System of a Down: B.Y.O.B. Meaning
Song Released: 2005
B.Y.O.B. Lyrics
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...
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I thought it had something to do with religion.
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By bigdaddy:
i find it disappointing that so many people have used this great song's lyrics to promote their single-minded political propaganda - as is also the case with many inerpretations of system songs.
B.Y.O.B is strictly anti-war, and, yes, that is what this song is about about ("war" but also many current issues). System is presenting the american war in iraq as the epitomy of how global society has been unable to live peacefully and advance humanitarian goals. ...Not just bashing president bush.
Soad, like most of you should be, is grateful that they don't live in a "facist nation". However, the band is smarter than just blaming the bush administration for their idiocracy in iraq...Their lyrics here, like many of their songs, are about the corruption of the system (hence the name: system of a down...The degrading global political system!).
The song's title, "bring your own bomb" is singularily refering to nuclear weapons as necessary for partying at the international level of power. Only nuclear powers (the big 5) are able to do whatever they want and party.
Soad sees the system as corroupt and therefore recognizes that in today's world, the only way to fight international evil and "promote" humanitarianism is with more evil (war, death, domestic corruption and large class divisions.
It is hard to place the blame for the current advent of american unipolarity and its global policiing as the only fix to legitimate problems. However, this song clearly shows that fixing the shit that has gone seriously wrong on this planet goes deeper than badmouthing bush or complaining about the severity of war and the obvious economic and social mishaps it entails. -
Hey uhh...This one is for the guy who called all of us retards way up there..^^^..........Your a queer. You don't even know the lyrics. What is the god thing with the eels??? Its barbarims by barbaras. With pointed heels. You wanna call us retards? Why not take the helmet off of your head first there budy
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Byob (which stands for ‘bring your own bombs’) are about the wars being waged in the middle east and how the people that are sent there are usually of lower class and make less money in society, it also talks of how presidents will never go and fight the war themselves whether it be resolving issues through peace agreements, but will always resort to sending people to go to war to resolve the problem. Thus that is why they have the lines ‘why don’t presidents fight the war, why do they always they always send the poor?’
it also speaks of how america or americans for that matter think they are liberating countries from fascism but don't understand that they actually are under fascist rule to some extent, this is said through the sarcastic lines ‘and we don’t live in a fascist nation’. System of a down is against the war, and the reasons for it and, is trying to get people to realize the amount of control the media and government have on the way we perceive things. They also mention ‘hypnotic computers’ which may suggest that through media people are being brainwashed into thinking that by going into the war-which in this case is the iraqi war- people are doing good and are helping and freeing others in need.
Byob also tells of how there are always great deals that the government come up with for people to take advantage of if you join the military in america, one example is your college fees will be paid for if you do join the military and fight in wars, and that is stated in the lines ‘brand new spanking deals’.
There may be many meanings to the lines ‘war? Why do they always send the poor?’ one of the reasons is that there are two sides; one side is the president and the other sides are the corporations, and the president makes deals with these corporations and makes a lot of money from them, and whilst they lead the rich life, the soldiers march out to war. Then the lyrics go on to say ‘you depend on our protection yet you feed us lies from the table cloth’, this is saying that the president does depend on the people of his nation to protect his country, yet he still lies about what is really happening out in the war and its purpose on the news (thus the lines ‘yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth’).
The lines ‘everybody’s going to the party have a real good time’ are saying that everyone is going to the war-which in this case is referred to as a ‘party’ and ‘have a real good time’ is the reference to killing opposing soldiers, in this case iraqi soldiers- and the lines ‘dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine’ creates a sense of imagery, in which the soldiers of america are creating a darkness or blinded evil towards the area they fight in because they are fighting and killing for all the wrong reasons thus we have the lines ‘blowing up the sunshine’.
This is my english essay, I thought it would be fun to just wack it up on this site for people who have nothing else to do but read other peoples' interpretations, and also for the kids who have to do an essay on this song. -
Dancing in the desert: fighting a war in the middle east
blowing up the sunshine: dropping bombs on the innocent
*if you are against the ideas that soad are trying to get across... Then don't bother to post your opinions up. Because soad fans don't want to hear about it... -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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Frankly, I think system of a down is pure and total shit now, and anyone who has trouble interpreting any of their songs, lacks a common iq needed to pass the second grade. Also, they stole "why do they send the poor" and "why don't the presidents fight the war" from a much, much, better written anti-war song "war pigs" by black sabbath.
"presidents hide themselves away,
but the just started the war!
Why don't they go out to fight it,
they just leave that to the poor!" -
This song is about the corrupt ways that the government uses to try and manipulate or trick people into going to war.
Why do they always send the poor?
If you notice, where are most of the army/military enlistment offices located at? Mostly poor areas of cities, states, ect. Then on top of that, there is always some type of propaganda floating around about how you can ensure your future or get money or get pay to go to school after you join the military or army or something.
But when they try to trick you into joining, they don't give you the big picture, so when system of a down sings:
Everybody is going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancing in the desert
Blowing up the sunshine
ect
it is showing how going to war(in this case Iraq, since it is the current war, and it is represented by a desert)
is just going to be one big party.
Marching forward hypocritic
And hypnotic computers
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth
La la la la la la la la la la
hypnotic computers are our T.V.'s and computer ads and all that stuff brainwashing us daily to join the army and the war, ect.
you depend on our protection
yet you feed us lies from teh tablecloth
in our government, they depend on our money and votes, but they still lie to us with this propaganda that they use to influence us that the war is fun, ect
well I'm tired,but that's the base for now
-ryan -
To JakeHarvey and anyone who agrees with him.I am Writing from two points of view. Both my brother and cousin are both officers in the Marine Corp and are currently in Iraq. Now there is no doubt that the people of Iraq are happy to be liberated from Saddam. But the war and this administration are nothing but a bunch of lies. First we went in to Iraq because of WMD's now it was to liberate the people of Iraq. When the truth is Bush went to war for is Daddy. I hate to say this about peoples opinions but you are wrong.And who ever started calling people whiny brats...dont you dare call me one. You don't know what its like living under Saddam either and do you really appriciate your freedoms such as being able to write what you want on this website? The Bush administration is trying to run this government like a corporation and you can't do that.If these idiots would take to seconds to look back at history they would see that any empire that tries this fails (roman empire,spanish empire,english empire ect.)It's ok, China will be the super power and we won't have to worry about any wars because we won't be able to afford them.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I agree with most of the others this song is completely anti iraq "freedom" war.
How can most of you possibly sit there and support the fact that George Bush sent hundreds of thousands to war. Many will not return. And before you say that I'm just throwing things like that out without even thinking. I my closest Uncle is over there and I've seen pictures of his Black hawk with hundreds of bullets in it and him with bullet wounds. When he came back, for a month he told me that 90% of his Unit hate this pointless war.
If the IRaq people really wanted to be "free" why are they fighting back and killing our men and women even without their dictator? -
Cor' Blimey! IT Seems as if what turned out to be a light hearted discussion of the meaning of a rather amazingly original song has turned into somewhat of a slagging fest where so far people are only sharing their passionate love and hatred of President Bush!
Guys, As 'interesting' as you may think your view of Bush and his Foreign Policy is. Or how you find another commentee/comenter's view/statement annoying; Please Keep it to yourself. This is for Discussing the Meaning OF BYOB. Not The Meaning of Bush's Attitude or for Jabbing each other's opinions.
Remember: Part of the American Dream is Free Speech, so lets try and remember that next time we decide to call someone an "underage whiney brat" while telling them to keep their opinions to themselves, eh?
Also. Let's not over analyse BYOB; If we love it so much, then I'm sure we can live without it having its meaning castrated all over our browser windows, dontcha' think?
In short. BYOB= About Anti war, as we know. About The False 'Glamour' Of The Military Propaganda and its Vast Quantity's of it (Attack-SOAD "Oh the Age Of Propaganda"). And How the War is portrayed as a "party". While (as the song portrays) President Bush, almost like the host of the party, doesn't turn up to it. IF you understand what I mean.
So Yeah, Lets keep this clean, oui?
and on a less serious note...
SYSTEM OF A DOWN RULE. -
This song is about the business behind war.
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth
I think this means that The US Government depends on the military to proivde protection for the US, however they tend to lie to them about the real reasons behind going to war and keeping a war going.
Everybody is going to the party Have a real good time
I think this refers to how politicans and other officals have state dinners to "discuss" things but in reality it's just about making connections with each other.
Dancing in the desert Blowing up the sunshine
This clearly refers to soliders in the middle east fighting in a war while trying to live a somewhat normal life
Breaking into Fort Knox Stealing our intentions
This is about how people try to save money, but somehow the government raises taxes, the cost of living and such and "steals" our hard earned money from us
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
How come the presidents never really go to the front lines and see for themselves the destruction they are causing. Also, why send the poor? Many, many of this nations low ranking enlisted people are poor-for them joining the military is the only way to get health insurance and a college degree. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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