The band brought it out as the lead single from their famed second album, “Toxicity”. “Chop Suey!” was released on 13 August 2001. It is considered to be Chinese in origin. But what really is the meaning of the phrase “chop suey”?Ĭhop suey itself is actually a popular traditional dish, dating back to at least the 19 th century. Marcos Siega, the director of the video, also directed the visual for the title track from the “Toxicity” album. And the “Chop Suey!” video is obviously a masterpiece in and of itself, having garnered well over four-million likes on YouTube as of 2019. Indeed concerning the explanation of the unusual title of the track, this song originally went by the unconventional title of “Self-Righteous Suicide”. But the band’s management reportedly did not approve the aforementioned title. So it was renamed to “Chop Suey!” And this is actually a parody of the original title, as it is derived from the mock statement “Self-Right-chop Suey-cide”.Īnd the term “self-righteous suicide”, whether it be pertaining to a drug addict or a martyr, would logically be based on the notion of someone willingly – so to speak – giving their life for what they believe in. But that being said, going back to the first sentence of this article, it has been speculated even by fans of System of a Down that this song actually has multiple meanings. Or that’s another way of saying that it can be interpreted from various angles, ranging from domestic violence to substance abuse to a critique of popular religious beliefs, if you will. We think perhaps it is meant to point to the idea of how Jesus, based on the way he died, is perceived differently from say a drug addict. Also in a way, since based on the Biblical tale, Jesus willingly went to his own death, perhaps such is what System of a Down is referring to when they mention “self-righteous suicide” in the chorus. “Chop Suey!” was removed from the radio for a brief time as Clear Channel and promoters thought it too aggressive considering the circumstances.The bridge of the track also references a couple of lines from the Bible, specifically those uttered by Jesus while he was being crucified. It is not abundantly clear how exactly this ties into the overall theme as detailed above. In the days after 9/11, US media conglomerate Clear Channel sent a memo to each of its radio stations with a list of questionable songs that programmers and DJs might want to consider not playing in the wake of the 9/11 attack. While the song would eventually receive a gold certification status from the Recording Industry Association, the song’s initial charting success was cut short. ![]() The title stands out and is not mentioned at all in the lyrics, but the strange choice is believed to have helped the song’s success. ![]() While seemingly random, the group chose the title to describe their musical style: lots of stuff thrown together. The title of the song is named after a Chinese stew made with meat or fish, plus bamboo sprouts, onions, rice, and water chestnuts. “Like, if I were to die from a drug overdose, everyone would say I deserved it because I abused drugs, hence the line Angels deserve to die.” So… What exactly is chop suey? The meaning behind the song title. “The song is about how when people die, they will be regarded differently depending on the way they pass,” said Malakian. Malakian said that people judge others for how they pass, especially if due to any drug-related issues. Let’s make them believe we actually did it.’”ĭespite the assumptions, the song was intended to make a comment on the ways that people die. “ ‘Self-righteous suicide’, ‘Aerials in the sky’, Jet Pilot.’ I was, like, ‘Wow, that’s cool they think that. “Our fans were starting to say, ‘Hey, these guys are prophets, they’re saying things that hadn’t happened yet,’” says Malakian. ![]() Frontman Serg Tankian’s energy on the verses comes out in righteous anger before slowing down to the half-time lines that would ignite the controversy. The song begins with an iconic, driving chord progression before the rapid-fire chaos of the verses unfolds. As bold a move as it was to release this as a single, it solidified the group’s breakout hit. “Chop Suey!” comes from the band’s second album, Toxicity. I just started playing that acoustic guitar, and that’s when I started writing Chop Suey!” The Controversy “There was an acoustic guitar I used to take around with me. “I was just hanging out by myself on a bed at the back,” said Malakian.
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