Chop Suey! is the first single from System of a Down's second album, Toxicity. The album, released in August of 2001, earned the band one Grammy nomination, which they failed to win. The original title of the song was going to be "Suicide", but the name was changed due to their label considering the name as "inappropriate". In some versions of the song, such as some pressings of the album version, Serj Tankian can be heard saying "We're rolling suicide."
Chop Suey! was also featured in the music game Rock Band 2.
Overview[]
The album it appears on, Toxicity, was Number 1 on the charts during the week of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the controversy surrounding the popular single at the time led to Clear Channel Radio placing the song on a list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles. It was never actually banned completely from the air, but all Clear Channel Radio stations were advised against playing "Chop Suey!" (And the other songs on the list.) The song was included on the "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" list by Blender magazine.
In an interview, Daron Malakian explained, "the song is about how we are regarded differently depending on how we pass. Like, if I were now to die from a drug abuse, they might say I deserved it because I abused dangerous drugs. Hence the line, "I cry when angels deserve to die." The lyrics "Why have you forsaken me?" and "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" are references to Jesus' death on the cross, as they were two of the seven things Jesus said while dying.
Music Video[]
The video, directed by the acclaimed Marcos Siega, contains footage from two live concerts, in which all of the band members except Serj are shirtless. Editing devices are used to create the effect of the band members "walking through" one another and teleporting on and off the stage. One scene briefly shows Serj eating chop suey with some fans, the only reference to the title dish in either the song or the video. The video also makes use of the SnorriCam technique, in which an actor will have a camera attached to them with a harness. This technique makes it appear as though the background is moving, and the actor is stationary. In the middle of the video the Armenian flag can be seen.
Covers and Parodies[]
The song has been parodied and covered several times.
- Tenacious D, in several of their live shows, performed a gibberish version of the song and then suggested that the lyrics sound deep but mean nothing.
- "Weird Al" Yankovic included the song in his "Angry White Boy Polka" medley, included on his album Poodle Hat (2003).
- Avril Lavigne covered the song during one of her concerts. Audio clips of Lavigne's performance circulated the internet, and received not only poor reviews, but also angry reviews from both fans of Avril Lavigne and System of a Down because of her inability to remember the lyrics.
- Richard Cheese parodied the song in his 2002 album Tuxicity (which itself is a take-off on the album's name).
- ApologetiX parodied the song as "Downer of a Sister" on their album "Adam Up".
- Filipino band Parokya ni Edgar also parodied this song, along with Toxicity, another of System of a Down's songs, and amalgamated it as "The Ordertaker" in their new album "Halina sa Parokya". It is about an angry customer at a restaurant that has a menu but sells nothing.
- Spanish artist Tongo did a cover of the song with the lyrics somehow interpreted as Spanish.
Trivia[]
- A cover version of the song appears in the music video game Rock Revolution, while the master track is in the video game Rock Band 2.
- The song was used in the Mortal Kombat X launch trailer.
Lyrics:[]
[Intro: Serj Tankian]
We're rolling "Suicide"
[Verse: Serj Tankian]
Wake up (Wake up)
Grab a brush and put a little makeup
Hide your scars to fade away the shakeup (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
Grab a brush and put a little makeup, you wanted to
Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup, you wanted to
Why'd you leave the keys upon the table? You wanted to
[Chorus: Serj Tankian with Daron Malakian]
I don't think you trust
In my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
[Verse: Serj Tankian]
Ah! Wake up (Wake up)
Grab a brush and put a little makeup (A little bit)
Hide the scars to fade away the (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
Grab a brush and put a little makeup, you wanted to
Hide the scars to fade away the shakeup, you wanted to
Why'd you leave the keys upon the table? You wanted to
[Chorus: Serj Tankian with Daron Malakian]
I don't think you trust
In my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
In my self-righteous suicideI cry when angels deserve to die
[Bridge: Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Father, father, father, father
Father, father, father, father
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit
Father, into your hands, Why have you forsaken me?
In your eyes, forsaken me? In your thoughts, forsaken me?
In your heart, forsaken me? Oh
[Outro: Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Trust in my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
In my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
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