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.
Coma
Serj Tankian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He stays here
Unholy, unholy
He stays still
Stay unto me
Makes me feel unholy
Ya la?, ya la?...
Nothing
(Nothing)
Now that I have nothing
(Now that I have nothing)
I resolve to be nothing
(I resolve to be nothing)
Nothing to harm me, nothing to gain
(Nothing to harm me, nothing to gain)
I resolve to be nothing (X2)
Nothing
(Nothing)
Nothing
(Nothing)
He stays still
Stay unto me
Makes me feel unholy
Makes me feel unholy
We stay
No cause, stay
The song "Coma" by Serj Tankian featuring Azam Ali is a haunting and mystical track that explores the themes of stillness, emptiness and nothingness. The first few lines depict a character who is still and unholy, making the singer feel the same way. The repetitive use of the words "nothing" and "resolve to be nothing" further support the song's theme of emptiness and detachment.
The inclusion of the Arabic phrase "Ya la?" adds to the song's otherworldly and spiritual atmosphere, as does the ethereal vocals by Azam Ali. The line "we stay, no cause, stay" adds to the sense of stillness and detachment, suggesting that the characters in the song are content to remain in their current state.
Overall, the song invites the listener to contemplate the benefits and drawbacks of being still, empty and detached from the world around us. It suggests that in some cases, nothingness can be a source of comfort and a way to escape from the chaos and confusion of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
He stays still
The person being referred to is still and motionless.
He stays here
The person being referred to stays in the same place and does not move.
Unholy, unholy
The person being referred to is sinful and wicked.
Stay unto me
The artist requests the person being referred to to stay near them.
Makes me feel unholy
The presence of the person being referred to makes the artist feel unvirtuous.
Ya la?, ya la?...
These lines have no perceivable meaning and could be considered nonsensical.
Nothing
(Nothing)
Now that I have nothing
(Now that I have nothing)
I resolve to be nothing
(I resolve to be nothing)
Nothing to harm me, nothing to gain
(Nothing to harm me, nothing to gain)
I resolve to be nothing (X2)
The singer expresses a desire to have nothing, because having anything could bring harm or unwanted consequences.
He stays still
The person being referred to is still and motionless.
Stay unto me
The artist requests the person being referred to to stay near them.
Makes me feel unholy
The presence of the person being referred to makes the artist feel unvirtuous.
Makes me feel unholy
The presence of the person being referred to makes the singer feel unvirtuous.
We stay
The artist and the person being referred to remain in the same place and do not move.
No cause, stay
There is no reason to leave or move, so the person being referred to remains close to the singer.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ALI, BUCKETHEAD, MONTI, TANKIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tazzasaurus1
possibly the greatest colab ever???? and most underrated and unheard too probably
@Varrok-up4zf
They have a new album on the way!
@hardattackdj
Buckethead and Serj did a track called We Are One many years ago. One of my favorite collaborations
@yoursatan
Buckethead is one of the most underrated and unknown guitarist of this era! He is amazing, but few people know him. Maybe because his music is not always what you expect or what you're used to, but every song just oozes talent!
@adhaskym.a9536
Underrated & unknown? I think you need to check your facts. 😊
@soniaramos91
I met Azam Ali in NYC and she is so sweet. I love her music. I think it is so awesome that Serj Tankian from S.O.A.D. is collaborating with her.
@ErikBAnderson
and Buckethead
@jking6155
One of the most beautiful songs ever made in my opinion
@rumfordc
+jking6155 i absolutely agree. goes in my "musical masterpieces" collection
@patrickjolly9883
Still listening to it.