System of a Down: B.Y.O.B. Meaning

Song Released: 2005

B.Y.O.B. Lyrics

YOU!

WHY DO THEY ALWAYS SEND THE POOR?

Barbarians by Barbarans, with pointed heels
Victorious, victorious, kneel,
For brand new spanking deals,
Marching forward hypocritic
and hypnotic computers.
You depend on our protection
Yet you...

1. Isaac Lopez

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   Apr 23rd 2011 !⃝

   My interpretation is easily explained by these 4 words. (Bring Your Own Bong). You come up with crazy ideas when your high. Isn't that exactly what a war is. A crazy idea in which the world could've done without. These ideas are stupid. If you going to think of all these stupid ideas you are basically banished from The System Bong, so you better bring your own bong.
2. anonymous

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   Apr 13th 2011 !⃝

   Ok, so here it is... Considering SOAD is big on calling out social and political injustice, I would say that this is obviously all about the Iraqi war, and all of the hypocrisy woven throughout, from start to finish. "Barbarisms by Barbara's", I would take as Barbara Bush, evil henchwoman of the all mighty George W., with her pointed heels and all... lol! "Victorious, victories kneel for brand new spankin' deals" would mean to me that even as we become victorious, those victories heed way for new deals with weapons and defense companies of which George W. has large share holds in. So, he propels the war ahead to make sure he is profiting from it on the homefront. To skip forward a bit, "Hangars sitting, dripped in oil, crying FREEDOM!" Seems to refer to the misrepresented intentions of going to war; the mission is called "freedom", but is really an attempt to get a solid hold on foreign oil of which, again, good ol' George W. has large shares in big oil companies. "Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth" has sort of a double meaning; soldiers are being lied to about the intentions on going to war, as well as how "great" it is to join the military, being "handed to obsoletion" and all... Why don't presidents fight the war? Because they can take America's tax dollars, "uplift" the poor with the money and have them do all the dirty work for them. How pathetic. And the sad part is that they know there will always be suckers to join the military because there are few other alternatives that can provide the security for one's family. There's more to the story, but all around the same ideals.
3. anonymous

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   Mar 19th 2011 !⃝

   I thought it meant bury your own bones.
4. anonymous

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   Feb 13th 2011 !⃝

   I think the song is about the army is hypnotic
5. anonymous

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   Jan 27th 2011 !⃝

   This song is mostly about the government. They mention how they feed us lies.and how they basically send the poor to war. Oh and the party a war.
6. anonymous

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   Jan 15th 2011 !⃝

   Im not saying that im completely poor,because im not.im just normal,i think your all right.i knew something was wrong about society,so i stayed away.
7. lala

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   Jan 2nd 2011 !⃝

   This is an anti-war song at its finest. I believe Serj stated that he has relatives in Iraq which is what prompted him to write the song.
8. anonymous

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   Dec 16th 2010 !⃝

   I'm not sure if this is true but my friend once told me this song is about i believe the Vietnam was when the drafted soldier from there homes being "you feed us lies from the tablecloth." and the "brand new spanking deals" is because they were encouraging people to spend money to pay for the war. that's what i was told
9. anonymous

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   Dec 5th 2010 !⃝

   I wanna know what
   "breaking into Fort Knox" means?
10. Awesomedude

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    Jul 31st 2010 !⃝

    Political people don't do anything about their country and will be stupid and send the poor. easy song meaning
11. anonymous

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    Jun 8th 2010 !⃝

    The meaning of B.Y.O.B is: bring your own booze or bottle
    jajaja
12. jump.up

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    May 27th 2010 !⃝

    The part why do they always send the poor isn't true the army don't just send the poor, if your in the army that is your job and you are well payed with all kinds of benefits for your health and your family, the war in Iraq is necessary and completely justified. look at it like this, if someone drove their car through your living room on purpose, would you sit there and tell them its OK? no you would probably want to kick the shit out of them. at least I would and if you wouldn't want to then I don't know who you are or where you came from. I like the song I just don't agree with the lyrics. we can't just sit back and keep letting Iran/Iraq/Kuwait/ or whatever country we are battling keep attacking us, I wouldn't and I would hope that you wouldn't either if you are American.
13. systemofadown

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    May 15th 2010 !⃝

    There are a fuck of a lot of ways they could mean just from the song name.Bring your own bombs or bring your own beer.they talk about drugs and war a lot so either one of them could be it.And the part about sending the poor to war.I did some research and serj lost his best old friend in iraq and he was pretty p.odso he just gave a huge middle finger to society.as for that jake mo fo,fuck him.soad rocks
14. pingponghobo

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    May 14th 2010 !⃝

    Also, i forgot to add this in my last interpretation. But alot of people that I know in real life are saying that BYOB means "Bring your on beer" from the lines "blast off, its party time." But in fact, BYOB stands for Battle your own battles, and since it is sung from the point of view of someone fighting the war (in a way, its just not from the prespective of the presidents) Battle your own battles means they are talknig to the presidents telling that they should just end it them selves, not to send civilians out. When was the last time you saw or heard of Bush or Obama killing a terrorist physically. NOT by ordering someone, but actually pull the trigger to kill them. NEVER. presidents dont fight for themselves. And thats the point of this song. To make people realize this.
15. pingponghobo

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    May 14th 2010 !⃝

    okay, everyone here is overthinking this. SOAD is trying to make a point about the war. Trying to make people think. so if their songs need huge interpretations. no one will get the point. "Why do they always send trhe poor?" and "Why don't presidents fight the war?" are both lines saying presidents are the people who start the war, then they send the poor people to fight it for them. "They depend on our protection, yet you feed us lies from the teblecloth." is saying, the people who start the war (presidents) are depending on civilians to fight the war for them yet they continue to lie to us (tablecloth=media) making us think the war is going fine, and THEY (president) are winning, but in fact, its the civilians.

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