System of a Down: Aerials Meaning
Song Released: 2002
Aerials Lyrics
We're one in the river,
And one again after the fall.
Swimming through the void
We hear the word,
We lose ourselves,
But we find it all?
Cause we are the ones that want to play,
Always want to go,
But you never...
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At the PoA tour Daron (Guitarist) said that this is about the stupidity of the world.
Soo, the comment that says he said it meant nothing, I wrong! -
Hmmmm great song. I m a new fan and don't know much but I believe it gives a message to be gratefull for life and not drop it away...also not be afraid to be different.
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I think you have got a point in that interpretation Yulka, and I respect everyones meaning in what the song is about . I think there is no right or wrong answer of what this song is about. Its different from person to person and everybody got uniqe meanings and experiences.
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This song is about enlightenment and reincarnation of the soul. It pretty much describes what the soul does when it leaves at death. Life is like a waterfall. The river representing life, the fall from the waterfall represents death. and after the waterfall represents reincarnation.
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You're all wrong.....and how can you say this song is about nothing? I know daron said at bdo 2002 but man, daron says a lot of things.....everything has it's meaning....even the most stupid thing....
i studied this song from years, and I can tell you my interetation of it:
this song is about humanity and how humanity destroys and disrespects everything on its way.....
Life is a waterfall
we´re one in the river
and one again after the fall
(it means that life is like falling water, it never stops until it founds bottom, and in that waterfall of life....we're all one...no differences, no nothing....we're all one)
swimming through the void
we hear the word
we lose ourselves
but we find it all
(it means that when we're in that great waterfall of life, we hear the advices of everyone, but we don't pay attention and lose ourselves, we find the right way at the end)
cause we are the ones that want to play
always want to go
but you never want to stay
and we are the ones that want to choose
always want to play
but you never want to lose
(in the first line "play" means we want to be better, we want to clear ourselves, but we step back then
and "choose" means we always want to have everything coming easily, and we want to have it all, but with no work at all)
aerials, in the sky
when you lose small mind
you free your life
(when it says "aerials" it means "lives"...everybody's life hanging in the sky,.....and that when you stop being shallow, when you stop judging whithout knowing, when you stop making fun of something, when you stop being selfish, when you open your mind........you are truly free)
life is a waterfall
we drink from the river
then we turn around and put up our walls
(it means that in life we take advantage of things, like people our pure water, and then we turn our backs on them and we become hipocrites like when we "put up a wall"
swimming through the void
we hear the word
we lose ourselves
but we find it all
(it means that when we're in that great waterfall of life, we hear the advices of everyone, but we don't pay attention and lose ourselves, we find the right way at the end)
cause we are the ones that want to play
always want to go
but you never want to stay
and we are the ones that want to choose
always want to play
but you never want to lose
(in the first line "play" means we want to be better, we want to clear ourselves, but we step back then
and "choose" means we always want to have everything coming easily, and we want to have it all, but with no work at all)
aerials, in the sky
when you lose small mind
you free your life
(when it says "aerials" it means "lives"...everybody's life hanging in the sky,.....and that when you stop being shallow, when you stop judging whithout knowing, when you stop making fun of something, when you stop being selfish, when you open your mind........you are truly free)
aerials, so up high
when you free your eyes eternal prize
(it means that life is higher than ourselves, everybody's life is sacred and cannot be judged........then, when we realize that, we open our eyes.....we have the eternal prize...which is freedom) -
What you guys have to understand about SOAD is that they said in interviews that they don't want to tell you what the song is about because then the people who listen to it won't think about what they think the song means. They want people who listen to their music to formulate their own opinion about what their songs mean.
I have to agree with the guy before me, who talks about everybody being the same. I think this song is about how oppressive society is and how it smothers people's creativity and individuality. -
Well I interpret this in a couple of ways:
-seeing the world through the eyes of someone differently abled
-spiritually. I thought Aerials could be angels, "when you free your eyes eternal prize, free your mind you free your life".
-indecision (always want to play but you never want to lose, always want to go but never want to stay, etc).
But I agree they probably were high when they wrote it, lol! -
It's about the kid and how he wishes he could be an acrobat. He sees the trapeze guys in the tent, hence the name of the song "Aerials". He has it all, money, women, fame, and he still isn't happy.
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Just watch the video.... I mean, look at the boy in all those fancy shit hi end living... These are the people who in my own expression, take all the credit from those down at the very feet of a government, corrupted by all those shit... you know what I mean...
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Daron says it is about nothing at concerts, right before it is played. "And again, this is a song about nothing."
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For aerials, which is one of the best songs on TOXICITY, I have several meaning/theory ideas on it.
#1: It says that any country with an intimidating military (America, Russia, China, etc.) can/will go and take advantage of a smaller countries (can't think of any right now). It's simple bullying on a massive, world-wide level.
#2: This song is about America being in the spotlight; we're a jealous country. We've lately wanted to bring the attention on us lately if you haven't already noticed: America with the whole "Iraq-war recovery" thing, Bush trying to get his daughter a 6-billion dollar wedding at the expense of our money, and the ever rising price on gasoline. America's out to make a name for it's self and by God, we've got one. Sadly, it's one that we(the American society) hate.
#3: This song has a bit of a religous meaning if listened to right. Part of the final chorus says and I quote: "When you free your eyes/eternal prize" It's saying that if we open our eyes to the path of righteousness(God) we will earn the eternal prize(heaven). -
Life is a waterfall
Were one in the river
And one again after the fall
Swimming through the void
We hear the word
We lose ourselves
But we find it all....
life is like a waterfall.
we start off like a river, then we go through a transition period where we "fall".
after we fall, we're back again in the river, back to life.
the transition period of falling ("swimming through the void") can be: life-changing events in our life. Situations, broken friendships/relationships, etc etc.
"we hear the word": we hear warnings, we hear advice...
we go through a phase where we don't seem like ourselves ("we lose ourselves")
then in the end, we find ourselves again ("one again after the fall")
"but we find it all": we figure out what the "word" really meant.
something like a cycle. keeps happening over and over again.
Cause we are the ones that want to play
Always want to go
But you never want to stay
"we are the ones that want to play": we want to deviate from our lives and "play". do something exciting. live a little.
"always want to go": we want to go play
"but you never want to stay": but we always end up going back. I.e-> like a waterfall that "falls"/plays and then comes back "never want to stay".
And we are the ones that want to choose
Always want to play
But you never want to lose
"we are the ones that want to choose": we make the decision to fall. we want to fall.
"always want to play": we always want something that is on the other side. we want to gamble with happiness.
"but you never want to lose": we want to gamble with happiness but we never want to lose. we made the decision to fall, but we don't want to fall.
Life is a waterfall
We drink from the river
Then we turn around and put up our walls
life is like a waterfall.
"we drink from the river": we take for ourselves
"we turn around and put up our walls": once we are comfortable, we become selfish.
we don't want anyone else drinking from our water. don't want to share our lives with them.
Aerials, in the sky
When you lose small mind
You free your life
"when you lose small mind": when you let everything go. (small mind denotes that how you think is very primitive)
"you free your life": you realize that life isn't always about being a waterfall (falling, becoming one, falling, becoming one).
you can break the cycle when you lose small mind, when you stop being primitive and clinging to things.
In summary:
Life is a cycle. We rise, we fall. In all aspects. We get attached.
We can break away from this cycle and free our lives, when we unattach ourselves.
Lot of people look into the meaning of the word "AERIALS". yes it can mean aliens.
it can mean that aliens are more intelligent than us and they don't have this problem of falling, breaking, becoming one again.
higher beings won't be primitive or small minded.
Beautiful song. -
This song I think is about not believing in god. About how you are confined to belief because of fear. Personally I also think that Daron and Serj said what they said in a sarcastic, and uncaring sense of mind. Basically saying, "fuck you, think what you want but we know what it means". I heard Daron say at a concert say that it was a song about nothing, and I just took it as directed to a conservatives point of view who can't see past the words. So to the conservatives it means nothing, and Daron stated that sarcastically. Back to why I think it has to do with God though. "Life is a water fall, we drink from the river and turn around and put up our walls" I think this is saying that we get what we need to hear or want to hear or obtain from life, and then we are completely satisfied and happy hearing only what we want to hear rather than the truth. Such as people turning to God or Religion when they're lifes are in turmoil and they need faith or something to believe in. They do it for help, in hope that there is something to still live for and their content thinking in a Godly saviour figure and don't want to hear anything else than that. The chorus part, "Aerials, in the sky, When you lose small mind you free your life" In other words in my opinion, when you lose a small frame of mind, aka being confined to belief, you are more able to think and be creative and find happiness in reality and actuality rather than in faith and what might be. Also if you notice, a lot of very religious people are very stubborn and cannot hear anything that contradicts or opposes their religion. If you tell a very conservative and super-religious christian that you don't think god is real, they will most likely call you a fool and are offended that you could utter such a lie. (This isn't just true for the christian religion, but this is just the particular situation that I found myself in that I was describing). Say what you might, but I took my sip from the waterfall. Peace
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This song has no meaning daniel says so if you want proof then go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmNsfjctRt0&mode=related&search=
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Wow. If you guys think this song is about aliens, and Serj himself said so, You ALL must be doped up! Ahaha. I know Serj probably was. But for you guys to believe him? Ahaha!
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