“Chop Suey” Lyrics And Meaning (System Of A Down)

If you were alive in the early 2000s, you have heard the song Chop Suey! by System of a Down.

It is a modern classic.

Out of all of SOAD’s songs (and there are many great ones), it is the one that has risen to the top over the years.

Whether it is your favorite or not, you can’t argue that it was a monster hit for them.

But what you can argue is the meaning of the song. Many have.

There have been a number of interesting theories as to what Serj is singing about in Chop Suey!

Keep reading to learn what the lyrics mean, along with a few other fascinating tidbits about this incredible song.

 

Chop Suey Lyrics And Meaning

There are bands, albums, and songs that mark times. Back in the early 2000s, System Of A Down was one of the groups that created a very special space and moment in that period.

Especially with the album Toxicity and that frenetic song called Chop Suey!

The idea of the title is debatable, sure. But this song signified a great step to the top for Armenian-Americans within the industry.

And they did it in spite of the censorship to which they were subjected at some point. With all that in tow, it seems that this track was destined to be bigger than its composers expected.

Let’s go back to 2001 and remember the origin, meaning, and evolution through which this song went to eventually become one of the most iconic songs ever created by Serj Tankian and company.

 

Chop Suey Lyrics

 
Wake up
(Wake up)
Grab a brush and put a little make-up
Hide the scars to fade away the shake-up
(Hide the scars to fade away the…)
Why’d you leave the keys upon the table?
Here you go create another fable
You wanted to
Grab a brush and put a little makeup
You wanted to
Hide the scars to fade away the shake-up
You wanted to
Why’d you leave the keys upon the table?
You wanted to
I don’t think you trust
In… My… Self-righteous suicide
I… Cry… When angels deserve to die
Wake up
(Wake up)
Grab a brush and put a little make-up
Hide the scars to fade away the
(Hide the scars to fade away the shake-up)
Why’d you leave the keys upon the table?
Here you go create another fable
You wanted to
Grab a brush and put a little make-up
You wanted to
Hide the scars to fade away the shake-up
You wanted to
Why’d you leave the keys upon the table?
You wanted to
I don’t think you trust
In… My… Self-righteous suicide
I… Cry… When angels deserve to die
In, my, Self-righteous suicide
I, cry, when angels deserve to die
Father (father)
Father (father)
Father (father)
Father (father)
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit
Father, into your hands
Why have you forsaken me?
In your eyes forsaken me
In your thoughts forsaken me
In your heart forsaken me, oh
Trust in my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
In my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die

 

Chop Suey Meaning

For a song to be great, it doesn’t have to go through grandiose planning or an elaborate pre-composition process.

In fact, the magic can begin most fortuitously in the back of a vehicle. Or, in System of A Down’s case, in the motor home in which they were touring to promote their debut album.

“I was alone in a bed in the back. There was an acoustic guitar that I used to carry with me. I just started playing and that’s when I started writing Chop Suey!” guitarist Daron Malakian explained in an interview.

In other words, the band was already composing material for what would be their second record when they hadn’t even finished promoting the first.

But don’t think for a minute that this early version was anything like the final version of this song. Everything, down to the lyrics, was nothing more than a suggestion from Malakian to the other members of the band and their producer, the legendary Rick Rubin.

And there, it is worth highlighting one of the important aspects of the song and its evolution. All of us have tried to sing (or rather, ‘washawashear’) those quick verses that say “Wake up, grab a brush and put a little make-up…”.

Not an easy challenge. Well, those weren’t the lyrics that Daron originally had in mind.

The guitarist had actually written “Tell me/Tell me what you think about tomorrow/Is there gonna be a pain and sorrow…“.

These lines certainly sound and play much easier than the ones Serj Tankian would end up adding when he was commissioned to collaborate on the lyrics.

But without those phrases that ended up in the final cut, perhaps the song would have lost a lot of weight and appeal. Lost a lot of brilliance and authenticity.

As is often the case, many interpretations of the meaning of the song became popular, without even being confirmed by the band itself.

At the time, many people mentioned that it referred to drug addiction and the suffering that this caused. Or, because of its explicitly lyrical content, the most common thing was to associate it with suicide.

And although System Of A Down never confirmed or dismissed those ideas, the truth is that Chop Suey! did talk about a definite subject: death.

But not in a merely nostalgic or sentimental way as the subject is usually approached. Instead, they approached it from a point of view that is critical of the hypocrisy of people.

“It occurred to me how we judge people, even in death. If someone died in a car accident, you would say, ‘Oh, poor thing.’

But if they died in a car accident while they were drunk, that would change their whole perception of how they died and they would judge their death in a different way,” Daron Malakian told various media.

And this, in fact, would be his direct definition of what the part of the chorus means that says: “I cry when angels deserve to die”, one of the most controversial lines that the song brought with it.

Precisely, that line, the one that talks about “crying when angels deserve to die”, was so heavy for the broadcasters, that the song suffered a veto in the context of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (curiously and unfortunately, Toxicity was positioned as one of the most listened to albums at that time).

The track’s bridge also references a couple of lines from the Bible, specifically those spoken by Jesus while being crucified. It’s not very clear how exactly this relates to the overall theme as detailed above.

Maybe it’s meant to point to the idea of ​​how Jesus, based on the way he died, is perceived differently than, say, a drug addict.

Also, since Jesus willingly went to his death, based on the biblical account, perhaps that’s what System of a Down is referring to when they mention “self-righteous suicide” in the chorus.

In fact, regarding the explanation of the unusual title of the track, this song originally had the unconventional title of Suicide.

But according to reports, the band’s management did not approve of that title. So the name was changed to Chop Suey!.

And this is actually a parody of the original title. The ‘suey’ is the first syllable of the word ‘suicide’ and ‘chop’ simply refers to the word ‘suicide’ having been chopped up into ‘sui’ and ‘cide’.

Daron Malakian also mentions that the name was a nod to the gangster movies he watched as a child: “It was something they used to say, ‘We’ll make him chop suey!‘ It meant, ‘We’re going to kill him.’ It was related to the whole death thing,” the guitarist explained.

And the term “self-righteous suicide,” whether it pertains to a drug addict or a martyr, would logically be based on the notion of someone willingly giving their life for what they believe in.

Basically, you can interpret it from various angles, ranging from domestic violence, to substance abuse, to a critique of popular religious beliefs to being a song about wanting to die.

 

Chop Suey Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

There is no doubt that Chop Suey! by System Of A Down is a classic of 2000s metal. It even transcended the genre and became popular among many people who are not exactly fans of metal music.

We can easily say that it is an infallible classic of the new millennium. And with dark, vague, but undoubtedly intriguing lyrics, it will likely become a classic song for the ages.

For a similar article about another misunderstood monster hit from around the same time period, albeit a very different one, check out our breakdown of the Hey Ya lyrics and meaning.

Or try the 25 Or 6 To 4 lyrics meaning. In this instance, fans read all kinds of meanings into the lyrics, usually to do with drugs, but the artist has since explained that the actual meaning is quite plain and boring.

Another song with a far darker meaning than most people realize comes from 1990s girl group TLC. Few people know the true Waterfalls lyrics meaning, even though most sang along to the song whenever it came on the radio.

Finally, we have a monster hit by Stevie Nicks that als deals with the subject of death. Our discussion of the Edge Of Seventeen lyrics meaning covers that.