Support the National Bail Fund Network: secure.actblue.com/donate/bailfundscovid BLM resources: blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ Music Theory's White Racial Frame: musictheoryswhiteracialframe.wordpress.com/ Some additional thoughts/corrections: 1) I'm sure I'm gonna get some folks mad at me for "getting political", so if that's you… sorry. I guess. Here's the thing, though: I don't view the question "Should black people in America be killed for no reason during routine interactions with people sworn to serve and protect them?" as having more than one valid answer. If that bothers you, maybe it's worth asking why. What part of that statement feels incorrect? It's a hard thing to sit with, and I understand the knee-jerk reaction to push back, but try to push past that and ask yourself why it's so important to you that I'm wrong here. Trust me, it's worth it. 2) Yeah, I decided to switch to using real stems for this 'cause it turned out to be basically impossible to make those chord trills sound decent in MIDI. I may do it again, I may not: This one got an automatic copyright claim from a company I've never had to deal with before, so we'll see how that plays out. I do think it's a quality improvement, but is it worth the hassle? Dunno. We'll see how I feel next time. 3) To be a bit more precise on the high guitar strum in the intro, I slowed it down and counted it out and I'm pretty sure it's roughly playing an 21:16 polyrhythm against the main tempo. (Triplets are a 24:16 polyrhythm, which is why they sound close to but not quite correct.) I didn't really get into the specifics in the video, though, because at that speed I don't think it comes across as polyrhythmic. It just feels generically fast. 4) I should note that the bIII chord is actually somewhat complicated functionally: It can be tonic or subdominant, depending on usage. Here, I think it's better viewed through a tonic lens, but I wanted to acknowledge the ambiguity somewhere. 5) Seriously, please donate to the national bail fund or other anti-racist organizations if you can. Speaking up helps, but in order to sustain a movement you need resources.
From Minneapolis Thank you. Don’t be ashamed of covering this. Never has there has been a more appropriate time to analyze this (their aggressive political activism). #BlackLivesMatter
@NPC 1984 it's his channel, he has a right to support and express his views whenever he wants to. Music also has been used politically, so it's not as if it cannot be relevant about politics, social justice, protests, etc.
Yeah...too bad the band's drummer apparently sees things a little differently. www.blabbermouth.net/news/system-of-a-downs-john-dolmayan-praises-donald-trump-calls-him-the-greatest-friend-to-minorities/
I spent hours and hours playing along with Robyn Adele Anderson's cover of Chop Suey on my harmonica. I keep trying to get the energy up to do a recording where I do all the parts on harp.
Basically any person who is a high functioning autistic, and I can confirm this from experience, that I do thing sloppy and I am sloppy but things still work out. Can’t keep my own house clean worth a shit, but I can keep my workspace cleaner than a germaphobe, I don’t follow the rules of how to clean my workspace, I just do, and it works better
This song was originally titled “Suicide”, but the band was forced to change the title by the recording company, so they used the cheeky title “Chop Suey!”. Right at the start you can hear Serj saying “we’re rolling Suicide”.
@Gui Porto More specifically, they were asked to 'chop' the name 'Suicide,' (in other words, get rid of it) and so they opted for Chop Suey, as in; the demand- 'chop'! And the actual chopping of the word suicide... Sui---cide... 'chop'=Chop and sui=Suey... Chop Suey! -- Great song! Great band! Great shame, they can't find common ground to create new music again! 🤘
There are plenty who don't like System of a Down. A lot of them are very gatekeep-y about what gets called "metal" and even more so about what gets called "good metal."
it took me a long time to appreciate BYOB. it used to just sound like random shit thrown together, but over time I've grown to hear it more as a full song, and it's actually done really well
"Battalions of riot police with rubber bullet kisses, baton courtesy, service with a smile." From "Deer Dance," about police brutality against peaceful protests, only 3 songs before Chop Suey in the album Toxicity, 2002.
Now I understand why the "why have you forsaken us" part is so powerful. Of course the vocal delivery is one of the best from Tankian but it also feels like home, like the final resting place. A great example why I love Bass. It's so subtle most of the time, like foreshadowing in movies and then has a big payoff like in the song. Great stuff!
I have never understood what this song was about until this breakdown. When you pointed out the bass that represents death followed us throughout the entire song it did something to me and I couldn't stop crying. Thank you for sharing this with us.
I think it’s important to note that he’s not just “screaming bible verses.” He’s quoting some of the Bible’s account of what Jesus said on the cross. This fits perfectly to the song and it’s message because Jesus said what he said because he had to come to terms with his own forthcoming death, as we all do
@@olliefoxx7165 While there is record of a dude named Jesus who did die on a cross,there is no record that he rose again and there is no record of any of the thing's in the bible actually happening,which indicates that the bible is just a book of fictional stories
he is using the press-free hold. if you put the thumb on, it creates more tension. i used to have beautiful handwriting, but so many years of pressing with the thumb while journaling my life away, has caused me to investigate other pen grips...#nerdwriter
Remember after 9/11 when the mainstream media deconstructed this song saying that System of a Down "A MIDDLE EASTERN BAND" had coded messages in the lyrics for the 9/11 attackers? It was like the Rammstein thing after Columbine except 10 times more disgusting.
Xenophobia is as old as America, woven into it's very fabric, clearly endorsed by the countries acceptance of Don Drumpf as pres. It's sad that ppl don't often enough reflect on the vitriol of the past while perpetuating the same race-based xenophobia presently. America is broken.
@@kylezo Even Benjamin Franklin was afraid the German immigrants would take over. Then we get the whole Gangs of New York era. Irish, Italians, Catholics, Hispanics, Chinese, Middle Eastern, etc. Xenophobia has been here as long as we have.
On the topic of Rammstein and 9/11, the music video for Ich Will, which features some very terroristic imagery, was released on the 10th of September, 2001.
Pls let this be sarcasm... if not I'll say it. These are the guitar stems from the actual song (apart from those little chords he MIDI'd in when explaining the progression) I am ready for it... please just /r/whooooosh me
This was actually not sarcastic. I was trying to give a genuine complement on the production because a lot of the midi turns me off in spite of having a really engaging script and visual style.
Idk if you’re even gonna see this, but the quote is “Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit” and the song says “commend” (which is a common mixup, I honestly thought it was commend). I tried to draft this without sounding condescending, but I couldn’t… sorry. It was just bothering me lol
Serj and Daron's harmonies at the end are probably one of favourite pieces of music in any genre. Still feel the same listening to them 20 years later.
@limelight81 Some of the best things are fairly basic. Surprisingly, music has developed rules around conventions that are pleasing to our ears. And like you have any idea how much music I listen to, and have listened to. Sure buddy, I'm not allowed to share which pieces of music I personally love the most because of something hypothetically better that you haven't even mentioned.
@limelight81 Why exactly? Why does it suggest that? I have a vinyl collection over 200 albums big, I've nearly filled my Spotify library, a few years back I had a policy of discovering at least 2 new artists a week, I scoured my local music scene with friends. I listen from everything from classical to metal, prog, hip hop, punk, soul, electronica, ambient, folk, blues, synthpop, dance and you get the point Not that I think that matters, because I don't think anyone's enjoyment of music should be based upon how much music they've heard, that is peak elitism to me. Some of the best songs ever have been written with 3 chords, sometimes throwing 1000 notes at a wall just results in unlistenable garbage, and sometimes the opposite is true yes. But your whole attitude is just everything that's wrong with music fans to me, instead of explaining your reasoning you just result to a lazy ad hom where you accuse someone not having suitable enough credentials for you. Music is personal, you might really love an old song because it reminds you of a lost family member or a happier time in life. Or maybe you just like how it sounds. I know music theory, I've studied it for fun, but you don't need to understand the inner workings of something to enjoy it, or even to appreciate the craft that has gone in. Isn't that what this channel is about? Taking popular songs and analysing WHY they work? You can jerk off to psych folk crust fusion from 1992 all you want, there is value in popular music and it doesn't make you some kind of arbiter of taste to dunk on it. I hope you have a good day, and enjoy whatever it is that you like
I’d like to say I appreciate your drawings. That seems like it takes a lot of extra time with editing and timing and script writing and all that, so want to let you know it doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Middle School me hearing toxicity for the first time was a game changer in my musical upbringing. As a music teacher now soad is still one of the greatest things to ever come across my ears in my life
@@felpaprod4943 Why do you think when someone says "We need _____ now more than ever," that they are implying they side with the rioters? I'd love to hear a band criticize the killings, lootings, political puppeting and glorification of a repeat offender. Everyone is afraid of being "cancelled" and just ponder to the BLM and the left.
@@dismantledbrain5910 The you should go to listen Metallica, not system of a down, or another white supremacist metal band, there are plenty of them. System of a down it's not coming back, a person like serj Tankian won't allow stupid pro trump comments, the band it's over. You can not expect system of a down making a song about poor whites being afraid of looting, if Dolmayan now feels like a white supremacist that doesn't mean that Serj will stand that. Serj will never be part of the oppressor, have it clear.
@@dismantledbrain5910 Serj Tankian it's politically in the left side, in case you didn't know. If you want to hear song about white supremacy and being all psycho about communist, there are plenty of metal bands, the metal community it's fulfilled with nazis, si why would you want more bands like that?
@@felpaprod4943 So anyone who supports Trump or is against LOOTING is a white supremacist? This conversation is offically over, because your view is so distorted that there's no point in trying to reason with you. P.S. there's a lot of black people supporting Trump and criticizing BLM, so shake off that white guilt, it's disgusting. Edit: I assumed you are white to give you the benefit of the doubt for that "poor whites comment", because otherwise you're the racist one.
I straight up hear "the more you know" jingle everytime he draws a star. just stumbled upon this channel I love the work your doing keep it up. have a great day everyone :)
I really hate how everyone ignores or glosses over the beautiful piano piece at the very end of the song. For such a heavy, depressing song, it brings beauty and peace to the end of the song, as if they are finally laying that person to rest with dignity.
I have to say for me - this has to be one of the finest songs from system of a down. Incredible breakdown explanations - it has so many movements, let alone timing in the tune. Great work!! 👍🎶
I know he's said before that Bohemian Rhapsody was way too complicated for a video, so I wouldn't count on TYS, which is on another level. Unless he, like, specifically gets help from Tom Monda. Out of curiosity, which tune would you guys want? I'd vote for FXMLDR or Psychopomp.
English is not my native language, I can't say I have an extensive knowledge of music but your explanation is so clear. It feels like I am hearing Chop Suey for the first time again. Thanks.
this has always been one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. thanks so much for this breakdown, and your very clear support of the protests
Something tells me Daron didn't know he was doing such outstanding musical things when he've made a song))) I guess he was just having great creative fun.
It's when musician doesn't know theory that he can express himself purely, creating not something that is "right", but something unique. That is a power of creativity and free mind.
@@StellarGale yeah right so you're telling me all the classical composers didn't express themselves purely? Also were does "theory" start? Because technically simply learning chords is already theory. Your comment is ignorant, brain-dead bs
This song along with Aerials and BYOB is the reason I am a proud SOAD fan. You're bang on correct on the fact that no one else sounds like them. They are incredibly difficult to pigeonhole into a specific genre and that's what I like about em. Thanks for making this video man. Cheers.
I always get chills when the last section of this song hits. Absolutely beautiful arrangement between the main band members, the additional orchestral instruments in the background, and all of the vocal harmonies, not to mention the lyrics.
Great video as always, but I have just one perplexity: The 2nd chord in the intro and choruses is not an Am, imho. The vocals sing an Eb over the A and C of the chord, making it an A diminished triad. (Also the Eb in the bass is quite relevant aswell)
@dudubbi i think you're right. and the Adim reinforces the Gm tonic, the relative minor of Bb...which makes that F/Bb in the chorus make even more sense. this takes away nothing from how cool the bass line is, and working a 7dim into a song for extra tension is so underrated
I’ve never studied music but this was super interesting. To think some artists actually use music theory and super technical techniques instead of just making music from what sounds good
August Burns Red plays this song over the speakers before they come out at every show. It’s a great way to prime the crowd; all 4 times I’ve seen them it never fails to get everyone singing along at the top of their lungs and head banging, despite that’s it’s just being played back and not performed live. The song ends, the lights go out, the band comes out. It’s brilliant.
Love how you talk about police brutality and fail to mention deer dance. Even Prison Song and Toxicity aren't necessarily about police, Prison Song is about government policy and Toxicity, much like Chop Suey! is one of those songs (imo) you can't say is this or that, it's supposed to be interpreted in anyway shape or form. Side note my ex's phone number ends with the guitar tabs for toxicity lmao.
Deer dance lyrics are super powerful in the recent happenings: Circumventing circuses, Lamenting in protest, To visible police, Presence sponsored fear, Battalions of riot police, With rubber bullet kisses, Baton courtesy, Service with a smile
This song is so... brilliant. On so many levels. I still remember hearing it for the first time (it was introduction to this incredible band). My reaction was "What the hell is this?!". I still have that reaction today. I don't think SOAD have any weak songs, and many are incredible, but this one... It's on a whole other level. Mind blowing. And this video just furthers what I've always felt about this song, and about this band. If only Daron and Serj can sort out their differences, we may a proper continuation of the story of System of a Down.
i’ve never seen one of your videos before, but i’m so glad this was recommended to me. it was perfect timing. i was a baby when this song came out, but it still became one of my favorite songs of all time. this song has an even greater meaning to me now, and i’ll be remembering all the lives that were unjustly lost every time this song plays. thank you!
Took me 4 minutes to realize that you're drawing with your left hand. And im sure others have mentioned this. Deer Dance would have fit great with that ending note.
Yeah, well. Despite everyone and their grandma knowing SOAD, this is why I still consider that band underrated. Single songs of them beat the ever living crap out of entire albums and discographies of most other artists in terms of originality. Too bad Serj is such a diva and they never made new records.
From what I remember, the band went on an indefinite hiatus because of a failure to compromise between Serj and Daron. Daron wanted to have more input when it came to songs, such as being more of an alternate lead singer and actually writing songs for the band. Serj, however, had been doing that since the band's inception, and felt that there was no need to involve another writer when what he had been coming up with was doing so well. There was some compromise, which is why you hear Daron so much more on Mesmerize/Hypnotize, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him, and Serj was really getting into his solo projects, so the band agreed to go on an indefinite hiatus, with the unspoken idea that they probably wouldn't be making music together again. Serj has kept up with his solo projects, Daron started Scars on Broadway with John, and Shavo I think went on to be part of North Kingsley.
Everytime I see something similar to the protests we've seen over the last weeks, I fire up System of a Down. 'Deer Dance,' mostly. I love their dynamic quality where they can show the madness and brutality of a scene with their distorted guitars and then slide into the more folksy, quieter, but just as busy, instruments to kind of punctuate the milling hopelessness of 'rabble.' To me, System of a Down is the bucket of cold water that shocks you out of complacency and the mirror that asks 'where the fuck are you?' -in this moment. As an aside, was always curious about the title. A deer dance is the moment when a protest or riot is dispersed, when the crowd kind of darts away and mills about afterwards. The more you know
One of the things I really love and appreciate about this analysis video is that it dives into why each part works and how they add into the song, not just the chords.
I like these analysis because alot of people focus on the words and meaning of a song and here you explain why everything else works to make this iconic as it is, there are a ton of songs about death and dying and no matter hoe you look at it this one stands out.
SoaD is a long-time heavy metal love of mine, even long after I grew out of nu-metal and moved on to other, more melodic and complex subgenres. I think one of the reasons I continue to love SoaD despite growing out of a lot of their peers is because they ARE complex. And melodic. And chaotic. And intelligent. And just all together interesting to listen to, and you hear something new every time you listen to their songs. I really enjoyed this video. Breaking apart the music like you did really highlights just how many layers of meaning there are to their music beyond the lyrical content.
@@ghostedgod5765 basically hatsune miku created harry potter, minecraft and was the drummer of system of a down. The bigotted people we think made them actually just stole them from creative genius miku
Kanashimi I think it was originally made when Notch said some transphobic things on twitter or something. The joke is generally just used when a creator comes out with a game, music, or any other media that’s pretty well received, but then later says or does something bad (Jk Rowling and Notch saying transphobic things on Twitter. Stuff like that)
Ive always thought of the second chord in the chorus as an A dim, rather than A min. I think the bass Eb along with some of the vocal harmony and the fact that A dim is in the key of G minor helps to justify this. Just a thought.
Minor keys can have the sixth or seventh degree of the scale raised in order to give a consonant triad on all seven degrees. Also, classically, bVI IIm/II° should resolve to V7, which is almost happening in reverse here (the backdoor bVII and IIm are transposed).
@@alsatusmd1A13 But if you listen to the song, the E natural is never played over the "Am" chord. The chord only includes notes A and C over a G pedal point. I would actually see it as part of the F major chord. The 2nd and 3rd bars together form the full F major chord. The 2nd bar includes the 3rd and 5th, and the 3rd bar includes the root and 3rd.
Good on you for using your platform to spread positivity and education. Those two things are so important to our collective futures. Keep on rockin, sir.
I love how looking back at high school me, I took learning this song super serious. I was a beginner but I loved this song and I hated how other people got the strumming patterns wrong so I tried so hard to get every part right only to find out now that the fast strumming in the beginning was done sloppy but on purpose lol
Holy shit this video is so good. I've always loved this song and I had no idea how well written it was. Thank you for breaking it down and also for the excellent message at the end. Subscribed.
The timely choice of song and your addressing of the BLM and police brutality outcry is so well-done and comsiderate, while still strongly affirming a position of support and giving the matter the importance it deserves. Thank you.
I don’t think he mentions that the title was originally going to be “Self-Righteous Suicide” and they changed it to “Chop Suey!” when their record label forced them to rename it to avoid controversy.
@@crypter.6721 Just to add onto it, "Chop Suey" is them just playing with the "chuh" sound at the end of "Righteous" and the "soo-ih" at the beginning of "Suicide". Chuh-soo-ih became "Chop Suey" as the nonsense title that they had to replace the original "Self-Righteous Suicide" with.
These videos are fucking amazing, never thought I'd be into theory until I saw these videos, it's like we already intuitively know it, but once you start explaining it, it's like the science behind what we feel
we all loved this song as kids having no idea how deep as was and i think i can say the same for alot of music. Growing up and revisiting these songs gives me so much more love for these bands. This is almost 2 years later but i also want to let you know as a black metalhead, i really appreciate you using your platform to spread a wider message, Much like system of a down did (just in a different way) You definitely earned a subscriber and i look forward to seeing more breakdowns like this. Death tackled alot of deep topics and also had great song writing ability, if you haven't, i think you should do a video on them when you can!
Support the National Bail Fund Network: secure.actblue.com/donate/bailfundscovid
BLM resources: blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Music Theory's White Racial Frame: musictheoryswhiteracialframe.wordpress.com/
Some additional thoughts/corrections:
1) I'm sure I'm gonna get some folks mad at me for "getting political", so if that's you… sorry. I guess. Here's the thing, though: I don't view the question "Should black people in America be killed for no reason during routine interactions with people sworn to serve and protect them?" as having more than one valid answer. If that bothers you, maybe it's worth asking why. What part of that statement feels incorrect? It's a hard thing to sit with, and I understand the knee-jerk reaction to push back, but try to push past that and ask yourself why it's so important to you that I'm wrong here. Trust me, it's worth it.
2) Yeah, I decided to switch to using real stems for this 'cause it turned out to be basically impossible to make those chord trills sound decent in MIDI. I may do it again, I may not: This one got an automatic copyright claim from a company I've never had to deal with before, so we'll see how that plays out. I do think it's a quality improvement, but is it worth the hassle? Dunno. We'll see how I feel next time.
3) To be a bit more precise on the high guitar strum in the intro, I slowed it down and counted it out and I'm pretty sure it's roughly playing an 21:16 polyrhythm against the main tempo. (Triplets are a 24:16 polyrhythm, which is why they sound close to but not quite correct.) I didn't really get into the specifics in the video, though, because at that speed I don't think it comes across as polyrhythmic. It just feels generically fast.
4) I should note that the bIII chord is actually somewhat complicated functionally: It can be tonic or subdominant, depending on usage. Here, I think it's better viewed through a tonic lens, but I wanted to acknowledge the ambiguity somewhere.
5) Seriously, please donate to the national bail fund or other anti-racist organizations if you can. Speaking up helps, but in order to sustain a movement you need resources.
From Minneapolis Thank you. Don’t be ashamed of covering this. Never has there has been a more appropriate time to analyze this (their aggressive political activism). #BlackLivesMatter
NPC 1984 So unfollow.
@NPC 1984 it's his channel, he has a right to support and express his views whenever he wants to. Music also has been used politically, so it's not as if it cannot be relevant about politics, social justice, protests, etc.
Yeah...too bad the band's drummer apparently sees things a little differently. www.blabbermouth.net/news/system-of-a-downs-john-dolmayan-praises-donald-trump-calls-him-the-greatest-friend-to-minorities/
I spent hours and hours playing along with Robyn Adele Anderson's cover of Chop Suey on my harmonica. I keep trying to get the energy up to do a recording where I do all the parts on harp.
"Sloppy doesn't mean bad, you just need to know how to use it" words to live by!
Also applies to oral sex
@@Syrange13 ...
@@Syrange13 thanks for explaining the joke now its not funny
Basically any person who is a high functioning autistic, and I can confirm this from experience, that I do thing sloppy and I am sloppy but things still work out. Can’t keep my own house clean worth a shit, but I can keep my workspace cleaner than a germaphobe, I don’t follow the rules of how to clean my workspace, I just do, and it works better
'when death is unjust anger and sorrow are both valid responses'
Well that's worryingly timely
;-;
Ending of video: I shall now make my appearance
Yeah, that analysis comment hit pretty hard coming right now.
It was obviously intended.
All of the people we've lost to riots has got us livid all right.
This song was originally titled “Suicide”, but the band was forced to change the title by the recording company, so they used the cheeky title “Chop Suey!”. Right at the start you can hear Serj saying “we’re rolling Suicide”.
IIRC "Chop Suey" was taken from "Self-righteous Suicide". It sounds a bit like "Self-righ(Chop Suey)side"
Considering this came out 9/11... it was to their best interest to rename it. Bah, I'm not a core member so what do I know.
@Gui Porto More specifically, they were asked to 'chop' the name 'Suicide,' (in other words, get rid of it) and so they opted for Chop Suey, as in; the demand- 'chop'! And the actual chopping of the word suicide... Sui---cide... 'chop'=Chop and sui=Suey... Chop Suey! -- Great song! Great band! Great shame, they can't find common ground to create new music again! 🤘
@@davidmann307 bro that makes me so mad.. and the thing with john supporting trump really butchered my hopes of new material
@DickEnchilada as a drummer, i respectfully disagree hahaaha
"The song starts like this" *acoustic strumming*
Me: NO IT'S "we're rolling suicide"
I love how shouted NO IT'S but the "we're rolling suicide" is quiet again
NO IT'S "ta, ta, ta, ta"
"Never met a metalhead that doesn't like System Of A Down"
Truth!
🤘🏼🤘🏼
I have, they're pretty sad people
There are plenty who don't like System of a Down. A lot of them are very gatekeep-y about what gets called "metal" and even more so about what gets called "good metal."
My dad is the unicorn in my life, the only metal head I've met who doesn't like them
I have
I'd love to see a breakdown of B.Y.O.B - because that song goes alllllll over the place, haha
Or Mind
Aerials is pretty good too
This could literally become a SOAD analysis channel and i wouldn’t complain
it took me a long time to appreciate BYOB. it used to just sound like random shit thrown together, but over time I've grown to hear it more as a full song, and it's actually done really well
I was thinking maybe Vicinity of Obscenity since he mentions kind of shifting gears
12 Tone: Why did they do this?
Me: THEY WANTED TO!
12 Tone: Short answer is because they can.
Me: awwww.....
Such a missed opportunity
Ive now read that post about 8 times and, for some reason, it just gets funnier.
I come back to this video constantly and oh my goodness I can't stop laughing at this comment
Trust in my dissonant bass line.
So what you are saying is the build-up was there, but the payoff was lacking...
"Battalions of riot police with rubber bullet kisses, baton courtesy, service with a smile."
From "Deer Dance," about police brutality against peaceful protests, only 3 songs before Chop Suey in the album Toxicity, 2002.
And if that's too poetic for you, there's also "FUCK YOU, PIG! FUCK YOU, PIG! FUCK YOU, PIG! FUCK YOU, PIG!" in Mr. Jack.
“Pushing little children with their fully automatics, they like to push the weak around!”
“We can afford to be neutral on a moving train”
That's my favorite System of A Down song ever, and should be the anthem of the protests.
In an era of extra sensitivity because of 9/11 no fucks fiven
Now I understand why the "why have you forsaken us" part is so powerful. Of course the vocal delivery is one of the best from Tankian but it also feels like home, like the final resting place. A great example why I love Bass. It's so subtle most of the time, like foreshadowing in movies and then has a big payoff like in the song. Great stuff!
I have never understood what this song was about until this breakdown. When you pointed out the bass that represents death followed us throughout the entire song it did something to me and I couldn't stop crying. Thank you for sharing this with us.
The bassline's like, "Guys, where are you going?"
I think it’s important to note that he’s not just “screaming bible verses.” He’s quoting some of the Bible’s account of what Jesus said on the cross. This fits perfectly to the song and it’s message because Jesus said what he said because he had to come to terms with his own forthcoming death, as we all do
To be exact, Jesus was quoting David, his direct ancestor, who had foresaw his descendant's awful death.
@@totenblume7517 to be REALLY exact, it is all a made up story.
@@totenblume7517 ??? I'm not following you on that. How so you support that statement?
@@olliefoxx7165 While there is record of a dude named Jesus who did die on a cross,there is no record that he rose again and there is no record of any of the thing's in the bible actually happening,which indicates that the bible is just a book of fictional stories
@@olliefoxx7165 And you can't just say that the bible is a record of the eventsbecause you can't prove that the author didn't make up the stories
Every time I watch a 12 Tone vid, I have to go immediately listen to the song, to appreciate it with my newfound wisdom
Everyone talking about his fingernails but no one talking about how he holds his pen. His thumb isn’t even touching it. How?!?
Lefty dark magic.
I know, right?
I read this and Sanctuary Guardian played in my mind with an unmotivational post border
he is using the press-free hold. if you put the thumb on, it creates more tension. i used to have beautiful handwriting, but so many years of pressing with the thumb while journaling my life away, has caused me to investigate other pen grips...#nerdwriter
that’s how i do it
"...the most beloved metal bands of the last thirty years."
Me like, wtf am I doing with my life 1990 is 30 frickin years ago!
Remember after 9/11 when the mainstream media deconstructed this song saying that System of a Down "A MIDDLE EASTERN BAND" had coded messages in the lyrics for the 9/11 attackers? It was like the Rammstein thing after Columbine except 10 times more disgusting.
Dumb as hell. Armenia is barely in the middle east if at all. It’s in the Caucasus near Russia and Turkey. They don’t even speak Arabic in the region.
What happened with Rammstein?
I know Marilyn Manson was accused of Columbine
Xenophobia is as old as America, woven into it's very fabric, clearly endorsed by the countries acceptance of Don Drumpf as pres. It's sad that ppl don't often enough reflect on the vitriol of the past while perpetuating the same race-based xenophobia presently. America is broken.
@@kylezo Even Benjamin Franklin was afraid the German immigrants would take over. Then we get the whole Gangs of New York era. Irish, Italians, Catholics, Hispanics, Chinese, Middle Eastern, etc. Xenophobia has been here as long as we have.
On the topic of Rammstein and 9/11, the music video for Ich Will, which features some very terroristic imagery, was released on the 10th of September, 2001.
Your midi guitar sounds have gotten a lot better!!! It felt almost like i was listening to stems from the recording!
If sarcasm that's the best comment ever... If not then... I have no words. Shh... Don't spoil it.
Yeah, he even reproduced the person's voice you hear through the mic on the guitar amp in the verse.
Those sounded like the RSE sounds from GuitarPro6, I could be wrong though. They are an upgrade but not too far from the Generic Midi sounds IMO.
Pls let this be sarcasm... if not I'll say it. These are the guitar stems from the actual song (apart from those little chords he MIDI'd in when explaining the progression)
I am ready for it... please just /r/whooooosh me
This was actually not sarcastic. I was trying to give a genuine complement on the production because a lot of the midi turns me off in spite of having a really engaging script and visual style.
okay, this song is deeper than what i expected
Holy mountains will make you cry when you see what it is really about
@@greatkevoski7579 most SOAD songs will except Bounce maybe that'll just make you laugh uncontrollably
@@greatkevoski7579 but yeah holy mountains is one of my favourites too
@@dominikweber4305 bounce and Cigaro are both that make me laugh
This song is just as deep as I assumed it to be
“Father, into your hands, I condemn my spirit.
Father, into your hands, why have you forsaken me?” Dang this song is hella powerful, especially now.
Idk if you’re even gonna see this, but the quote is “Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit” and the song says “commend” (which is a common mixup, I honestly thought it was commend). I tried to draft this without sounding condescending, but I couldn’t… sorry. It was just bothering me lol
i thought he said 'father deer hands, i commend my spirit'! it turns out i got this whole line wrong!!!
SOAD: makes awesome song
This guy: 10 YEARS OF RESEARCH MUST BE DONE!
That's how music theory works. Don't like it, don't watch.
@@arizonagreenbee 😭😭😭
"When death is unjust, anger and sorrow are both valid responses"
*suddenly relevant*
It's never been irrelevant
It's always been relevant. We just don't always think about it, so when it does some up, it's exacerbated.
In agreement with every other response here.
Suddenly IN YOUR FACE IN YOUR TOWN. That's the change.
Bunch of innocents have died and no one, not even "freedom-loving" Christians bothered to stop wrongful deaths. "Equal under justice," huh?
The harmonies in the final chorus are some of the most transcendent moments in all of music for me.
Serj and Daron's harmonies at the end are probably one of favourite pieces of music in any genre. Still feel the same listening to them 20 years later.
@limelight81 Some of the best things are fairly basic. Surprisingly, music has developed rules around conventions that are pleasing to our ears.
And like you have any idea how much music I listen to, and have listened to. Sure buddy, I'm not allowed to share which pieces of music I personally love the most because of something hypothetically better that you haven't even mentioned.
@limelight81 Why exactly? Why does it suggest that? I have a vinyl collection over 200 albums big, I've nearly filled my Spotify library, a few years back I had a policy of discovering at least 2 new artists a week, I scoured my local music scene with friends. I listen from everything from classical to metal, prog, hip hop, punk, soul, electronica, ambient, folk, blues, synthpop, dance and you get the point
Not that I think that matters, because I don't think anyone's enjoyment of music should be based upon how much music they've heard, that is peak elitism to me. Some of the best songs ever have been written with 3 chords, sometimes throwing 1000 notes at a wall just results in unlistenable garbage, and sometimes the opposite is true yes. But your whole attitude is just everything that's wrong with music fans to me, instead of explaining your reasoning you just result to a lazy ad hom where you accuse someone not having suitable enough credentials for you.
Music is personal, you might really love an old song because it reminds you of a lost family member or a happier time in life. Or maybe you just like how it sounds. I know music theory, I've studied it for fun, but you don't need to understand the inner workings of something to enjoy it, or even to appreciate the craft that has gone in.
Isn't that what this channel is about? Taking popular songs and analysing WHY they work? You can jerk off to psych folk crust fusion from 1992 all you want, there is value in popular music and it doesn't make you some kind of arbiter of taste to dunk on it.
I hope you have a good day, and enjoy whatever it is that you like
@@ShroomRPG 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
No truer words have ever been spoken.
I'm not even a metal head and I think System is probably one of the best bands of the last 20 years.
They are wholly unique in sound. One of my favorite bands.
Bruh when the bass part payed off my brain literally melted that's so ingenious
0/10 not a single Wake up or Table joke
You wanted two?!?
A bit greedy with the chop suey jokes
@@sf21787 i hate that that joke made me laugh
We call him "Little Bobby Tables."
@@AxeMan808DROP TABLE students
so, are you a left handed classical guitar player?
Exactly my thought
@@User3987dffff but you can see both of his hands in the video, and both have long nails.
@@SUENOSMEDIA an ambidextrious classical guitar player?
I think he's said before that he's ambidextrous musically. I don't remember what video it was
Nah he probably just does A LOT of coke.
Thumbnails on TH-cam are getting out of hand...
yeah they've gotten really long
I kept getting distracted.
No this guy’s actual fingernails are too long. That thumb makes me feel uncomfortable
@@timothycater3928 that's the joke
I was scrolling to see anyone else saw
I’d like to say I appreciate your drawings. That seems like it takes a lot of extra time with editing and timing and script writing and all that, so want to let you know it doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.
I never realized how interesting music theory is.
Same
Middle School me hearing toxicity for the first time was a game changer in my musical upbringing. As a music teacher now soad is still one of the greatest things to ever come across my ears in my life
We need SOAD more than ever right now...
Not going to happen, John is supporting trump while serj it's full anti system right now
@@felpaprod4943 Why do you think when someone says "We need _____ now more than ever," that they are implying they side with the rioters?
I'd love to hear a band criticize the killings, lootings, political puppeting and glorification of a repeat offender. Everyone is afraid of being "cancelled" and just ponder to the BLM and the left.
@@dismantledbrain5910 The you should go to listen Metallica, not system of a down, or another white supremacist metal band, there are plenty of them.
System of a down it's not coming back, a person like serj Tankian won't allow stupid pro trump comments, the band it's over. You can not expect system of a down making a song about poor whites being afraid of looting, if Dolmayan now feels like a white supremacist that doesn't mean that Serj will stand that. Serj will never be part of the oppressor, have it clear.
@@dismantledbrain5910 Serj Tankian it's politically in the left side, in case you didn't know. If you want to hear song about white supremacy and being all psycho about communist, there are plenty of metal bands, the metal community it's fulfilled with nazis, si why would you want more bands like that?
@@felpaprod4943 So anyone who supports Trump or is against LOOTING is a white supremacist?
This conversation is offically over, because your view is so distorted that there's no point in trying to reason with you.
P.S. there's a lot of black people supporting Trump and criticizing BLM, so shake off that white guilt, it's disgusting.
Edit: I assumed you are white to give you the benefit of the doubt for that "poor whites comment", because otherwise you're the racist one.
Hearing the original audio used in a 12 Tone song analysis video gave me whiplash, somehow.
"when death is unjust anger and sorrow are both valid responses" damn
Even 4 years old this video still rocks, especially with the personal comments at the end. Thank you!
I straight up hear "the more you know" jingle everytime he draws a star. just stumbled upon this channel I love the work your doing keep it up. have a great day everyone :)
Watching this, completely distracted by your left thumbnail.
Bro same, I wish they woulda cut that shit LMAO
@@RhythmLP you know some instruments requires nails right
My guitar teacher taught me how to put on acrylic nails and he was a 60 years old man lol
@@shigekax it is not at all necessary to grow out your nails for classical guitar
I say just approach the visual aspect of his videos so he's not wiggling the damn thing around the screen the whole time.
It doesn't help that he can't hold a pen properly either it just makes the nail more prominent
Probably my favorite episode yet. SOAD is such a great band that always strike some kindnof conversation
I really hate how everyone ignores or glosses over the beautiful piano piece at the very end of the song.
For such a heavy, depressing song, it brings beauty and peace to the end of the song, as if they are finally laying that person to rest with dignity.
So at the start of the video, you said this won't be your last video on SOAD, I think it's about time for another one, they are awesome!
HE DIDN'T ANALYZE THE PIANO AT THE END
Chances are it's just not very relevant to the general song meaning.
I have to say for me - this has to be one of the finest songs from system of a down. Incredible breakdown explanations - it has so many movements, let alone timing in the tune. Great work!! 👍🎶
12tone should look into Thank You Scientist. I'd love to see what they do with their amazing prog goodness.
That would be sweet! I'd also love to see some BTBAM but that's probably not very likely to happen
YES
I know he's said before that Bohemian Rhapsody was way too complicated for a video, so I wouldn't count on TYS, which is on another level. Unless he, like, specifically gets help from Tom Monda. Out of curiosity, which tune would you guys want? I'd vote for FXMLDR or Psychopomp.
@@eliassimon666 FXMLDR is the song that got me interested in this band, so I'd second that.
I would LOVE to see that! An analysis of Psychopomp would be really cool!
I was a baby when they came out. They have always been my favorite band and is one of the many reasons I have a love of metal music.
I didn't exist when they came out
@@YellowLAVA literally same..
This song along with Holy Mountains always makes me feel some type of way
English is not my native language, I can't say I have an extensive knowledge of music but your explanation is so clear. It feels like I am hearing Chop Suey for the first time again. Thanks.
this has always been one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. thanks so much for this breakdown, and your very clear support of the protests
Something tells me Daron didn't know he was doing such outstanding musical things when he've made a song))) I guess he was just having great creative fun.
It's when musician doesn't know theory that he can express himself purely, creating not something that is "right", but something unique. That is a power of creativity and free mind.
In the end he could hear it sounded good and thats what matters in the end
@@StellarGale yeah right so you're telling me all the classical composers didn't express themselves purely? Also were does "theory" start? Because technically simply learning chords is already theory. Your comment is ignorant, brain-dead bs
@@HoudiniFontmeister but in the end, it doesn't even maatteeerr "sing"
This song along with Aerials and BYOB is the reason I am a proud SOAD fan. You're bang on correct on the fact that no one else sounds like them. They are incredibly difficult to pigeonhole into a specific genre and that's what I like about em.
Thanks for making this video man. Cheers.
I always get chills when the last section of this song hits. Absolutely beautiful arrangement between the main band members, the additional orchestral instruments in the background, and all of the vocal harmonies, not to mention the lyrics.
You should do "Question!" by them because it has so many time signature changes
NA NANA NANANANANA
Good lord you could cut nylon strings with that thumbnail.
I don't think 12tone has trimmed his nails the whole quarantine
*their
@@hannahl6845 you're obnoxious
@@apart-timeastronaut6530 how correcting someone about the subjects proper pronoun obnoxious?
Darren D. MacDonald because nobody gives a shit
@@krosskancelvlogs awfully insulting to the TH-camr you are currently watching.
Great video as always, but I have just one perplexity:
The 2nd chord in the intro and choruses is not an Am, imho. The vocals sing an Eb over the A and C of the chord, making it an A diminished triad.
(Also the Eb in the bass is quite relevant aswell)
I agree. The harmony in the intro/chorus feels very diatonic G min with no evidence of A min in there
And at 4:00 they play 3rds, not 4ths that would outline an E natural.
Ciao dudubbi
bro
@dudubbi i think you're right. and the Adim reinforces the Gm tonic, the relative minor of Bb...which makes that F/Bb in the chorus make even more sense. this takes away nothing from how cool the bass line is, and working a 7dim into a song for extra tension is so underrated
The song review broke through my compassion fatigue and the end message got me teary.
I’ve never studied music but this was super interesting. To think some artists actually use music theory and super technical techniques instead of just making music from what sounds good
I too have not found a fellow metal head who doesn’t appreciate or at least respect System of a Down. Great analysis. Hope you’re doing well.
SOAD was my first concert (13 years old) and is still my favorite band of all time
I didnt realize he was lefty until i saw his left hand had long fingernails, lol
also that's the hand he uses to write?
Their*
@@umu5527 what ?
August Burns Red plays this song over the speakers before they come out at every show. It’s a great way to prime the crowd; all 4 times I’ve seen them it never fails to get everyone singing along at the top of their lungs and head banging, despite that’s it’s just being played back and not performed live. The song ends, the lights go out, the band comes out. It’s brilliant.
Love how you talk about police brutality and fail to mention deer dance. Even Prison Song and Toxicity aren't necessarily about police, Prison Song is about government policy and Toxicity, much like Chop Suey! is one of those songs (imo) you can't say is this or that, it's supposed to be interpreted in anyway shape or form. Side note my ex's phone number ends with the guitar tabs for toxicity lmao.
What about Mr. Jack? That song is literally about police brutality ._.Xd
Deer dance lyrics are super powerful in the recent happenings: Circumventing circuses,
Lamenting in protest,
To visible police,
Presence sponsored fear,
Battalions of riot police,
With rubber bullet kisses,
Baton courtesy,
Service with a smile
This song is so... brilliant. On so many levels. I still remember hearing it for the first time (it was introduction to this incredible band). My reaction was "What the hell is this?!". I still have that reaction today. I don't think SOAD have any weak songs, and many are incredible, but this one... It's on a whole other level. Mind blowing. And this video just furthers what I've always felt about this song, and about this band.
If only Daron and Serj can sort out their differences, we may a proper continuation of the story of System of a Down.
i’ve never seen one of your videos before, but i’m so glad this was recommended to me. it was perfect timing. i was a baby when this song came out, but it still became one of my favorite songs of all time. this song has an even greater meaning to me now, and i’ll be remembering all the lives that were unjustly lost every time this song plays. thank you!
Took me 4 minutes to realize that you're drawing with your left hand. And im sure others have mentioned this. Deer Dance would have fit great with that ending note.
12:50 What do tables have to do with that?
Serj is singing about suicide, at the same time trying to help us find our lost keys. Maybe we left them on the table.
MK Rex great description
Yeah, well. Despite everyone and their grandma knowing SOAD, this is why I still consider that band underrated. Single songs of them beat the ever living crap out of entire albums and discographies of most other artists in terms of originality.
Too bad Serj is such a diva and they never made new records.
"A thing isnt special because it lasts."
"Youre unbearably naive."
"Well i was born yesterday."
From what I remember, the band went on an indefinite hiatus because of a failure to compromise between Serj and Daron. Daron wanted to have more input when it came to songs, such as being more of an alternate lead singer and actually writing songs for the band. Serj, however, had been doing that since the band's inception, and felt that there was no need to involve another writer when what he had been coming up with was doing so well. There was some compromise, which is why you hear Daron so much more on Mesmerize/Hypnotize, but it wasn't enough to satisfy him, and Serj was really getting into his solo projects, so the band agreed to go on an indefinite hiatus, with the unspoken idea that they probably wouldn't be making music together again. Serj has kept up with his solo projects, Daron started Scars on Broadway with John, and Shavo I think went on to be part of North Kingsley.
Everytime I see something similar to the protests we've seen over the last weeks, I fire up System of a Down. 'Deer Dance,' mostly. I love their dynamic quality where they can show the madness and brutality of a scene with their distorted guitars and then slide into the more folksy, quieter, but just as busy, instruments to kind of punctuate the milling hopelessness of 'rabble.' To me, System of a Down is the bucket of cold water that shocks you out of complacency and the mirror that asks 'where the fuck are you?' -in this moment. As an aside, was always curious about the title. A deer dance is the moment when a protest or riot is dispersed, when the crowd kind of darts away and mills about afterwards. The more you know
I’ve never heard such eloquent support for a such a meaningful cause. That ending left me speechless and emotional. You sir are inspiring. Thank you.
One of the things I really love and appreciate about this analysis video is that it dives into why each part works and how they add into the song, not just the chords.
I head the original stems instead of a midi recreation, and I thought this was Beato's channel for a moment.
'Chop Suey' was my tweenage angst anthem, not even gonna lie
6:45 bruh just noticed the nail
It's like Carrie Fisher's coke nail in starwars, once you notice it you can't stop looking at it lol
I like these analysis because alot of people focus on the words and meaning of a song and here you explain why everything else works to make this iconic as it is, there are a ton of songs about death and dying and no matter hoe you look at it this one stands out.
Just found out you exist- my musical brain is so happy to see someone communicate these things in such a creative way. You got a new sub
Serj Tankian is a great artist, I LOVE his work.
That fingernail really distracts me!
I can't help but focus on your disturbingly long finger nails.
Omg I can't unsee this
dude has those naruto in Kurama mode nails
I kinda was hoping I wasn’t the only one who seen it
69th like
Aaaaannnd I'm never watching this channel again.
I really didn't even realize how well this song was made. No wonder why it's their most famous song.
SoaD is a long-time heavy metal love of mine, even long after I grew out of nu-metal and moved on to other, more melodic and complex subgenres. I think one of the reasons I continue to love SoaD despite growing out of a lot of their peers is because they ARE complex. And melodic. And chaotic. And intelligent. And just all together interesting to listen to, and you hear something new every time you listen to their songs.
I really enjoyed this video. Breaking apart the music like you did really highlights just how many layers of meaning there are to their music beyond the lyrical content.
I never thought that a music analysis could make me cry, but this one did. Thank you.
Hatsune Miku is the drummer of SOAD little known fact
What?
Weeb
@@ghostedgod5765 basically hatsune miku created harry potter, minecraft and was the drummer of system of a down. The bigotted people we think made them actually just stole them from creative genius miku
Kanashimi I think it was originally made when Notch said some transphobic things on twitter or something. The joke is generally just used when a creator comes out with a game, music, or any other media that’s pretty well received, but then later says or does something bad (Jk Rowling and Notch saying transphobic things on Twitter. Stuff like that)
@@l_ndonmusic if only he was a terf, instead of a full on nazi
Ive always thought of the second chord in the chorus as an A dim, rather than A min. I think the bass Eb along with some of the vocal harmony and the fact that A dim is in the key of G minor helps to justify this. Just a thought.
Minor keys can have the sixth or seventh degree of the scale raised in order to give a consonant triad on all seven degrees. Also, classically, bVI IIm/II° should resolve to V7, which is almost happening in reverse here (the backdoor bVII and IIm are transposed).
@@alsatusmd1A13 But if you listen to the song, the E natural is never played over the "Am" chord. The chord only includes notes A and C over a G pedal point. I would actually see it as part of the F major chord. The 2nd and 3rd bars together form the full F major chord. The 2nd bar includes the 3rd and 5th, and the 3rd bar includes the root and 3rd.
Good on you for using your platform to spread positivity and education. Those two things are so important to our collective futures. Keep on rockin, sir.
I love how looking back at high school me, I took learning this song super serious. I was a beginner but I loved this song and I hated how other people got the strumming patterns wrong so I tried so hard to get every part right only to find out now that the fast strumming in the beginning was done sloppy but on purpose lol
This is like Zero Punctuation, have to listen to it at .75% speed to not feel like I'm having an anxiety attack especially with the drawings flying by
Now interpret the meaning behind meaningful SOAD lyrics like “Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie”
That is far too deep for us mortals to interpret.
DO BYOB whenever I can’t tell you what to do
Holy shit this video is so good. I've always loved this song and I had no idea how well written it was. Thank you for breaking it down and also for the excellent message at the end. Subscribed.
Oh my, what was this video?! Amazing work, congratulations, please keep on the awesome work.
That was an instant notification click
The timely choice of song and your addressing of the BLM and police brutality outcry is so well-done and comsiderate, while still strongly affirming a position of support and giving the matter the importance it deserves. Thank you.
So, being pedantic, isn't that chord Adim, not Ami? When there's a fifth played over it (which isn't often), it's consistently an Eb.
I was gonna say the same thing. It’s actually Am7-flat5 (aka A-half diminished7) which also accounts for the G pedal tone in the bass.
Your channel is pure gem.
I think you forgot to talk about the importance of the piano at the end to consolidate the chords
2 years later and still plenty of work. You're awesome dude.
I'm so glad there's an explanation because the lyrics and title never made any sense to me.
I don’t think he mentions that the title was originally going to be “Self-Righteous Suicide” and they changed it to “Chop Suey!” when their record label forced them to rename it to avoid controversy.
Treye Billups yeah he didn’t mention that. That’s really interesting thanks
If you listen closely, in the beginning of the song you hear Serj say "we're rolling Suicide"
@@crypter.6721 Just to add onto it, "Chop Suey" is them just playing with the "chuh" sound at the end of "Righteous" and the "soo-ih" at the beginning of "Suicide". Chuh-soo-ih became "Chop Suey" as the nonsense title that they had to replace the original "Self-Righteous Suicide" with.
Brilliant album. God I miss System. 💔
first 18 seconds and I'm already making realizations. you're so right lol, who the hell doesn't like system lol?
These videos are fucking amazing, never thought I'd be into theory until I saw these videos, it's like we already intuitively know it, but once you start explaining it, it's like the science behind what we feel
we all loved this song as kids having no idea how deep as was and i think i can say the same for alot of music. Growing up and revisiting these songs gives me so much more love for these bands. This is almost 2 years later but i also want to let you know as a black metalhead, i really appreciate you using your platform to spread a wider message, Much like system of a down did (just in a different way)
You definitely earned a subscriber and i look forward to seeing more breakdowns like this.
Death tackled alot of deep topics and also had great song writing ability, if you haven't, i think you should do a video on them when you can!