System of a Down: Lyrics and Themes

Posted on Jan 4, 2025 in Religion

Prison Song

(Chorus)

Following the rights movements, you clamped on with your iron fists,
Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids.
Following the rights movements, you clamped on with your iron fists,
Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids.
I buy my crack, I smack my bitch, right here in Hollywood.
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
They’re trying to build a prison,
For you and me to live in,
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
For you and me.

Minor drug offenders fill the prisons,
You don’t even flinch,
All our taxes paying for the wars against the new non-rich.
Minor drug offenders fill the prisons,
You don’t even flinch,
All our taxes paying for the wars against the new non-rich.

(Chorus)

War research and successful drug policies show that treatment should be increased,
And law enforcement decreased while abolishing mandatory minimum sentences.
War research and successful drug policies show that treatment should be increased,
And law enforcement decreased while abolishing mandatory minimum sentences.
Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world,
Drugs are now your global policy, now you police the globe.

(Chorus)…

For you and me,
Oh baby, you and me.

Psycho

(Chorus)

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, coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Do you really want to think and stop,
Stop your eyes from flowing,
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, coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Do you really want to think and stop,
Stop your eyes from flowing out.
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,
So you want to see the show,
You really don’t have to be a ho,
From the time you were a
(Chorus)

Radio/Video

Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the radio.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the video.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the radio.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the video with Danny and Lisa.
They take me away from
The strangest places,
Sweet Danny and Lisa.
They take me away from,
They take me away from
The strangest places,
Sweet Danny and Lisa.
They take me away from.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the radio.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the video with Danny and Lisa.
They take me away from
The strangest places,
Sweet Danny and Lisa.
They take me away from,
They take me away from
The strangest places,
Sweet Danny and Lisa.
They take me away from.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the radio.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the video with Danny and Lisa.
They take me away from
The strangest places,
Sweet Danny and Lisa.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the radio.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the video.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the radio.
Hey man, look at me rockin’ out,
I’m on the video with Danny and Lisa.

Roulette

I have a problem that I cannot explain,
I have no reason why it should have been so plain,
Have no questions, but I sure have excuse,
I lack the reason why I should be so confused.
I know how I feel when I’m around you,
I don’t know how I feel when I’m around you,
Around you.
Left a message, but it ain’t a bit of use,
I have some pictures, but one might be the deuce.
Today you saw, you saw me, you explained,
Playing the show when running down the plain.
I know how I feel when I’m around you,
I don’t know how I feel when I’m around you,
I know how I feel when I’m around you,
I don’t know how I feel when I’m around you,
Around you.
I know how I feel when I’m around you,
I don’t know how I feel when I’m around you,
I know how I feel when I’m around you,
I don’t know how I feel when I’m around you,
I know,
Around you,
Around you,
Around you,
Around you.

Sad Statue

Conquest to the lover, and your love to the fire,
Permanence unfolding in the absolute,
Forgiveness is the ultimate sacrifice,
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror.
The pictures of time and space are rearranged
In this little piece of typical tragedy,
Justified candy, brandy for the nerves,
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror.
You and me, we’ll all go down in history,
With a sad Statue of Liberty,
And a generation that didn’t agree.
You and me, we’ll all go down in history,
With a sad Statue of Liberty,
And a generation that didn’t agree.
I forgot to, I forgot to let you know that
Justified candy, brandy for the nerves,
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror.
Conquest to the lover, and your love to the fire,
Permanence unfolding in the absolute,
Forgiveness is the ultimate sacrifice,
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror.
You and me, we’ll all go down in history,
With a sad Statue of Liberty,
And a generation that didn’t agree.
You and me, we’ll all go down in history,
With a sad Statue of Liberty,
And a generation that didn’t agree, generation.
What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering?
Suffering, suffering now.
You and me, we’ll all go down in history,
With a sad Statue of Liberty,
And a generation that didn’t agree.
You and me, we’ll all go down in history,
With a sad Statue of Liberty,
And a generation that didn’t agree.
Generation,
Belonging,
Belonging to.

Science

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
Potent element of human existence,
Letting the reins go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Science has failed our world,
Science has failed our Mother Earth,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things.
Letting the reins go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Letting the reins go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Science has failed our world,
Science has failed our Mother Earth,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things,
Spirit moves through all things.
Science has failed our Mother Earth.

Sugar

The Kombucha mushroom people,
Sitting around all day,
Who can believe you, who can believe you,
Let your mother pray, (sugar).
Well, I’m not there all the time, you know,
Some people, some people, some people,
Call it insane, yeah, they call it insane, (sugar).
I play Russian roulette every day, a man’s sport,
With a bullet called life, yeah, called life, (sugar).
You know that every time I try to go
Where I really want to be, it’s already where I am,
‘Cause I’m already there… (sugar).
The Kombucha mushroom people,
Sitting around all day,
Who can believe you, who can believe you,
Let your mother pray, (sugar).
I got a gun the other day from Sako,
It’s cute, small, fits right in my pocket,
Yeah, right in my pocket, (sugar).
My girl, you know, she lashes out at me sometimes,
And I just kick her, and then she’s okay, she’s okay, (sugar).
People are always chasing me down,
Trying to push my face to the ground,
Where all they really want to do,
Is suck out my motherfucking brains, my brains, (sugar).
The Kombucha mushroom people,
Sitting around all day,
Who can believe you, who can believe you,
Let your mother pray.
I sit in my desolate room, no lights, no music,
Just anger, I’ve killed everyone,
I’m away forever, but I’m feeling better,
How do I feel, what do I say,
Fuck you, it all goes away, (x8)
In the end, it all goes away,
In the end, it all goes away,
In the end, it all goes away,
In the end, it all goes away.

Suggestions

Watching from a post up high,
From where you see the ships afar,
From a well-trained eye,
The waves all keep on crashing by.
If you are the light post,
Then you own the working class,
But if you want the answers,
You better give a piece of ass,
Give a piece of your ass.
Warning, post-hypnotic suggestions,
Running the ships ashore,
The orange light that follows
Will soon proclaim itself a god.
If you point your questions,
The fog will surely chew you up,
But if you want the answers,
You better get ready for the fire,
Get ready for the fire.
The ships are multiplying day after day, sir,
And they’re coming close to the shore, sir, shore, sir.
We need to evacuate the light post,
It’s all over,

It’s all over.

Suite-Pee

I had an out-of-body experience the other day,
Her name was Jesus,
And for her, everyone, everyone cried, everyone cried.
Try her philosophy, try her philosophy, try her philosophy,
You die for her philosophy, die.
Crossed and terra ravages of architecture lend me thy blades,
We’re crossed and terra ravages of architecture, hoist around the spade.
Try her philosophy, try her philosophy, try her philosophy,
You die for her philosophy, die, for her philosophy, die, her philosophy, die.
Die, die, die, why lie naked on the floor and let the messiah go through our souls,
Lie naked on the floor and let the messiah go all through our souls.
Die, like a motherfucker, die, like a motherfucker,
Die, like a motherfucker, why, like a motherfucker,
I want to fuck my way to the garden, ’cause everyone needs a motherfucker,
Try her philosophy, try her philosophy, try her philosophy, try.
You die for her philosophy, die for her philosophy, die.
The following of a Christ, the following of a Christ,
The following of a Christ, the falling of a Christ,
The falling of a Christ, the falling of Christ,
The falling of Christ.

Tentative

Respiration taking all of us for a ride,
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the right,
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight,
While you are talking all detached, so tell us,
Where are you going?
To the bottom.
Do you hear us?
We are rotting.
We’re going down in a spiral to the ground,
No one, no one’s gonna save us now.
Ceremonies have killed religions for they provide
The masked comforts to delusionals, they’re all in fright,
The true believer’s head was bathed in sunlight,
While you are walking all detached, so tell us,
Where are you going?
To the bottom.
Do you hear us?
We are rotting.
We’re going down in a spiral to the ground,
No one, no one’s gonna save us now.
Not even God, no one saved us,
No one’s gonna save us.
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall? (x4)

Respiration taking all of us for a ride,
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the right,
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight,
While you are talking all detached, detached, detached,
Detached, detached, detached.

We’re going down in a spiral to the ground, no one,
No one’s gonna save us now.
Not even God, no one saved us, no one saved us, no one saved us,
No one’s gonna save us now.

Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?

Hypnotize

Why don’t you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square?
Was fashion the reason why they were there?
They disguise it, hypnotize it,
Television made you buy it.

I’m just sitting in my car and waiting for my

She’s scared that I will take her away from there,
Her dreams and her country left with no one there.
Mesmerize the simple-minded,
Propaganda leaves us blinded.

I’m just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl.

Holy Mountains

Ahhhh Ahhhh Ahhhh Ahhhh!
Can you feel their haunting presence?
Can you feel their haunting presence?
Liar! Killer! Demon!
Head to the river and run!
Someone’s flag standing at warfare.
Liar! Killer! Demon!
Head to the river and run!
Freedom…
Freedom…
We’re free…
Free…
Can you fear the Holy Mountain?
Liar! Killer! Demon!
Head to the river and run!
Someone’s mountain, take them all then.
Liar! Killer! Demon!
Head to the river and run!
Freedom…
Freedom…
We’re free…
Free…
They have all the time resting on the mountainside,
We have learned that you have no…
They have the time resting on the mountainside,
We have learned that you have no…

Order! Murderer! Sodomizer!
Head to the river and run!

They have the time resting on the mountainside,
We have learned that you have no…

Order! Murderer! Sodomizer!
Head to the river and run!
Freedom…
Freedom…
Free…
Freedom…

Toxicity

Conversion, software version 7.0,
Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub,
Eating seeds as a pastime activity,
The toxicity of our city, of our city.

New, what do you own the world?
How do you own disorder, disorder?
Now, somewhere between the sacred silence,
Sacred silence and sleep,
Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep,
Disorder, disorder, disorder.

More wood for their fires, loud neighbors,
Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck,
Eating seeds as a pastime activity,
The toxicity of our city, of our city.

When I became the sun,
I shone life into the man’s hearts.
When I became the sun,
I shone life into the man’s hearts.

Violent Pornography

(Chorus)

Everybody, everybody, everybody livin’ now,
Everybody, everybody, everybody fucks.
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin’ now,
Everybody, everybody, everybody sucks.
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin’ now,
Everybody, everybody, everybody cries.
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin’ now,
Everybody, everybody dies.
It’s a non-stop disco,
Bet you it’s Nabisco,
Betcha didn’t know.
It’s a non-stop disco,
Bet you it’s Nabisco,
Betcha didn’t know.
It’s a non-stop disco,
Betcha didn’t know,
Betcha didn’t know.
It’s a non-stop disco,
Betcha didn’t know,
Betcha didn’t know,
Betcha didn’t know.

(Chorus)
It’s a violent pornography,
Choking chicks and sodomy,
The kind of shit you get on your TV.
It’s a violent pornography,
Choking chicks and sodomy,
The kind of shit you get on your TV.
(Chorus)

It’s a violent pornography,
Choking chicks and sodomy,
The kind of shit you get on your TV.
It’s a violent pornography,
Choking chicks and sodomy,
The kind of shit that’s on your TV.
It’s a violent pornography,
Choking chicks and sodomy,
The kind of shit that’s on your TV.
It’s on the TV, fuck, turn off your TV.
Can you say, “Brainwashing?”
It’s a non-stop disco.

Vicinity of Obscenity

Liar! … Lair!
Banana banana banana terracotta banana
Terracotta terracotta pie.
Banana banana banana terracotta banana
Terracotta terracotta pie.
Is there a perfect way of holding you, baby?
Vicinity of obscenity in your eyes.
Terracotta terracotta terracotta pie.
Is there a perfect way of holding you, baby?
Vicinity of obscenity in your eyes.

Terracotta pie… Hey! (x4)
Banana banana banana banana terracotta
Banana terracotta terracotta pie.
Banana banana banana banana terracotta
Banana terracotta terracotta pie.
Do we all learn defeat from the whores with bad feet?
Beat the meat, beat the meat,
Treat the feet to the sweet,
Milky seat.
Banana banana banana terracotta
Banana terracotta terracotta pie.
Banana banana banana terracotta
Banana terracotta terracotta pie.
Is there a perfect way of holding you, baby?
Vicinity of obscenity in your eyes.
Terracotta pie… Hey! (x4)
Banana banana banana banana terracotta
Banana terracotta terracotta pie.
Banana banana banana banana terracotta
Banana terracotta terracotta pie.
Do we all learn defeat from the whores with bad feet?
Beat the meat,
Treat the feet
To the sweet
Milky seat.
Liar!
Liar!
Liar!
Banana banana banana banana
Terracotta banana terracotta terracotta.

War?

Dark is the light,
The man you fight,
With all your prayers, incantations,
Running away, a trivial day,
Of judgment and deliverance.
To whom was sold, this bounty soul,
A gentile or a priest?
Who victored over the Seljuks,
When the holy land was taken?
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens.
Was it the riches of the land,
Powers of bright darkness,
That lead the noble to the east,
To fight the heathens?
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens.
We must call upon our bright darkness,
Beliefs, they’re the bullets of the wicked,
One was written on the sword,
For you must enter a room to destroy it,
International security,
Call of the righteous man,
Needs a reason to kill man,
History teaches us so,
The reason he must attain,
Must be approved by his god,
His child, partisan brother of war,
Of war, we don’t speak anymore,
Of war, we don’t speak anymore,
Of war, we don’t speak anymore,
Of war, we don’t speak anymore,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens,
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens.