10 Adult Rock Songs That No One Understood As Kids
5. BYOB - System of a Down
It's pretty difficult to really figure out what System of a Down are even talking about on a normal day. When they're not taking the piss on more ludicrous tracks like Bounce, the rapid fire delivery that Serj Tankian delivers over songs like Chop Suey make it almost impossible to decipher what it is that he's actually going on about. Once you do though, you're about to be given a lesson on the evils of corporate warmongering.
Being the mission statement behind the album Mesmerize, it would make sense that BYOB should be about partying, given its connotations with booze and the middle section about going to a party and having a real good time. This party isn't the kind of rager that leaves you drunk and happy though...it's the one that leaves you with broken limbs and shattered psyches. Framed as a look into the war system in the US, most of this song paints the party as a mock look at patriotism, as the government only celebrates those who are willing to follow their guidelines.
If you're not with the party, then you have to be against it, which always hits the hardest at the expense of the poor. There might be a lot of extra curriculars thrown into System's music, but when they decide to pipe up, you better be ready to listen.