At age five, Serj Tankian moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California. After high school, he studied marketing. He took singing lessons for four years and also took guitar lessons as a young child. In 1993, he founded the band Soil (not to be confused with SOiL) with Daron Malakian, which later went on hiatus, and later changed to System of a Down. Tankian is not only a member of the band System of a Down, but also has his own record label which is called Serjical Strike Records, a sub-division of Columbia Records. He also performed guest vocals on songs such as Mushroom Cult by Dog Fashion Disco, and Mein by Deftones. He produced "Enter The Chicken" by Buckethead, and provided vocals to the Buckethead songs "We are One," "Coma" and "Waiting Here." With Serjical Strike Records, he endeavors to offer those musicians often ignored by the mainstream a possibility to release their music and be heard. The first release of Serj's new label was Serart, a project consisting of Tankian, himself, and Arto TunƧboyaƧiyan, an Armenian friend of Tankian's.
Tankian is also very involved politically. Together with Tom Morello (ex-Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, The Nightwatchman), he founded the organization Axis Of Justice. Tankian often speaks publicly against violence and injustice in the world.
Serj is a vegetarian and likes to read poetry but other than that, few details are known about Tankian's private life. He is especially interested in Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot and Edgar Allan Poe. Serj hates celebrity gossip. He believes it is a waste of time and due to the spreading of rumors, can destroy close relationships .
Two days after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Serj posted a highly controversial essay on the band's website. It was promptly taken down by Sony, the band's record label. Sony's opinion was that Tankian had tried to justify the terrorist attacks and that his claims were unfounded.
Tankian's first poetry book, Cool Gardens, was published by MTV Books and released on October 1st, 2002. It is a collection of seven to eight years of Tankian's reflections on life, and features artwork by fellow Armenian, Sako Shahinian. The book has received much praise in the artistic community.
In late 2007, Serj released his first solo album "Elect the Dead" Serj later went on to perform live around the world on a tour to promote his solo album, backed by another band on his label, the FCC (Flying Cunts of Chaos). In 2010, Serj released a live album "Elect the Dead Symphony" during which he performed with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. Afterwords, they embarked on a worldwide tour with the orchestra.
In September of 2010, Serj released another solo album "Imperfect Harmonies" through Serjical Strike Records, his record label. In December of 2010, it was announced by fellow members of his band System of a Down that they would be reuniting for a world tour in 2011. Fellow bandmate Shavo Odadjian released through his Twitter account that they would reunite. In May of 2011, they began their worldwide tour in Canada, with stops in America, England, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Austria, and Russia. They will also be heading to South America to play in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
The Figure It Out Songfacts reports that Serj's third solo album, "Harakiri" will be released on July 10, 2012. The lead single, "Figure it Out," was released on May 1, 2012.
Beethoven
Serj Tankian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Believing, appealing, kneeling in your worlds
Oceans are combined
Being that I love you so much
In the end they all will say
Breaking someone else's heart again
And feed him to the hungry alligator
You want it all, you want it all
Love is not about the profits
Nor the riches in your dreams
The arms of time are breaking off
Civilization is on trial
The clock's eliminating time
Do you believe in me?
I've been walking through these dead farms
But I don't mind
I've been screaming through these dead lungs
But I can't find
Being that I love you so much
In the end they all will say
Breaking someone else's heart again
Find the little evil perpetrator
And feed her to the hungry alligator
You want it all, you want it all
Love is not about the profits
Nor the riches in your dreams
The arms of time are breaking off
Civilization is on trial
The clock's eliminating time
Do you believe in me?
But lately I've been blind
You leave me all alone, left in time
You left me here to die, left in time
Leave me all alone, left in time
The arms of time are breaking off
Civilization is on trial
The clock's eliminating time
Do you believe in nothing?
But lately I've been blind
Leave me all alone, left in time
The lyrics of Serj Tankianās song āBeethovenā are complex and layered, drawing upon various themes and emotions to create a powerful message. The first verse speaks of intimacy and love, with the singer brushing, touching, and feeling on someoneās shoulders, and believing and appealing to them. The image of oceans being combined can represent the unification of two people or the vastness of emotions that they share. However, the subsequent line, āin the end they all will say breaking someone else's heart again,ā suggests that the relationship is problematic and ends in heartbreak.
The chorus then introduces a sudden shift in tone, with the focus on finding an āevil perpetratorā and feeding them to a hungry alligator. This can be interpreted in a few different ways, such as someone seeking revenge or becoming ruthless in order to pursue their needs/desires. The lines āyou want it all, you want it all / love is not about the profits / nor the riches in your dreamsā suggest that the singer understands that the pursuit of material wealth is not as important as experiencing love in its purest form.
Moving on to the second verse, the lyrics describe civilization being āon trial,ā with time breaking off and the clock eliminating time. This can be interpreted as society itself deteriorating due to its obsession with the material rather than relationships, love, and connection. The line āDo you believe in me?ā can symbolize the question of whether or not others are willing to commit to a meaningful relationship.
The song concludes with a repetition of the chorus, punctuated by the line āDo you believe in nothing?ā suggesting a final (and dark) realization of the emptiness of material pursuit.
Line by Line Meaning
Brushing, touching, feeling on your shoulders
Caressing, coming into contact, experiencing intimacy with you
Believing, appealing, kneeling in your worlds
Having faith, attractive, submitting to your reality and views
Oceans are combined
The connection between two individuals is so strong it feels like two oceans meeting
Being that I love you so much
As I feel such deep affection for you
In the end they all will say
As a result, people will judge or make comments
Breaking someone else's heart again
Hurting another individual emotionally once more
Find the little evil perpetrator
Identify the person responsible for causing harm
And feed him to the hungry alligator
Punish them severely
You want it all, you want it all
Desiring ultimate control and power
Love is not about the profits
Not equating love to material success
Nor the riches in your dreams
Not finding fulfillment in wealth or material possessions
The arms of time are breaking off
The passage of time is losing its power or influence
Civilization is on trial
The very nature of society is being examined or scrutinized
The clock's eliminating time
Time is becoming less significant and relevant
Do you believe in me?
Questioning if the other person has faith in the singer
I've been walking through these dead farms
Traveling through lifeless landscapes or situations
But I don't mind
Although the circumstances are challenging, it doesn't bother the artist
I've been screaming through these dead lungs
Expressing oneself despite feeling emotionally worn out or drained
But I can't find
The singer is unable to locate a specific answer or solution
Leave me all alone, left in time
Feeling abandoned and forgotten over an extended period
But lately I've been blind
Recently, the artist has been unable to see things clearly or objectively
You leave me all alone, left in time
The other person has deserted the artist for an extended period
You left me here to die, left in time
Feeling abandoned and hopeless to the point of death
Do you believe in nothing?
Questioning if the other person has any faith or conviction
Lyrics Ā© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Serj Tankian
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@taqimJOR
Brushing, touching, feeling on your shoulders,
Believing, appealing, kneeling in your worlds,
Oceans are combined,
Being that I love you so much
In the end they all will say
Breaking someone else's heart again,
Find the little evil perpetrator
And feed him to the hungry alligator
You want it all,
You want it all,
Love is not about the profits
Nor the riches in your dreams,
The arms of time are breaking off,
Civilization is on trial,
The clocks eliminating time
Do you believe in me
Ive been walking through these dead farms
But I don't mind,
Ive been screaming through these dead
lungs,
But I cant find,
Being that I love you so much
In the end they all will say
Breaking someone else's heart again,
Find the little evil perpetrator
And feed her to the hungry alligator
You want it all,
You want it all,
Love is not about the profits
Nor the riches in your dreams,
The arms of time are breaking off,
Civilization is on trial,
The clocks eliminating time
Do you believe, in me
But lately Ive been blind
You leave me all alone, left in time,
You left me here to die, left in time,
Leave me all alone, left in time,
The arms of time are breaking off,
Civilization is on trial,
The clocks eliminating time
Do you believe in nothing.
But lately Ive been blind
Leave me all alone, left in time.
@janneortju961
Serj is among the handful of singers who could sing thru a shopping list and still sound convincing.
@NiglyasHoge
BANANA BANANA BANANA
@dan_skoda_
Chic 'n' stu intensifies
@lockeland
Director: How mysterious do you want the video to be?
Serj: Yes
@ewangoodwin1127
Director: how much sense do you want the video to make?
Serj: No
@jamaaldagreatest2748
@@ewangoodwin1127 idk this made a lot of. sense to me
@gabryellabaumgratz7324
Cobain
@samuelhatlestad6676
It's not that mysterious
@shaunniedermeier1156
This guy is a lyrical genius!
@FaB-Art3134
I think it too