“The Toxicity of Our City, of Our City…”
System Of A Down, an Armenian nu-metal band of the early and mid 2000s, found immense success with their second studio album Toxicity, released on September 4th, 2001. The band is best known for the stand-out song “Chop Suey” from the same album, but another song of theirs that’s also quite popular is the song the album is named after, “Toxicity.” It begins with a calming hook that only lasts 12 seconds before the second half rises with loud, intense instruments. Before the vocals even start, this beginning hook represents both sides of our society: the calm surface, and the toxicity layered beneath.
The lyrics themselves depict the bleak nature of life with lines such as, “Eating seeds as a pastime activity,” while also describing the more selfish and destructive habits of humans with the main chorus.
“You, what do you own the world?
How do you own disorder? Disorder
Now somewhere between the sacred silence
Sacred silence and sleep
Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
Disorder, disorder, disorder”
This song outlines the biggest fault found in our society, being the disorder found amongst ourselves. Released during a time of much political discourse, Toxicity (both the song and album) set out to highlight the many problems in America, and this song perfectly narrates those issues in a meaningful and musically satisfying way.
