Apparently, the band System of a Down is teaming up with moviemaker Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine) to make a music video for their song "BOOM!" Lyrics from BOOM:
===
I've been walking through your streets Where all you money's earning,
Where all your building's crying And clueless neckties working,
Revolving fake lawn houses Housing all your fears,
Desensitized by TV overbearing advertising,
God of consumerism And all your crooked pictures,
Looking good, mirrorism Filtering information,
For the public eye Designed for profiteering,
Your neighbor, what a guy.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM,
Every time you drop the bomb,
You kill the god your child has born.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
Modern globalization Coupled with condemnations,
Unnecessary death Matador corporations,
Puppeting your frustrations With the blinded flag,
Manufacturing consent Is the name of the game,
The bottom line is money Nobody gives a fuck.
4000 hungry children leave us per hour from starvation,
while billions spent on bombs create death showers.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM,
Every time you drop the bomb,
You kill the god your child has born.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM
BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM
Why, why, why, why must we kill, kill, kill, kill, our own, own, own, own kind...
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM,
Every time you drop the bomb,
You kill the god your child has born.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM
BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM/BOOM
Every time you drop the bomb.
===
Yeah, so you get the idea. I got a press release from ArtistDirect about this, and it kind of pissed me off. And I haven't even seen the video. A quote:
"The possibility of the U.S. going to war with Iraq is an extremely personal issue
for me because I have family who live there," said System of a Down's guitarist Daron Malakian. "I visited Iraq when I was a teenager, and I can tell you first-hand that the people who I met there are really nice, ordinary people who don't want war with us or with anyone. So, we'd like to have the 'BOOM!' video help change the way people think about the solution to our global problems. We want to make the idea of dropping bombs, of waging war seem as antiquated and ridiculous as it is today for an Afro-American to have to sit at the back of the bus."
Yeah, well Daron, the possibility of the U.S. going to war with Iraq is an extremely personal issue for me too, because I have family who live HERE! You think if we go to war with Iraq it's just gonna stay over there? Hell no. First bomb we drop, the terrorist cells over here are gonna start gassing us or putting cyanide in the water and crap like that. War isn't fun for anyone, kid, but would you rather have Saddam bring his nonexistent nuclear weapons over to America and bomb all your precious fans out of existence? Ignorance is bliss, I guess. I'm sure there are "nice" people in Iraq, Daron. But there are "nice" people here too. No one wants to go to war. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Saddam is a murderer. Saddam has proven to be ruthless and remorseless time and time again. It has been obvious that we cannot deal with this guy like a civil person because he is in fact NOT a civil person.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - The Theory
system of a down has always been political. their lyrics are like that on all of thier cds.
not worth us getting our panties tied up in a knott about.
peace.
2 - Amber
I wasn't complaining about their lyrics. I was complaining about Daron's comment and the whole attitude that celebrities have somthing important to say just because they're celebrities.
3 - Eric Olsen
Amber, you are wise beyond your years.
4 - The Theory
i'm just saying that SOAD has always been like this. it's not like they're going out of character.
But then, it's so easy to throw the stone when you dissagree with something...
peace.
5 - Andrew
Americans do not kill Iraqis, Iragis kill Iraqis.
That may seem a little insane and insensitive, but it is true.
Anyone remember economic sanctions against Irag for not complying with the UN? Saddam fed his army and starved the children. Then America got blamed for causing the starvation in Irag.
Q: Why is Saddam finaly giving up a couple of missles?
A: 280 thousand troops.
Q: Does Saddam respect the UN.
A: No, it is a tool he uses to protect his brutal, opressive govornment. You know, the one that uses chemical and biological weapons on it's people.
Q: Why doesn't France want war? Love of peace?
A: Power and money. France has major investments in Irag . . . oh, wait, so does Russia and Germany. Thats odd, maybe their cause isn't so noble after all. But hey, who cares right? America is evil.
I love America, where people can protest anything they want. Maybe someday the people of Irag will thank America for it's freedoms. Kind of like the French.
6 - Nigel Richardson
Jeez, people have happily gone along up an entertainment industry where every halfwitted remark made by a celebrity is considered worth recorded and repeating on a million TV shows and magazine covers for decades, so why are they only getting upset when the subject switches to world events rather than what designer's shoes they'll be wearing to the Oscars or where they got their new nose done? It's got nothing to do with evil liberals or even the current situation -- it's the whole shabby belief system that has been foisted on us for almost a hundred years that only the thoughts and feelings of CELEBRITIES have any real significance. If you've ever paid more attention to the romance, heartbreak and foibles of film and TV stars than the people you meet then you're responsible for giving them their overinflated sense of worth and importance. They didn't get so arrogant without a willing public to suck it all in....
7 - Rob
I like SOAD, some of the best music out today, and you definitely won't mistake them for anyone else. Considering Malakian's ability to have his own illinformed opinion in the face of facts, commonsense or history means he and Michael Moore should get along well.
I don't see SOAD moving out of L.A. to become human shields, so I take it with a grain of salt. I love their music, and I don't have MTV, so I can be blissfully ignorant.
8 - anonymous
i'm not angry about what u said about Daron. everyone is entitled to their own opinion. but, so am i. and i just feel pity for all of u that have to put down someone just because they are afraid of loosing a family member in a war. Personally, i think what u said was pretty shitty, but, again we are all entitled to our own opinions. but i just hoope that at some point in your pathetic lives u can finally recognize the fine line between critisism and cruelty.because frankly, you've crossed it.
9 - anonymous
by the way, i don't suppose that any of u could relate to what daron is saying? because if u could, i'd really love too hear it.
go ahead. IM me: Daronlover4ever
10 - anonymous
oh, and this is just for " the theory", if u knew anything about SOAD, then u would know that they themselves have said 100 TIMES that they have not, are not, and never will be, completely political. they said they write about whatever is on their minds.
11 - Phillip Winn
I state emphatically for the record that I have not been, am not now, and never will be completely human.
Never mind the evidence. Never mind the record. Take this statement, right here, as truth. The fact that everything I say or do reveals me to be human means nothing, I tell you! Nothing!
:)
12 - me
Do you people just parrot everything you hear in your ultra-right or ultra-left wing monthlies? Your semi-informed ass is the most dangerous type of all, because you presume to be more informed than others simply from gleaning a different shore of the sea of lies.
13 - me
And by the way, you should try serving in the military and understanding war from a TRULY personal perspective before you pretend you know what you are talking about. Watching people die changes things.
14 - vegard
so, iraq posed a real threat to the states, eh? seems to be that the real threat rather comes from the US, poiting the finger to any country that doesn't comply to their wishes.
15 - Danny
WE ARE NOT THE POLICE OF THE WORLD!!!!
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PROJECT IRAQI FREEDOM! YOUR MINDS HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED FROM YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT! LIES ARE ALL YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THIS COUNTRY!!
PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE ME DISGUISTED IF YOU SUPPORT THE WAR SOO MUCH WHY IS YOUR ASS SITTING DOWN WRITING COMMENTS ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL AND WHY THE F*** ARENT YOU ASSHOLES GETTING SHOT IN THE WAR YOURSELF!!! PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE KILLING OUR PLANET!! AND KILLING YOURSELVES!!! TAKE ACTION NOW AND FUCK THE SYSTEM!!! OR ALWAYS LIVE YOUR LIFE KNOWING YOUR A VICTIM OF INSANITY!
peace, not war
16 - Eric Olsen
I would preferred the previous comment with the captalization reversed. I too am for peace not war, but sometimes, in the real world, the road to peace travels through war.
17 - Danny
Eric Olsen,you are correct sometimes the road to peace does travel from war, but in the case we are in right now it certainly does not. We are only fighting for oil.
-Danny
18 - gregorrzzz
yallz can kiss mah aSS .. u 2 danny
19 - Danny
uhhh no thnks gregorrzzz im not like you.....you stupid fuckin redneck
20 - Eric Olsen
See, now I'm disappointed - there are reasonable reasons to oppose the war (not that I agree with them) but the oil angle is not one of them.
21 - Danny
well eric, I have had some deep thoughts about capturing sadaam and starting a war, well first of all sadaam hussein is the ruler of his own country, correct?So if he is the ruler of his country why would it be any of our business to go capture him because hes mistreating his country the country isnt ours and it wouldnt make any difference.
George Bush makes some big mistakes for America but you dont see any other country budding in trying to correct him.
22 - Eric Olsen
The world in general no longer has the luxury of allowing absolute sovereignty, and all kinds of other countries try to influence the governance of the US. And what do you think most terrorists are trying to do but to influence governance?
23 - Danny
well yes the world doesnt have the luxury of allowing absolute soverignty anymore but no1 said that its not possible to have that luxury and terrorist arent only trieng to influence governence they are killing themselves for a belief. For what they think is right, i do not like to call them "terrorists" I would like to call them people who did the most they could fo sumthing they believed in which was kill themselves along with other non-believers
-Danny
24 - nONya
i think that the us should drop motherucking bombs on bagdad and IRAN ! i hate those persian bitches who always complain. They all deserve to die. And George bush can go likc his wifes pussy for all i care. This wor;d is corrupt. Persians deserve to die !!!! FUCKERS
25 - Danny
nonya, there is no reason to be stereotype to others persians are people too.I, myself am a man of peace and a man of many thaughts but i have never thaught of bein stereotype to other races that is just showing how ignorant a man can be