idea to write that song, Serj was the one who helped. The song is about people getting caught for having or selling drugs. Pretty close to what happened to Daron, huh?
I think the song goes a little beyond the inequities of the prison system. It's a complex and daring theory. Humans are animals and you can't blame them for reacting in a fucked up manner to a fucked up situation. In fact these "problems" of people are actually the solution. For every action there is a reaction creating change. Things can't change (and that's exactly what they want) if we keep blaming the problems on the people reacting to those same problems (& bigger ones). The truth is that the U.S. is creating psycho killers by:1.forcing them to support them in the destruction of the earth, 2.forcing people to be perfect (do things that aren't human). The reason they keep putting people in jail for non-violent drug charges (40% of those in prison) is because marijuana strips the mind of the unhuman, conditioned traits the good ol' U.S. impaled in our brains since we were born. If they can do it in the army, they can do it in our homes with our T.V sets. Why else would they be throwing so much money into the shit. Like some sort of sci-fi shit; they've been building arms, controling borders, multiplying police measures, using "terrorist" attacks as fucking excuses to increase security, all under our fuckin' noses! It's more profitable to have slaves than civilians (like we aren't already). |
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I cannot disguise,
All the stomach pains, And the walking of the canes, When you, do come out, And you whisper up to me In your life of tragedy, But I cannot grow, Cause you, I cannot deny, But I cannot grow, Cause you, I'm just sitting in my room, Cause you, |
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meaning |
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Needles [submitted by Latterdaysaint20] I beleive the tapeworm in this song is largley symbolic. Its not an actuall thing that tells Serj what to do. Its not really even about the intestinal system. I think its a guy who is on heroin (hence the name... Needles) but wants to quit before hes some old dying man. The addict cannot be free untill the 'tapeworm' the effects of the drug, eat away his insides completely. When the addict is on heroin he cant control himself thus 'The drug makes me do it' or 'My tape worm tells me what to do'.
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, I'm just sitting in my room, 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. If someone thinks different about this song please mail me (Psycho_RvS@hotmail.com).
I think that Needles is about the government telling us what to do and what we shouldn't do. 'My tape worm tells me what to do' meaning we are parasites" to the goverment, going along with what they say no matter what. "Just another fool to roast" meaning that i won't fall for your tricks and what not. "Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, Hey". I believe this means to relize what they're doing to us, but hey, ya never know. just a guess! |
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Round, Round,
Circumventing circuses, Battalions of riot police, Beyond the Staples Center you can see
America, Pushing little children, Round, Round, A rush of words, Beyond the Staples Center you can see
America, Pushing little children, Push them around, Pushing little children, |
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meaning |
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Deer Dance [submitted by Austin Mitchell] After listening to Deer Dance many many times. And Reviewing the words to the song, I have concluded that the song Deer Dance is about Police Brutality. "Pushing Little Children with their Fully Automatics" is obviously teen rioters and the police pushing them back with Fully Automatic Machine Guns.
I had thought it was about the American military trying to police the entire world, with issues like what Bush is trying to do with Iraq. "We can't afford to be neutral on a moving train," "Invitation to peace," "War staring you in the face." "Batallions of riot police" could be the way the American military views itself, instead of seeing itself as a hoard of invading killers. "Plastic existence" and "The little boy smiles it'll all be well" could refer to how most Americans are unaware of the evil things their military does to other countries.
I think that "Dear Dance" is a song based on the Armenian Genocide. "Pushing little children, with their fully automatics, they like to push the weak around". During this terrible event, many young armenian children were killed, an estimated 1.5 million were killed all together. It basicly says that the Turkish like to 'push the weak around', and the Armenians, back then, were not so 'crash hot' of a civilisation.
Deer dance is actually about police that brutaly bashed protestors a while ago at the Staples Center, after listening to the song i realised "beyond the staples center, you can see america..." so i looked up history of the staples center and learnt that young protestors , protesting for peace got bashed.
i think this song is largely about the armenian genocide which took place in 1915. 1.5 million armenians were forced into the desert by the turkish. this is reflected with the line 'pushing little children with their fully automatics,...' with the armenian people being inferior and weak. a massive portion of those who fell victim to the genocide were innocent women and children. these people were told by the turkish govt that they would be relocated in a safer region, hence the line 'invitation to peace', the invitation, however was superficial as the armenians were led deep into the syrian desert where they faced their deaths. thats basically what i understand of the lyrics.
this song is about poliece brutalitiy, but a specific case of poliece brutalitiy i think one that the members of SOAD witnesed first hand. |
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Wired were the eyes of
a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay, Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot, One that smiled when he flew over the bay. My horse, is a shackled old man, Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet
pilot, My, source, is the source of all creation, Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet
pilot, Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet
pilot, |
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Jet Pilot [submitted by Austin Mitchell] Jet Pilot is a song about a, or a series of, Carpet Bombing attacks, presumably on Armenia, but I don't know enough of Armenian history to know. The "skys turning Grey" is when the plane(s) come from the clouds and drop the bombs. The bay might be a certain bay in the world, but I do not know.
I think this might be about the unfair distribution between the privileged and the unpriviliged. The jet pilot "smiles as he flew over the bay." But the horse, "a shackled old man," can't survey the skies before they turn gray on him (he dies). All he can do is stare up at the jet pilot and watch the priviliged fly around above him.
I belive that this song is about worshiping a false god or idol. The horse on the jet pilot is the idol and its eyes are wired to shoot flames, so the people will believe its a true God. The people in question cannot look at the skies because it is a false god in the eyes of the Jet Pilot. It also implies on christian philosophy "My sorse is the source of all creation" implimenting "I was created by God, not a Horse on a Jet Pilot" In christian sence, the Horse on the Jet Pilot would be the pig Bail.
I think that its about the pop industry, and how pop bands are led on to think they're fantastic and everything and then they break up or something and you never hear of them again. to me, the horse is in the jet with the pilot and the first person persceptive could be the head of a record company (ie:the pilot) talking to himself. the pilot smiles because he's a greedy pig with lots of money. im thinking that 'jet pilot' may actually refer to those planes that flew over the bermuda triangle (possibly the bay) and were never seen again (hence the 'one hit wonder' thing) the horse could be considered a powerful creature, which is how the pop bands might consider themselves, but then it says that the horse is a shackled old man, easily led on, and thus the pop bands are led on by modern society/record companies to think that they're great when they're just a product, a pushover, of modern society/record companies flying over the bay, of corse, is the part where they think everything is great 'survey the sky, right before, they went grey' could be referring to the fact that the pop bands don't realise that they're gonna crash and burn where Serj wrote, 'source of all creation', it sounds like hes being somewhat cynical/bitter about it, because the record companys might think that they're like Gods (ie:sources of all creation) and can do what they want the next line, 'her, discourse, is that we all dont survey the sky', could be a thought of Serj's, that maybe this inability to 'survey the skies' applies not only to pop bands, but also other things in life, and that maybe the record companys use this as a reason to act like gods.
I think that the song is based on evonlution. the grey sky could be the sky scrapers over the old man's head. the old man could be a homeless person. the jet pilot could be survaing land for future building sites or it could be a commersial jet pilot bringing people to there new homes. The horse could be about to loose the farm it lives on to some multi national busness or something like that.
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 |
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Tell the people,
Tell the people that arrive, Tell the people, Tell the people that arrive, We don't need to multiply, We don't need to multiply, We don't need to multiply, We don't need to multiply, Die. Show your people We don't need to, Ask your people, |
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X [submitted by Colin Graham] I believe this song is about population growth. it is odd, however, that the song seems to present opinions for and against the zero population growth ("We don't need to multiply" versus "We don't need to nullify"), but the"We don't need to nullify" verse also could be sarcastic... Oh, and in regards to "Pogo Stick" being about an orgy, if you watch the live video on the DVD which came with the re-release of "Toxicity," Serj very distinctly says "I brought my pogo dick, " instead of pogo stick.
X is basically the Armenians in the eyes
of the Turkish and the Turkish in the eyes of Armenia. The Armenians tell
the Turks, "Ask your people. Ask your people how we die" and
"show your people how we die." And the Turks try to tell their
people "We [wont let them] multiply" and the Armenians tell
themselves "We dont need to nullify". |
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Wake up,
Grab a brush and put a little (makeup), Grab a brush and put a little, Hide the scars to fade away the (shakeup) Hide the scars to fade away the, Why'd you leave the keys upon the table? Here you go create another fable You wanted to, I don't think you trust, Wake up, You wanted to, I don't think you trust, Father, Father, Father,
Father, Why have you forsaken me, Trust in my self righteous
suicide, |
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Chop Suey! [submitted by Osheen Cerrahyan] The expression "Chop Suey" means Chinese stew, with meat or fish, plus bamboo sprouts, onions, rice and water chestnuts. But thats just a description of the expression. Read the following lines which were sent in by Osheen Cerrahyan. The meaning is from the great quote from Father Armeni (not with a on end) but Armeni who was saying to the land after the Armenian Genocide of 1915. He was speaking why have you forsaken me in your eyes and also saying in his speech self righteous suicide has taken place. Armeni was like the Zorba to the greeks. The real person so respected he almost became mythical. He wrote poetry about our land and so that song was dedicated to him and Armenia any many years ago.
For a while I had no clue what this song means. I still can't give you a definite answer. I can only give an idea, but I can say it does relate with parts of the Bible. System Of A Down as we know it is anti-religion. While Jesus was strung up on the cross he was trying to speak to his father (God), but his father no longer spoke to him. So he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?" Then as he died he said, "Father into your hands I commend my spirit." I'm not sure of those are the EXACT words, but they are very similar. As for the "Self-Righteous Suicide," Jesus died so he could save us (sinners). So as SOAD calls it his "self-righteous suicide." I've discussed this with some Christians and they all dislike the song. Saying that the, "Self righteous suicide" part is a mockery of Jesus' self-sacrifice. They may not be talking about the bibical story, but they can be using it as an example. Those that are believers in God, do blame him or believe he is at fault for their misfortunes. Reading the lyrics over and over I don't really see anything else in the song. Many refer to God as their Father. I for one can say that I was a believer in God and when I went through a very difficult time I couldn't blame anybody but him. Bottom line is shit happens to all of us. So as a quote of a great Jazz Musician, "I don't know if God exists, but if he does I'm going to strangle his fucking throat."
basically ive heard other peoples interpretation of this song, but they always seem to neglect the first 2 versus of it and concentrate entirely on the ' foresaken' bit. to me the 2 versus introduce us to the moral of the story... " grab a brush and put a little makeup - hide the scars to fade away the shakeup".. that basically talks about people who put on a face or front, to hide away who they really are. " why'd u leave the keys apon the table - here you go create another fable " that talks about people who lie, and people who lie to get others into trouble and intimidate people into trouble. "i dont think you trust in my self rightous suicide, i cry, when angels deserve to die." this is talkin about the person whos tellin the story or from somones point of view, and hes tellin god, i dont think that u see that i am good, and that im not out to look good for myself... and they so called " angels" who act good, but r really bad, derserve all the pain and misery and therefore deserve to die. "Father into your hands i commend my spirit, why have u forsaken me, in your eyes forsaken me ......etc" this is practacally the end of the song, and it kinda highlights the whole moral and thought of the story or song. the person is saying, god i have given u me, my spirit and everything that is me and all that is good.. but u have given up on me, u have turned ur back on me in everyway, all the good people and the truly rightous r dyin and suffering... and these so called ' angels ' r living good lives at the expense of us.. which is truly evil and they r the ones who deserve to die..
i think this song is like kinda about... well okay it goes i dont think you trust in my self righteous suicide i think thats kinda like something and baptizing and almost like you dont think ill do it and i might do it for the wrong reason.... and when angels deserve to die i think thats like kinda about the part where he like dies for our sins and stuff....but i dont get the father! why have you forsaken me...
It's about suicide! you can hear one of the band say in the background in the first few seconds of the track that the song is really called suicide.
THE SONG TITLE CHOP SUEY!
IS JUST PART OF THE TITLE. THE SUEY PART COMES FROM SUICIDE. CHOP SUEY(CIDE)!
IS WHAT THE TOTAL NAME IS. AS FOR THE REST OF THE SONG. THE WAKE UP! IS
THE BEGINNING OF THE WHOLE STORY AND MEANT TO GET UR ATTENTION. GRAB A
BRUSH AND PUT ON A LITTLE MAKE UP, HIDE THE SCARS TO FADE AWAY THE SHAKE
UP, IS ABOUT PEOPLE HIDING THEIR TRUE IDENTITIES, "WHY'DE U LEAVE
THE KEYS UP ON THE TABLE, HER U GO CREATE ANOTHER FABLE" MEANS PEOPLE
LIE TO COVER UP THE TRUTH SINCE LEAVING UR KEYS UP ON THE TABLE IS BAD
AND SO U CREATE A STORY FOR Y U LEFT THEM THERE.
To me Chop Suey has always been a way so say stuff you cant, I took it pretty literally – you get up, you paint makeup over your tears, and go do another fake day; even if you feel like shit you carry on, because you have to: "Wake up / grab a brush and put on a little makeup / hide the scars to fade away the shake up... Here you go create another fable" Occasionally you think yeah – I’m gonna finish this, or I’m gonna leave – but you cant ‘cuz you’re tied here. No one could possible understand " I don’t think you trust in my self righteous suicide…" if you commit suicide everyone wants to know why. You become a statistic: "15,000 people every year commit suicide in Britain." But no one ever does; people try – your friends get questioned by the police, confused relatives, councillors and psychologists; then it gets pinned on school, work, bullying, weight – which ever. No one is willing to except that someone else doesn't want to live. No one can ever understand YOU. Chop Suey is special. If you’re alone; it’s Chop Suey. It’s about you – its what ever is hurting you. If you’re in the middle of a slam-pit; its Chop Suey. You don’t know the people but you’re all with together, understanding. I dunno if any other system fans get what I’m saying; I guess its always jus been Chop Suey; I cant really say a what it "means" in general to me its been my grounding record; what ever I feel; its all OK. I’ve asked lots of friends about what they think it means; no one’s really been able to answer. Chop Suey is what you cry in the dark, alone to. What you die in a mosh pit to. What you scream along to with your best friends. To me, it is System Of A Down; because it’s universal, it has a thousand meanings because it IS people, there is nothing else like it.
Although I found interesting and very instructive the "genocide" interpretation - and I respect the Armenians and everything about them - I don't agree at all with that meaning. Neither I think CHOP SUEY! has anything to share with crucifixion, nor with the Bible. I think instead it's about family violence, then suicide. I guess it's about someone, maybe a young girl, who's very religious, and being beaten/sexually abused by her father. «Wake up. Grab a brush
and put a little makeup. Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup» «Why'd you leave the
keys upon the table? Here you go create another fable» «You wanted to [...]» [chorus] see below. «Father! Father! Father!
Father!» «Father into your
hands I commend my spirit» «Why have you forsaken
me [...]» «Trust in my self-righteous
suicide» «I cry when angels
deserve to die» OK that was just my drop in the ocean of interpretations for the lyrics of this amazing song.
"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
For SOAD being an anti-religious band, this song is quite religious, or at least spiritual. The song could be best understood if you look at it from the perspective of Jesus. In the first and second verse, he is talking about the same-old-s**t-different-day syndrome (“wake up, grab a brush and put a little makeup”), in which even though we have been through a lot of pain and hurt, we continue on, pretending it didn’t happen. We even lie about it to ourselves and others (“Here you go create another fable”). We wallow in our self-pity. The third verse is Jesus saying that he doesn’t feel that we learned the lesson he tried to teach us by dying on the cross (“I don’t think you trust in my self-righteous suicide”) and that even though we may screw up our lives by not following his teachings, he still cries “when angels (us) DESERVE to die (because we didn’t follow him)”. “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit” is quoted from Jesus when he was up on the cross. Those were his last words. With consciousness slipping, he started to quote from the book of Psalms (20th, 21st, and 22nd), hence, “why have you forsaken me?” |
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Jump, Bounce, Down, Up
I went out on a date, Jump Pogo?.. Unannounced twister games, Jump Pogo?.. Oh, I like to spread you out, Jump Pogo?.. |
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Bounce [submitted by TrinitronX (Jim Cuzella)] Bounce is basically about an orgy. Last year, when SOAD was on 106.7 KBPI (radio station in Denver, CO), a caller asked what the meaning of Bounce was. I cannot remember exactly what Serj said, but basically, he said that it was about an imaginary orgy. It involves a group of unnamed women, and a man with a "pogo stick". The pogo stick is an implied reference to the male human penis.
BOUNCE IS ABOUT AN ORGY, BUT TrinitronX, A PERSON WOULD HAVE TO BE A COMPLETE RETARD TO NOT KNOW WHAT A MAN'S POGO STICK IS, ESPECIALLY AFTER KNOWING WHAT THE SONG IS ABOUT.
I figured id be the one to set the record strait and give an actual worth reading idea of what bounce truley means. Of course its about an orgy and of course the pogo stick is the friggin penis. Bounce is definatley my favorite song on the whole cd. Ive listended to it over and over and over again with nonstop playback and i think ive got a pretty crude idea of what it means. ok..when he says: "Bounce Pogo Pogo Pogo blah blah" hes obviously talking about screwing a ho...get that..that one was easy... and when he says: "everyone wants to play run away expose'it was so exotic "he obviously means the feeling of sex..sex tends to take u away from anything thats bothering you..so your running away (mentally) and every1 wants to play means yeah..every1 wants to get some sex too... and the exotic part means it was wild and diffrent.. ok "unnanounced tiwster games they players with no names" hes saying he has no idea what hes doing because hes on "something maybe?" and the players with no names hes talking about the women that he doesnt even know who they are but they are there and they are riding his "pogo stick" and finally "she had so many friends" well she obviouslly invited her friends along for the "ride" and they came and hes saying so many to please so many friends.. |
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Walk with me my little
child,
To the forest of denial, Speak with me my only mind, Walk with me until the time, And make the forest turn to wine, You take the legend for a fall, You saw the product, Why can't you see that you are my child, Walk with me my little friend, Why can't you see that you are my child, Take this promise for a ride, Why can't you see that you are my child, |
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Forest [submitted by zutme] I think the song forest is simply about Jesus and his relationship with God. One of the most potent lines that prove this point are "Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you" which is obviously Jesus proclaiming he is God's son to the world. Another is "Take this promise to the end of you" which is clearly a reference to the end of the Old Testament covenant of Moses and the new covenant with Jesus. For a much more detailed arguement please see http://www.geocities.com/zutme On this page I have posted an in depth discussion on this topic
I feel that the meaning of Forest is precisely a telling of God speaking to Adam and Eve as a one. When Serj says: Walk with me my little child, It means that he is guiding them into the forest or the garden of Eden. Speak with your mind and do not give into peer pressure. Don't listen to anyone else, listen to me and follow me. "make the forest turn to wine" means make this life and forest sweet and don't ruin it with stupidity of making dumb decisions. Why can't you see that you
are my child, God is explaining here to Adam & Eve as a whole that they are his children. He is everything to them just as children are to parents. "Tell everyone in the world that I'm you" means that what you do is reflected on me and to take that very seriously and never forget that. Walk with me my little friend, This section is extremely fascinating yet very very bizarre. God is sort-of changing his mind when he calls them his little friend. This must be after Adam and Eve ate from the apple. After this incident, he has disowned them as children, or a child and now names them, friend. incidentally, He has not completely disowned them as a whole he still keeps them in his arms. this part gave us our life. the third sentence of this, notice it is sand instead of wine. this also symbolizes that Adam & Eve have lost God's respect a lot. "take the legend for a fall" means you took this legend and ruined it (fall), instead of making it a real legend (a good one) Why can't you see that you
are my child, In this paragraph, God is now telling A & E that even though they have lost a lot of his respect they are still his children/child. Then it says "Why don't you know that you are my mind" which means that they are everything to him. And again, he is just saying that you are me and what you do or say is on me, just as a parent. Take this promise for a
ride, Okay, God is saying to take this promise so seriously that you can't believe it as well as try it out. Then he wants A & E to come inside to the real world of where others exist and try that out even though they've already messed up their own sort-of "test." "You took the legend for its fall, you saw the product of it all" means they messed up their own legend and you saw your consequences. Then he says the sentence about the televisions and circumcisions in which I just don't understand. I guess this just isn't supposed to mean anything, it just sounds good. "You made the weapons for us all" means that you created the tools for war, not the concept of war but the tools for war which plays a huge part in war. "Just look at us now" is an amazing sentence which means that they both have failed, A&E and God, which is very hard to believe. God was wrong by trusting them and thinking they could handle it, however he knew what was going to happen, he did it for a reason. Why can't you see that you
are my child, This means that God is still explaining that A&E as a whole is still his child. They are his mind and A&E's actions are his and are held to his responsibilities. That's how much God cares about them as well as Us. "Take this promise to the end of you" means don't ever forget this and take this for granted. you messed up before, just learn for your mistakes and try to do better next time. This applies to life as well. You have to make mistakes to learn. However, instead of God saying this toward A&E he is now saying it to us, his people, his children.
After listening to this song and reading and re-reading the lyrics, I have come to the conclusion that Forest represents the devil trying to get ppl to sell their couls in order to get what they want, and ppl answering back with their doubts. Notice the lyrics, "Why can't you see that you are my child", "Take this promise
for a ride, "Walk with me my little
child, However, some parts may hint that its God speaking to his children, so it depends on how you look at it.
It never occurred to me that this might be about the devil. Instead, I always thought it was about how modern generations are breaking away from their cultural traditions. The main character, representing an old culture, speaks to his child, or symbolically to his subsequent generations, who forget their ancestors and their identity. Instead, they get caught up in modern things like technology. "You made the weapons for us all, just look at us now!" I think it raises the question of whether or not progress is really better than tradition.
i think its about the U.S. treatening Iraque (no i kant spel) that they are going to attack. it could also be that someone is treatening to kik the crap out of someone for a sexest/racest reson and there saying "we are all the same so you wouldn't kik the crap out of your own daughter or son." it could also be on the impatients of people. like the one frase "see the forests for the trees", they say "you saw the forests now come inside".
All the meanings are good on this page and they could all be right, But I think it is 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, Alter ego talking to him.
(Also could be schizophrenia) Alter ago (his own mind) telling him to "change" so he has a split personality. "You took the legend
for its fall, 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.
I've probably listened to Forest about a thousand times thinking about its meaning. i read the other opinions of what it meant, and considered them. i dont think that it is god or the devil speaking, nor do i think that it is exactly about tradition. i think that by the words "You took the legend for its fall, You saw the product of it all" it is talking about people trying to bend religions to do evil deads. this has been a problem throughout history. its explaining that its not the religion that is wrong, just people trying to make it accept wrong deeds, and ending in holy wars and horrible acts in the name of beliefs and/or religions.
It seems to me that forest is 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.
I think (and its a little far-fetched) that forest could be about Einstein. Take this promise for a ride, / You saw the forest, now come inside, / You took the legend for its fall, / You saw the product of it all, / No televisions in the air, / No circumcisions on the chair, / You made the weapons for us all, / Just look at us now, / 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. I think this section of lyrics supports it best. it could be read as Einstein thinking about the affects of the A-bomb which came from his theory (his "mind", his "child") and the affects it has had on our world ie: Hiroshima, the Cold War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
I don't think it has anything to do with the Bible or Adem&Eve.It's about a father who has a son that hates him and probably taken an oath to kill him.When the son goes up to kill the father,the father talks to the son. "Walk with me my little child" is what it is "To the forest of denial"the father tells the son that "you deny me" so "the forest of denial" symbolases the son's actions. "Speak with me my only mind"is the father tells the son that "you are my only mind" meaning"you are the only one I've got." "Walk with me until the time,and make the forest turn to wine"is walk with me until the time the "forest of denial"turns into wine,meaning the hatred is vanished. "You take the legend for a fall"is the father claims himself to be a legend and the son will take his fall as the real legend. "Why can't you see that you are my child," Is what it is. "Why don't you know that you are my mind" Is why don't you know we are the same "Tell everyone in the world,that I'm you" Is make everyone know we are the same "Take this promise to the end of you" Take this info to your grave.
"Take this promise to the end"is take this info to the end of time "Speak with me my only mind" is we are the same,so speak with me. "Walk with me until the end, And make the forest turn to sand," Is walk with me until this hatred and please destroy your hatred.
Think it over,son. "You saw the forest,now come inside" You saw your hatred now go deal with it. "You took the legend for a fall You saw the product of it all" You make the downfall of me the real legend And you know what is my child("product"),you know it all. "No televisions in the air" You and I are not bothered son,no TV's are working now. "No circumsisions on the chair" There is no truth being cut off(circumsision")everything is real "You made the weapons for us all" You made us all want war "Just look at us now" Look what it has become! |
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Hey you, see me, pictures
crazy,
All the world I've seen before me passing by, I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose, All the world I've seen before me passing by, You don't care about how I feel, Hey you, are me, not so pretty, You don't care about how I feel, Hey you, see me, pictures crazy, You don't care about how I feel, |
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meaning |
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A.T.W.A. = Air, Trees, Water, Animals A song espousing killer Charles Manson's ecological philosophy and titled after his anti-pollution organization, Air, Trees, Water, Animals.
charles manson wasnt a killer. he got his followers to do it. the song is about how manson has spent life since his teens in and out of prison and that he doesnt care whether he is free or locked up because prison is all he has known. so he has beat the system.
It's talking about Charles Mason. How people only saw the bad things he did and overlooked the good thing he contributed to humanity. |
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Making two possibilities
a reality,
Predicting the future of things we all know, Fighting off the diseased programming Of centuries, centuries, centuries, centuries. Science fails to recognize the single
most Science has failed our world Science fails to recognize the single
most Science has failed our world letting the reigns go to the unfolding Science has failed our world Spirit-moves-through-all-things |
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meaning
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Science [submitted by
TrinitronX (Jim Cuzella)]
"Science" criticizes the separation of science and religion. The song states that "Science has failed our world" due to the failure to recognize that it could do away with religion by proving the nonexistence of some sort of all-powerful being, or beings. The song also says that religion lets rulers control their subjects, "Letting the reigns go to the unfolding is faith, faith, faith, faith".
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.
The song science is about how science classifies the theory of evolution, which I think is completely false. Its says science has failed our world, meaning all these theories and myths about evolution and the Darwin theory are incorrect. I think they are obiously saying pretty much exactly what I'm saying, like "making two possibilities a reality, predicting the future of things we all know" is saying that humans are from animals and that we can see the future. So they are saying that the theory of evolution is negative and that science is making our world corrupt and apprehensive about what may happen in the future and what is happening currently in our world. |
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Education, fornication,
in you are, Go,
Education, subjugation, now you're out, Go, Education, fornication, in you are, Go, Don't be late for school again boy I think me, I want life, Education, fornication, in you are, Go, I think me, I want life, Indoctrination, of a nation, Don't be late for school again boy, |
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meaning
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Shimmy [submitted by TrinitronX
(Jim Cuzella)]
"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".
shimmy is criticizing the school system and how it teaches kids about sex but when they get pregnant they extract them from school.kind of an irony or catch 22 thing I guess. mainly just our buddies SOAD questioning the aspects of our society and how young people are growing what they are witnessing and what they are neglecting to witness.
the song is basically what trinitronx said but i'd just like to ad,that shimmy is a type of dance i believe that he does to forget the problems mentioned in the song. |
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Conversion, software version
7.0,
Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub, Eating seeds as a past time activity, The toxicity of our city, of our city, New, what do you own the world? More wood for their fires, loud neighbors, New, what do you own the world? New, what do you own the world? When I became the sun, |
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meaning
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Toxicity [submitted by
BlkLblSk8r928]
okay...i know that no one has posted the meaning of "toxicity". I remember reading about why S.O.A.D. titled their newest album that. "Toxicity" is a synonym for Los Angeles...or maybe even the U.S. in its state right now. Disorder, loud neighbors, flashlight reveries...you can see its quite obvious.
Toxicity is probably about a man after he dies. He is surrounded in nothingness and "eats seeds" to pass time, or just looks back and tries to kill time, because death is eternity. He was dissatisfied with the world because he says, "New, what do you own the world?" referring to the leaders that boss people around because they think everything belongs to them. He says, "How do you own disorder?" because he views the world as nothing but chaos. The "sacred silence and sleep" are death and the nothingness that follows. The flashlight reveries and software version 7.0 and so on are memories of his life. The last 4 lines, beginning with "When I became the sun" are about how he helped people and showed the m the way (shone life into the man's heart).
I think Toxicity is about Hollywood, it being "The, Toxicity of our city" SOAD being from L.A. And Hollywood is Americas biggest pride, maybe not to regular people though, some who may not care about it, while there are more imprtant things going on in the world. And since Hollywopod is so big it owns the world because everyone will buy products from hollywood like movies etc. So it owns the world but Does it own disorder?? it only owns the world when its easyily owned but when something happens they dont own it "New, what do you own the world? How do you own disorder, disorder"
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).
it seems fairly obvious to me that toxicity is a satirical criticism our american lifestyle. they despise the toxicity of our cities (meaning the lifestyles and attitudes of american citizens) which is revealed by the ways we waste our time... sitting around, bored, eating sunflower seeds to pass the time, not giving a shit about anyone else... while the rest of the world is plagued with war, starvation, genocide and destruction. we, as americans, think we are untouchable and that we own the world. but somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep... when we least expect it... DISORDER DISORDER... and how do you own disorder?
this song clashes rich with poor. the 1st verse compares having all the latest technology (conversion, software version 7.0) with living on the street. (looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub) the song states the enequalities of the styles of living in the world and how ustable this system is (somwhere between the sacred silence and sleep disorder).
I think Toxicity is again against the US gouverment. It describes this dirty destroyed world (maybe it describes the future) when it says "What do u own the world, how do u own disorder" and it seems as the gouverment doesnt care abput the envirement anymore only money money money so the think that they rule the world and that they can decide if this world needs any nature or not and ir doesn't if i understood this sony right i think it right cos this is what the american gouverment is like if ther are any ppl who disagree on my interpretaion and my thoughts about america please send an email or add me to msn messenger georgschufft@hotmail.com. |
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PSYCHO Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy, Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy, Psycho groupie cocaine crazy, Psycho groupie coke, Makes you high, makes you hide, Makes you really want to go- stop. Psycho groupie cocaine crazy Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy, So you want the world to stop, So you want to see the show, Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy, Psycho groupie cocaine crazy So you want the world to stop, So you want to see the show, |
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meaning
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Psycho
The song aims at burnt out, drug-addled groupies.
Dunno if its just me but this sounds
to me like its actually about being famous, being a star. How it makes
u high, performing and all.
Psycho is about drugs. But it also has a certain insulting part for "groupies" in it. I think it's likle this "PSYCHO GROUPIE (is)COCAINE CRAZY". The other parts of it is about how you feel when you do drugs and go to a psychodelic state.And maybe that's where it gets the name. |
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Life is a waterfall,
We're one in the river, And one again after the fall. Swimming through the void Cause we are the ones that want to play, And we are the ones that want to chose, Aerials, in the sky, Life is a waterfall, Swimming through the void Cause we are the ones that want to play, And we are the ones that want to chose, Aerials, in the sky, |
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meaning
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Aerials [submitted by
brujo]
I think this song refers to the times we live in, War, strange stuff going, secret researches plus the loss of respect and innocence. The loss of manners and the ignorance of creativity. Though not ignoring the art of mind control or communication, the power to stir and control just with the mind. As a lyrics writter my self (without someone to sing them) I think this is one of those songs that awes the critics. I think in other and philosofical ways that time of isolency, approaches us. As the background in the beggining of time did and so it still does. I would like to chat with anybody that agrees with this song meaning Spanto6@yahoo.com
I think "Aerials" has to do a lot with the video. Like, the famous kids don't even have time to BE a kid & play & stuff, because they're always being followed around by reporters, & being USED for money. The aerials are high up- high with money & fame, but fame isn't all that great. "Cause we are the ones that want to play, Always want to go, But you never want to stay"- It just reminds me of a kid, & so does "And we are the ones who want to choose, Always want to play, But you never want to lose"
Well, I myself know what the song meaning of Aerials is because I watched an interview on cable tv in australia (when soad were at bdo) and Shavo said that the meaning of Aerials is basically a kid in a wheelchair who is looking up at someone walking on a tightrope, and other high-flying circus acts and wishing he could do it. (officially from shavo)
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.
aerials video: ok, the strange kid is the key in this video, he has mental and physicl powers,(makin the car bounce up and down) and stuff like that. so he gets all this fame and at attention, like the two girls walkin w/ him, the camera guy, and the ppl wanting his autographs. so he kind of enjoyed it for a while but at the end of the video he says its not worth it so he goes to sleep for a long long time. he doent want the fame and fortune... oh yea, i have no idea what this has to do w/ the song but thats wut the videos about...
"aerials" is not self-explanitory. i want to agree with # 4 but its deeper than that. it is intentionally vague but ive read that the band has actually said that the song is about children with downs syndrome and how they view the world. it seems far-fetched at first but its a very interesting concept. the kid in the video knows that there is something different about him, but throughout the majority of the video, the world revolves around him. he slowly realizes, however, that this is not the case. the lyrics support this interpretation.
i totally agree with no 4. i just wanted to add a few things. when Serj says "we r one in the river and one again after the fall" he means that we are born to be equal, as one body, one humanity as a whole, and "after the fall" meaning death i guess, we are gonna be one again. "Swimming through the void" i think he refers to death by "void" and "we hear the word, we lose ourselves but we find it all" he means that when we die we ll know the truth about our existence and we will realize how vain we ve been in our lives, but it will be late if we have already lost ourselves into spiritual death. so, he recomends that we should free ourselves from earthy vanity and try and discover the true meaning of life which is communion and love between us instead of "putting up our walls". this is expressed a lot in the video as well. that kid is an example of the fact that no matter what powers or gifts you have and how much you are praised or paid by the people around you if the whole thing is fake, shallow and souless you can t find happiness. and as we could see that kid was not happy, it was in pain. I love this song by the way and i wish i could explain my self better in my interpretation. i kind of feel what it means but it s hard to put it down in words. it s perfectly expressive as it is!
On a radio interview in Australia, SOAD said the song is about nothing. When they wrote the music they invisioned a boy with no movement below his waist staring at an acrobat and dreaming. |
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