BYOB
System of a Down Lyrics

You
System of a Down is addressing the listeners directly and asking a critical question.

Why do they always send the poor?
The band is questioning why the impoverished are the ones who are sent to war and used to fight battles for the wealthy.

Barbarisms by Barbaras
The band is using wordplay to comment on the brutal acts committed by those in power against the innocent.

With pointed heels
Those in power have sharpened weapons that enable them to crush the weak with little effort.

Victorious Victorias kneel
The wealthy and powerful are able to maintain their power and continue their brutal practices due to the subservience of the masses.

For brand new spanking deals
Those in power are always looking for the next big opportunity to profit from the suffering of others.

Marching forward, hypocritic
Those in power claim to have the people's interests at heart, but their actions tell a different story.

And hypnotic computers
The media and other propaganda machines have the power to sway the masses and make them believe in a false reality.

You depend on our protection
The powerful use the guise of protecting the people as a cover for their own interests and to maintain their hold on power.

Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth
Despite benefiting from the people's support and loyalty, those in power continue to deceive and manipulate them.

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, ooh
This line acts as a sarcastic refrain, mocking those who choose to ignore the harsh realities of the world.

Everybody's going to the party
This line suggests that people are more concerned with entertainment and distraction than they are with addressing the world's problems.

Have a real good time
The band is being sarcastic, pointing out the absurdity of reveling in the midst of so much suffering and violence.

Dancin' in the desert
This is a reference to the Middle East conflict and the idea that people are able to dance and celebrate while others are dying in the desert.

Blowin' up the sunshine
This line uses wordplay to suggest that the idea of 'blowing up the sunshine' is just as absurd as the idea of reveling in the midst of violence, and that both are equally impossible.

Kneeling roses disappearing
This is a metaphor for the innocent victims of war who are silenced and forgotten.

Into Moses' dry mouth
This is a reference to the biblical story of the parting of the Red Sea, where Moses led the Israelites to safety. The metaphor here compares the victims of war to the Israelites, and the world's indifference to their plight to God's silence in the face of their suffering.

Breaking into Fort Knox
This line symbolizes the idea of taking back what was stolen from the people by those in power.

Stealing our intentions
The intentions of the people are often used against them and used to manipulate them for the benefit of those in power.

Hangers sitting, dripped in oil
This is a metaphor for the wealthy elite who have benefited from the exploitation of the poor.

Crying, 'freedom'
The powerful use the notion of 'freedom' as a means of justifying their actions and fooling the people into thinking they are acting on their behalf.

Handed to obsoletion
Those who are not wealthy or powerful are often discarded and made irrelevant by those in power.

Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
The band is driving home the point that despite all this suffering and exploitation, those in power continue to deceive and manipulate others to maintain their hold on power.

Blast off, it's party time
This line suggests that people can no longer ignore the harsh realities of the world, and that it's time to take action.

And we don't live in a fascist nation
This is a reminder that the people have the power to enact change and fight back against oppression.

Where the fuck are you?
The band is exasperated by the apathy and indifference of many people in the face of so much suffering.

Why don't presidents fight the war?
System of a Down is again questioning the motives of those in power and suggesting that they are not acting in the best interests of the people.

Why do they always send the poor?
The band is calling attention to the exploitation of the poor and questioning the morality of sending them to fight and die in wars that benefit only the wealthy elite.

They always send the poor
This line drives home the point that the same pattern of exploitation and disregard for the poor and vulnerable repeats itself time and time again.