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 Tunçboyaçiyan, 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.
Blue
Serj Tankian Lyrics
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I'm wishin' and wishin' away at you, girl
I don't see nothing but pain and misery
'Cause you are the one for me, why can't it all be true?
Can I escape with my blue fallen reverie?
Why can't it all be true? Why can't it all be true?
Can't it all be true?
I'm wishin' and wishin' away at you, girl
I'm wishin' and wishin' away at you, girl
Suddenly, I believe you are the one for me
Graciously, you move through my closed heart's artery
Can I escape with my blue fallen reverie?
Why can't it all be true? Why can't it all be true?
Suddenly, I believe you are the one for me
Graciously, you move through my closed heart's artery
Can I escape with my blue fallen reverie?
Why can't it all be true? Why can't it all be true?
Wishin' and wishin' away at you, girl
Wishin' and wishin' away at you, girl
The opening lines of the song "Blue" by Serj Tankian featuring The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, set the tone for the rest of the song. The song is about a man who is yearning for a woman who he believes is the one for him. He wishes for her and is hoping that what he feels is reciprocated, even though he is surrounded by pain and misery. The repetition of the lines "why can't it all be true?" is indicative of the singer's overwhelming desire for his love to be real and returned.
The second verse sees an interesting shift in the song's theme, with the singer suddenly believing that the woman he is yearning for is the one for him after all. He expresses gratitude for her being there and declares that she has begun to move through his "closed heart's artery." This line is perhaps symbolic of the singer's heart being closed off to love and the woman slowly unlocking it, making him believe that she is the one.
The chorus is repeated once again, with no significant changes in the lyrics, indicating a continuation of the singer's belief that the woman he desires is the one for him, and he is still wishing and hoping for her.
Overall, "Blue" is a song that explores the yearning for love and the difficulties of determining if what we feel is real and reciprocated. The use of orchestral instruments adds to the emotional intensity of the song, making it a powerful and moving ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm wishin' and wishin' away at you, girl
I continue to hope and pray for you, even though it seems futile and unrequited.
I don't see nothing but pain and misery
I only see a bleak and unhappy future without you.
'Cause you are the one for me, why can't it all be true?
You are the person I want to be with, so why can't we make it a reality?
Can I escape with my blue fallen reverie?
Can I find solace and escape from my unhappiness through my melancholic daydreams?
Why can't it all be true? Why can't it all be true?
Why can't our love be real and reciprocated?
Suddenly, I believe you are the one for me
I have a newfound faith that you are the person I am meant to be with.
Graciously, you move through my closed heart's artery
You effortlessly and smoothly win over my heart, which was previously closed off to love.
Wishin' and wishin' away at you, girl
I continue to hope and pray for you, even though it seems futile and unrequited.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Serj Tankian
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind