System Of Down, Chop Suey! - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- #virginrock #systemofdown
This was a fun, even funny, listening experience for me, which also raised questions about the actual meaning of the song. I learned later that there is a darker subtext, but I’m kind of glad that I was able to explore it without knowing that part of the story!
Here’s the link to the original song:
• System Of A Down - Cho...
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by System Of Down
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The original name of the song was "Suicide," but Columbia Records made them change it to make it radio friendly. In the beginning of the song, you hear lead singer Serj Tankian say "we're rolling suicide." The title is a bit of a play on words - "Suey-cide."
They chopped "suicide" in half to get the title approved.
I don't think they have that with the video on youtube, so if she listens to that one
complete name was actually "Self Rightgeous Suicide", as in "-*Geous (Chop) Suici-* (Suey)"
@@Rcprobot this album actually came out a month before the terrorist attack. August 13th. And no, they didn't rename every song on the record. Just Chop Suey.
And the word "suicide" being 'chopped' by Columbia, with half the word phonetically remaining. Extremely clever, actually.
HEY! This is among the heaviest songs Virgin Rock has listened to, having followed her for awhile. Is ROCK venturing into metal? Maybe? I hope so. Is this humorous? Definitely no. Others will tell you about the name.
This is about suicide, but also about how we (as a society) see self-inflicted death. Some deaths are deserved, funny, don't you think? A drug addict kills themselves by overdose? They deserved it. An abused or downtrodden person kills themselves: Sux to be you! 😜 That's how we treat it.
Lyrics from the song: "Wake up! Grab a brush; put on a little makeup! Hide the scars to fade away the shake-up! [last night's abuse] Why'd you leave the keys up on the table!? [worried about someone getting angry about something small?] Here you go, create another fable! [tell people, and yourself, "nothing's wrong."]
The Son of God, himself, cried "Why have you forsaken me?" So too, cry these poor, suicidal souls, in their greatest despair.
I have said many a time: metal shines a light on humanity's darkest places. It is surprisingly (or not) common for classical music enthusiasts to enjoy heavy metal, with some getting used to. Both genres touch emotions that other musics stray from. I hope your journey continues.
She did harder.
@@sirsancti5504 Care to elaborate? The only other one in the same ballpark that I can think of is Metallica's One. IMO this song has a less approachable sound, which is what I meant by saying "heavy". (Admittedly, heavy comes in many flavors.) She's covered Opeth, for instance, but it was not at all a heavy song.
She reacted to Bethlehem - Schatten aus der Alexander Welt
@@LadyArsenica1 Hmm I missed that one. But you guys are right, and I stand corrected. Comment edited.
This is why i felt disappointed today. She closed the door on taking the song and its meaning with any seriousness. Kind of like we devalue the pain suicidal people are suffering and judge them for not finding a better solution to their problems. We dismiss them, and don't try to understand why they feel its their only solution, much less devote sufficient resources to help people in those stuck places before they act on their suicidality.
I usually like Amy's analysis, but when reading the lyrics, how do you get cartoonish or funny?
I found it offensive.
I totally get the humour on it. Purposeful or not, its there. Breaking Expectation is one of the main sources of humour, and SOAD is master at it.
Just pay attention on comedic performances and you see all the time.
When doing, lets say, a stand up, a performer start to speed up, speed up, speed up, break, punch line. And when you think its over, other punch line.
Or a written joke that in serious context would be just nonsense.
Or a mime who dance dance stop. Dance dance stop, dance stop, and patterns like that.
For a lot of people, the first reaction listening to chop suey, or sugar, musics like these, is to laugh. First they laugh, only then try to comprehend/absorb.
And even then, when you get into the depths of their work, thinking It as "cartoonish or funny" is not offensive at all.
This is one of those songs that makes me miss her in-depth analysis videos. I'm sure she would see it in a different light if she came back to it after having studied it a bit more and listened a few more times. As for me, I never knew what this song was about until about two years ago. I never thought it was exactly meant to be funny, but it does have a comedic sort of flow to it. The music, not the lyrics! But not in a light-hearted way. More like the kind of comedy they had in the series "Breaking Bad".
System of a Down is a largely cartoonish band with songs about fucking bouncing on pogo sticks lol. Get over it. Serj is bugging his eyes out throughout the video and making cartoonish faces while his eyebrows move all over the place and then all the band members start popping out of each other's bodies. Just imagine sitting around all serious with your fist on your chin like "Mmm, I see, yes, this song where shirtless sweaty men bulge their eyeballs out hopping around a stage in cargo shorts with extreme camera pans really makes me mourn for those we've lost to depression. We need to bring more awareness to mental health." lol
@@j1m80slice8 because you're easily offended. Grow up
The title and the music formula have led you a bit astray. "Suey" in the title is an abbreviation for "Suicide," and the theme of the song is that we often judge people's lives by inferring only how someone died. As if death itself, whether shameful or heroic, determines everything. This is not a Tommy the Cat style piece.
Amy is unconsciously and subtly head banging here and I love it.
SOAD is not the easiest take for someone unfamiliar with this kind of music. I'm not blaming Amy for going off with her interpretation of the piece. I think it's only expected from someone who has been almost exclusively exposed to classical music. And despite many comments here complaining about Amy missing the seriousness of the piece, I think she did tap on an important trait of the band. SOAD is humorous in a way. They dress serious matters in different, often comical clothes. They use travesty, drama, theatre... Amy was very much spot on with her natural perception of the song. And the ability to unpack all that's inside a piece like that will come with experience :)
“What am I? Chopped Suey?” It’s how people are viewed differently after death based on how they died, in reference specifically to suicide
I found that out from the Doug Helvering video! Very interesting
I think that's chopped liver.
Actually the band wanted the sing to be called “ suicide” as you can hear them introduce the song on the album as they start to record “ roll suicide “
The studio of course would not allow them to use suicide , so they jokingly called the song “ chop suey “ suey ….short for suicide and chop….. is an industry term for something that is cut out of a song or in this case, the title being chopped from the album album .
"What am I? Chop Suey?" Is not a thing people say. 😂😂😂
@@willpina yes, it is, or at least it was in the 90’s and early 2000’s when this band was formed. Another common one was “am I chopped liver?” Meaning what about me? Your probably too young, it’s not something that’s said much anymore, but it’s the inspiration for the song name.
Actually it's a quite serious song. The verses describe situations of domestic abuse, "hide the scars to fade away the shakeup" and suicidal thoughts. Later he sings "father into your hands, I commend my spirit, why have you forsaken me". These are biblical lines. It's what Jesus said to god, while on the cross. They describe the death of Jesus as a selfrighteous suicide. Because he sacrificed himself, right? What the song really is about: We judge people based on the way they die. The band described it like that....If someone dies from suicide or drug abuse, we tend to say that it's their fault, but we don't really know what they were going through, because we don't walk in their shoes. "I cry, when angels deserve to die". Means: Every soul is valuable and innocent at one point. I totally get your confusion. System of a downs lyricism is full of metaphors, leaving a lot of room for the listeners interpretation. And yes, their style seems comical and cartoonish sometimes, but their topics are always deep, sometimes dark and full of drama. They write a lot of political songs, and songs dealing with war, genocide and social issues. Something I love about them is the contrast between the music and their transportation, which can be a bit goofy, and their dramatic topics. Doesn't seem to fit, but still works so well. The song was originally titled "Suicide", but their record company didn't want that. Mostly because this song came out in 2001, and they feared people could make a connection to the 9/11 attacks, which is crazy, but I think that's always the risk, when you leave so much open for interpretation. "Chop Suey" is just a random play on words.
The band members are all from armenian heritage, that's why you might hear a lot of eastern european, and middle-eastern sounds and song structures in their music. A lot of their unique rhytmics, are basicly middle eastern rhythms, played on distorted guitars, which is something else, even for the average rock/metal fan. I really enjoy the vocals here. The lead vocalist Serj Tankian might be my favorite rock-vocalist. And when the guitarist Daron Malakian joins with the background vocals, they create some haunting harmonies, in my opinion. Love it.
I was wondering about the part about the angels.
This comment was so necessary.
I assume System Of A Down is misunderstood by 98% of the people, so seeing comments like this always brings me some relief that there is always someone who gets it. It's a very unique band.
Yes this.
Dude, thank you for saying all the things I thought I would have to. My thumbs thank you.
Just want to say I hope you do more System of a Down. They have such a signature sound, but also a lot of variety within their catalog.
Hi Amy, other commenters have shared how poignant and powerful these lyrics are. While System... sometimes writes silly lyrics ("Bounce"), usually the topics are quite serious. Social commentary is often at the forefront of their messages. For another try, I recommend the song Hypnotize: its lyrics are again profound and touching, while the music is not quite as jarring. Thanks!
This one deserved better 😢
No one gets this song the first time. I sure know I didn’t.
@@zepher664 The Fairy Voice Mother did, her reaction/breakdown of this song is phenomenal, and it was her first time listening to the song.
@deviousraul if you go into it knowing to looking for a more coded message, sure.
This song came out when I was in high school, and it was extremely popular. No one paid any attention to the meaning of the lyrics though, it was just a killer track.
Like, you would be shocked at how many people listen to bands like Rage Against the Machine, and never clued into the fact that they are very politically left-wing, and they are well known for their very political lyrics, as they aren't exactly subtle.
The meaning of the song is much more subtle and vague in Chop Suey though. The references to suicide are obvious, but that the song is more of a criticism against the behavior of those who demonize those who have taken their own life, no matter how much they claimed to have "loved" them in life, is much more obfuscated.
Also the song is an absolute banger, so I can't blame someone for paying more attention to the sound of the music as a whole, and are too distracted to figure out the meaning on their first listen as a result.
@@deviousraulsure it was
She could research it and possibly listen to it ahead of time and pretend to react like a lot of them if that’ll make you feel better
I really hoped you would have read about the title in your notes before listening to it. Then when you didn't, I hoped that Vlad would have told you when you asked about it. You were so stuck with kitchen and vegetables from the very begining that, I guess, you could not take it seriously at all anymore. But this song is very serious and it is about suic*de and how people are judged commiting it. They wanted to name it as it is - "Suic*de" but they were not allowed so they came up with "Chop Suey" which in this case means "chopped suic*de".
System of a Down is a band that always talks about serious social and political topics. And, to me, "Chop Suey" is one of the best songs ever composed. So I'm really sad that you didn't know what it was about and didn't pay a little more attention to it. But I don't blame you. It is your honest reaction and opinion. I'd just like to know what you would say and how you would feel now about it, knowing what it is about.
And when it comes to music, it is typical SOAD sound. They are known by tempo changes and "chaotic" music. And btw, they are one of the most significant modern bands, so maybe you should check more of their songs. I recommend "BYOB" even though it is even more "chaotic".
Too much noise to her well trained ears xd
Why are we censoring the word suicide again.
Suicide chopped in half. It's about a friend on drugs who committed that act, and the fallout with people saying he deserved it, or had it coming. This song is in protest to that idea.
Ah, I always thought it was a critique of the type of religious blind faith that leads to things like suicide bombers, hence the phrase "self righteous suicide," and "angels deserving to die."
@@Pohgrey That kinda makes sense to me, too, but I saw an interview with Serge a while back where he talked about it. "i cry when angels deserve to die', his friend being the angel. I almost like your interpretation better, though.
@EuphoriaDeep yeah, I never saw that interview. My interpretation was just based on a plain reading of the lyrics without any of the context you got from Serj's interview.
yea the label didn't want a song with the name so it got the chop but never got a new name and became chop suey.
@@Pohgreywhen would a Christian would say to someone who kills himself due drugs. He deserve it?. That would be so off to Jesus teaching
I love that you drew a line from SOAD to Primus.
The song was originally titled as "Suicide". But the label made them change it.
New headcannon: Serj is an angsty Broccoli trying to avoid being chopped up by his Father, the Chef.
Now we need a Dana Carvey - Chopping Broccoli mashup.
@@flyingardilla143 omg yes!
😂😊😅
I need some AI art of brocolli serj now
"Trust in my self-righteous suicide" illustrates the will of Serj The Broccoli to jump down in the boiling water to escape from being chopped.
It made sense to me. I just took it at face value. The mania of a person that's on their way out.
Remember this :
" In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn "
- Phil Collins -
Even as an ESL person, I quickky got what the word play meant...I mean "self righteous suicide" tells you all you need about the thrme of the song.
The song sucks, she wants to go back to Queen
@@stephenspagnoli8292bro...
While I cringed a bit from your take on the lyrics and the song itself, I definitely see where you're coming from.
My first introduction to SOAD was Prison Song, and my reaction was "how can someone call it music". A few years later they became one of my most-listened bands.
So is Rage against the Machine coming soon?
There has always been a cartoonish side to SOAD but it comes more from the chaotic violent mood swings of the music and vocals which unfortunately I can relate to lol, some of the lyrics are outright funny but this one is more depression and suicide so not so much, was one of those songs that shut me up completely when I first heard it, it came on MTV 2 I think and me and my brother just listened in silence then said that was good at the end lol Serj will always be one of my favourite vocalists
I could be wrong, but always thought it was a critique of the type of blind religious faith that leads to things like suicide bombers, hence the phrases "self righteous suicide," and "angels deserving to die."
that makes the most sense and what I vaguely thought to begin with but I was just going on what was said in a couple of interviews, they may have been covering a bit due to 9/11 but it fits better doesn't t their songs are often about wider issues, either way not a very comic subject for this one
never judge a book by its cover
never judge a song by its title... well sometimes...
I didn't think I'd be watching a musician analyze a word. The harmonies give me goosebumps.
Thank you for doing this song. It never gets old. The song "Chop Suey!" by System of a Down was originally titled "Suicide" or "Self-Righteous Suicide", but the band changed the name to "Chop Suey!" in response to Columbia Records' concerns about making the song more radio-friendly. The title is a play on words, with "Suey" being "suicide" chopped in half. Some copies of the song include an intro where the singer, Serj Tankian, can be heard saying "we're rolling 'Suicide'
SOAD has such a unique sound, and really deep messages, it seemed you didn’t quite have a frame of reference for how to approach it. Maybe a bit more informational grounding would have helped, like Doug Helvering had when he reacted to this song. I hope you try some more of their songs-they’re one of the great bands of this century, in my opinion! Maybe try something like Aerials next time?
It's about how sometimes people see certain deaths as deserved, or judge people by how they died. The intense moments are society's judgement/pressure to seem fine, even when you're not. They feel aggressive, because they are when you're struggling.
Usually Vlad gives a lot of background info about the song. I think knowing the meaning of the title (Chopped suicide) would have helped here.
I agree, they active refisal to engage with the lyrics and to treat the song with any seriousness was very disappointing. This is theonly time ive seen Amy just refuse to engage with the art at all.
@@user-eq8ww1gr6v I think she was a bit overwhelmed and didnt want to do injustice to lyrics she barely understood, especially with such a heavy topic. If thats what is was, she was wise to not talk about a topic she doesnt know much about.
I know that Vlad does occasionally help wirh interjections to steer understandings of certain things. But I really appreciate restraint, to let Amy be the newbie, and to be that honest, inspecting, dissecting reactor that her background brings to this channel. This blank slate approach also promotes engagement with us, the audience.
I also love that there are other core missions, such as following The Beatles amazing journey.
Keep it up, Amy. We'll transition you yet, from toe-tapper to head-banger :-)
As a classically trained musician I thought you'd enjoy the layers of music between instruments vocals and percussion so much to listen to
@@chrisgonzalez4414 And the piano in the end 🥰 I think she wasn't ready for this 😅
"Suey-cide". The record company didn't think a song called "Suicide" would be a good look.
There's always a hint of their Armenian heritage in the singing and some melodic details of their songs.
Every time I hear Serj sing I think musical theater.
I see it as a sort of outcry against the perception of someone who's ended their own life as selfish or couldn't cut it, hence the self-righteous and angels deserving it. Describing their morning routine before leaving their housekeys on the table as they're not coming back and then describing their mindset in crying out to the lord asking why they've forsaken them. Heavy song.
The record company wouldn't let them release a song called "Suicide" in 2001 post september, so Chop Suey is just a way to reference the original name
I think there is usually a quirky balance between seriousness and fun in their music, there is a bit of a mood swing going all over the place. Part of it might be because they are simply too skilled as musicians to not be tempted to play around with the components of the songs like this.
You are doing great, sister!! I know many of these songs are out of your 'wheelhouse', yet I am always so pleasantly surprised that you also enjoy many that I do as well. While this might not be my favorite song ever, I love your interpretation!! Thank you for lending your talented ear and well spoken thoughts xo.
YAS! finally! Aerials next!
You really missed it not taking this seriously. Most serious lyrics possible.
Oh, I'm so happy you're doing this. ^^
You are right - this is jumpy, chaotic, harsh/dreamy. This is of course with a reason: life is too, if lived maybe a bit too much.
Yasss! Love this. I am here early this time 😅
I really like Amys reactions, but this time I am a bit disappointed. It really looks like she didn't take the song seriously just from reading the title and calling a song whose theme is clearly about suicide 'funny' makes me a bit uncomfortable.
Too much noise to her wonderful ears
Very unprofessional of her and extremely disrespectful to the artists, the music, and the people who found meaning in their art.
Lo que me gusta de ella es que es sincera,entiendo que a los fans les pude gustar mucho una canción y por ello sentirse ofendidos si alguien no la entiende o no le gusta,pero me parece mejor eso que una falsa reacción que por compromiso tenga a todos contentos.
sorry to burst SOAD fans bubbles _but it's not that great of a song._ 🤷
@@Trendyflute It's Amy's misinterpretation of the song, and making light of some very serious lyrics that has people upset. The quality of the song has nothing to do with their reaction.
Watching her work through this was wild hahaha it’s a joy to watch her feel the music and literally coke to an interpretation that’s so close to the bands sentiments but in her own way, with her experience and instincts.
That we might all be vegetables starting fast and stopping suddenly and inevitably approaching the chop of the knife. Come on hahaha. That’s good.
It's such a blessing to see someone not immediatly getting what this song is about. This was the the first song of SoaD I heard and having experience with the theme it shredded my heart. Everyone I know hates this songs or loves it and it is allways because they get what it means.
So heartwarming to see someone just totally lost about it. Stay as you are Amy and all the best for you and your family.
The camera guy probably knows what the name is about
it makes you feel
It took me a while to catch on to System of a Down. I didn't exactly understand it because it was so different, despite being a rock and metal fan for many years, I had the same initial reaction..."I don't know what to make of this piece". But eventually I "got it" and became a huge fan! Their blend of start/stop, choppy, then melodic and dramatic change ups just takes some getting used to. At first I kind of thought it a bit annoying, only to later hear it as beautiful and brilliant! It's sort of an acquired taste, like dark beer, black coffee, or pungent cheese!
The fact you named every instrument BUT guitar is a testament to what a hard working guitarist can do. So many sounds to explore. And they only use guitars bass and drums to make their unique sounds
Love this song 😁
this is hilarious i thought about the crying because of chopping onions as well, but the song is so sad lol, she got distracted by the onion thing, give it another listen without thinking about chop suey :D love the reaction btw
And the lead singer's voice is so good, full of desperation and pain at times, and of anger at other times.
You need to sit with this and read the lyrics and listen a few more times if you can't take it seriously yet.
It is open to interpretation, of course, but this is about suicide. How people are pushed to it thinking it's the only way out of their pain. And how we judge them for their failing. Even the churches would say you are a sinner for choosing suicide, even as they have their whole faith built on a god who chooses self-righteous suicide as the answer.
I am a little disappointed you just latch on to rejecting taking it seriously instead of asking why this has had an impact it has as an invitation to listen to it more deeply.
Another 🔥 reaction
The famous Rick Rubin is behind SOAD making this song. and the album!
you need to listen “Serj Tankian - Elect the Dead Symphony”. It's the DVD of Serj Tankian (main vocalist) recording songs from his solo career with an orchestra. A true masterpiece. This guy is a chameleon! hugs from Brazil 🇧🇷❤️
My first words on seeing this thumb, this is going to be good. So far out of the comfort zone.
Next Mike Patton please. Anything from Mr. Bungle.
If you want to explore more of System of a Down I would recommend checking out _Holy Mountains_ early on in their list of songs, studying that one I think will elucidate a lot of the band for you.
They wanted to name it "Suicide" or some version with that word in it, and the record label didn't like it. They made them "chop" that title, hence the name "Chop Suey," as in chop the word "suey-cide" in half so they could put it in the title.
What I get from it is they're criticizing the type of blind faith that leads to things like suicide bombers who commit "self righteous suicide" to kill non believers in the name of their religion.
Amused, puzzeled and entertained...well you just explained the band in 3 words better then I could do in 30 years lollll
One of the greats
The lyrics are quite... literal. "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"... "my self-righteous suicide"...
It's too good example of "How older generation see suicide problem"
This isn't a song everyone will get right away. She was honest, was transparent in saying she felt like she was missing details to see the full picture and I fully appreciate that (it's even acknowledged in the video description). If she had the heads-up that the title meant something different, it would've spoiled her genuine reaction which defeats the purpose of the video. This is a song that many people (myself included) grew up with and I think some were expecting her to say the things that matched their own special perception and appreciation towards the song. Let her experience the journey for herself.
I needed to learn hearing System of A Down, even when having already rock and metal background, because when they became popular their style was unique (and still is). I cant image how SOAD sounds to people who dont have ears that are not familiar with hard rock / metal /whatever.
Hey guys from x, can we recommend songs to react to? I have several that will make you say, what is this?
The members are of Armenian descent and many of their songs have some middle eastern flavor. And many of their songs are political as well
You're absolutely correct thinking about humour and ambigouity, but the underlying sentiments are deadly serious and commenting on a great tradegy.
This is not a comedic song, but System of a Down usually had elements of humor and irony in their songs, even ones about very serious subjects, like this one. The dynamic shifts alone almost shock laughter out of you, even as they're singing about subjects like war, addiction, and government corruption. Their lyrics tended to range from oblique and cryptic to total nonsense, though sometimes they were more straightforward.
The most commonly occurring theme in their music is juxtaposition: between loud and quiet, fast and slow, humorous and heavy, sardonic and sincere. They were quite committed to being unpredictable and surprising.
Chop Suey uses to be lefovers chopped up for a soup. For an artistic interpretation is "What am I just leftovers, to be chopped up and discarded."
This song speaks of desperate thoughts, and its intense melody conveys this desperation and a plea for help and relief.
If Amy finds Serj Tankian's voice appealing and intriguing (his background as Armenian) and wants to explore further, he has some solid solo work which showcases his voice in different ways- His song, Amber, sung in Armenian (with Sevak Amroyan) about the woes of Armenia is amazing.
The label did not want them to call the song "Suicide" so they renamed it.
Chop refers to being a person cut in half by living half their life behind a mask.
Suey alludes to the suicide which can mean the whole self or just the killing of one half of the psyche.
The idea that this song is a parody of an actual vegetable about to be chopped up to be eaten is honestly a pretty hilarious image lol
Thank you for your sincere reaction. I am surprised, like others, that you didn't take a moment to look at the lyrics and vocalization a little more closely to expose the meaning.
It makes me a bit sad, because this song and album was so important to me as an immigrant fitting into the American experience and these Armenians with their drive and passion dared to be outrageous and driven and sing about the most serious of topics, still quite taboo when this came out.
It seems to foreign to me that you hear the frenetic pace of the guitar and bass and the indignation, sorrow, and pleading in the vocals and they don't quite land for you.
Well, this was like watching the parody and big kick in the dark with your interpretation. Others explained it so well I don't have to repeat.
But ... I can undersrand why ... 😉
Hello! Thanks for doing a SOAD (System of a down) reaction, quickest click on a reaction video from you.
I know it can be confusing to think that there's some depth in their music as a first listener, but trust me there is.
Also, the funny, weird music is on purpose, they wanted to create a unique sound that combines their Armenian heritage, with their lives in the USA, making social commentary on war, genocide, drugs, the american dream and much more.
I suggest you react to Aerials, Holy Mountains or Questin! for a more in depth analysis. (Also they are of my favorite songs by them)
You kind of got lost in the title. The working title of the song was called “suicide”, certainly not comic. The song is about when some people take their own life others blame them. Not understanding it’s a symptom of an illness, as if they deserved it. “When angels deserve to die”. The record company told them to change the title. A lot of SOAD music is erratic because it reflects the lead singer who has ADHD which is what the song “toxicity”is about.
RIP to the ones gone too soon..
Honestly it took quite a few years for me to realize that SoaD weren't trolling us with this song. The more you dive into the lyrics and the vocal parts, the more you realize that this is a song with great depth.
You should take a look at Genius, where songs are often explained and/or the band/writer tells what it's about.
This song was originally going to be called “Self-Righteous Suicide,” and the record company rebelled. I remember wanting to go to the mat and keep the title, and the band decided, “Let’s call it ‘Chop Suey!’” which I thought was kind of funny.
They wanted to name the song "Suicide" but the record company told them to "Chop" the name because they thought it was too controversial. So they named it "Chop" as in to cut the name, and "Suey" as a shortening of Suicide.
one word that describes SOAD - chaotic.
"We're rolling Suey-cide"
I think you need to spend a bit more time with this one Amy. I can understand from the sound and the title how this can be confusing to people who have never heard it, and especially if you haven't heard a lot of metal. But the song is actually quite serious, beautiful, and profound. It's about how we look on people differently depending on how they died and what kind of person they are. A person who dies by suicide is seen differently from a person who dies of old age, even if the reality of both of their lives are more complicated.
Side note: "Chop Suey" is an alternate title for suicide that the label made them take.
The band is also of Armenian heritage, and the musical influences from their culture are in their music really distinguish it from other metal artists. The variations in the singing melodies and the stops and starts also do as well. I think the harmonies are also incredible in the context of their genre. I was wondering if you would comment on that as well.
Amy's head was going there. Next stop, the mosh pit! 😝🤘
I find it funny how music-taste changes over time. Somehow System Of A Down, Korn and Slipknot got replaced by Sharon van Etten, Angel Olsen and Wolf Alice in my playlist.
I mean the lyrics still resonate with me, but the music??? Holy cow!!! This is genuine horse-shit! Was 16 year old me always high? 😂
The lyrics describe how I felt throughout school and work life. Wake up! We’re gonna be late! Hide the emotional scars so you don’t bother other people. Why’d you leave the keys on the table? Boss & co-workers: “he makes all these mistakes because he’s lazy and wants to be late. Inner monologue: why did dad always just want to get away from me, what’s wrong with me. The songs very ADHD.
Wooooowww reacted SOAD, subbed
This is much more melodic and harmonically interesting than some 'metal' I've heard. There are elements of hip-hop in the rhythms as well as more standard metal passages that underscore the emotional turmoil of the subject. I think 'genres' are all a bit artificial in any case. This is really rather creative modern rock music.
You can often hear hints of traditional Middle Eastern motifs in SOAD's music, reflecting their Armenian heritage.
The lyrics are worth a deep dive, and I'm probably not the best person to decode them. At a high level, the song is about how society blames and condemns people who commit suicide to escape their suffering. As I understand it, "I cry when angels deserve to die" is the band lamenting the way that an 'angel' who commits suicide is felt to 'deserve it.'
They couldn’t find lyrics to the FATHeR part. They opened the Bible to a random place and there were their lyrics
Finally, a song that is actually a great representative of 21st century rock!
I lived in an apartment on the second floor and I had a neighbor on the third floor, who played this record several times a day very loud. Years later, I bought the cd, when this neighbor left the building. As English is not my mother tongue, I never paid much attention to the meaning of the song lyrics. I like the music for the energy and emotion I get.
To me, SoaD are so good at capturing insanity in their songwriting. And not just any insane rage but always a fury induced by some worldly horror one could never even imagine to fight on their own. Think war, global powers, the sex industry etc...
The original name of the song was "Hari-kari," a ritual form of Japanese suicide, but the record label didn't want to offend people, so they chose another Asian phrase with the word's "chop" and "sui/ey" in it.
SOAD I have never clicked on a reaction of yours so quickly!!
'Suicide' got changed to 'Chop Suey' because of Sept 11.
I love that they always have a sneaky homage to their Armenian roots in all their music.
Amy, I highly recommend you listen to Vika's piano cover.
I really wish you did more of RADIOHEAD songs, though.
You're very good at interpreting songs