Marmalade
System of a Down Lyrics

Stretching, filing, against her skin
Describing the actions of a person getting ready for self-harm, like cutting or scratching, against their own body.

Blessed are those who are not kin
People who are not related to the person with suicidal tendencies are blessed or lucky to not feel the same pain.

In sin we breathe, in sex, we tie
We connect more and succeed in sex or intimacy, causing us to feel alive despite the sin or wrongdoing in which we indulge.

Duct tape her legs to the red sky
The person in the song is giving their all to achieve sexual pleasure and imagining themselves doing so in a surreal setting - which is why they visualize duct taping their partner's legs to the red sky.

Foolsome flesh allowances
The artist thinks that the person who indulges in self-harm does that because they have not faced any real issues and thus has enough privilege left to engage in 'foolsome flesh allowances'.

The pansies raided the pantry of
The 'pansies', or fragile souls, who can't handle the realities of life, take solace in escaping from it by engaging in self-harm.

Gabardine dreams, promiscuous
The singer describes suicidal thoughts as promiscuous or indulgent fantasies of relief from pain and misery.

Delight, deny not the flavor
Indulging in self-harm or indulging in pleasure, in general, is too tempting to resist, hence don't deny the taste of that self-destructive delight.

Custard dreams
Asking people to strengthen dreams or wishes because they are fulfilling but sometimes fragile, like custard.

Abusing, musing
Musing and contemplating life's darker aspect while periodically resulting in indulgence in self-harm for pleasure's sake is something the song warns against.

Marmalade flesh
The singer is likening his skin to marmalade, and 'spread' to indicate being naked, which he uses to describe how he feels exposed or vulnerable in his suicidal tendencies.

Naked spread am I
Through these lyrics, the artist remains exposed and feels like a spectacle, with suicidal urges laid bare for others to see.

Actors of the tragic phantom
The singers ask actors of the tragic phantom- those who are involved in making art more tragic or darker- to be prepared and extend their legs for great Saturn or deaths' cold embrace.

Extend your legs for great Saturn
The lyric refers to death as Saturn, the god of time and father of all gods, asking actors to prepare for the tragic scenes they will play in.

Brown table tops scream for cover
The lyrics suggest that the table, as well as the singer, is screaming for cover since the table is where he cuts himself, and he is unable to hide his pain.

At the sight of your new lover
The song portrays the image of the artist's lover looking at him shocked at what they see - an individual engaging in self-harm and the sight of the blood and wounds.

If today, I die
Showing the moment where the artist feels like life has become unbearable, and if he dies or loses this moment, he would not be left with any control over his own life anymore.

And can't deny
The song suggests that the person might have lost control over themselves once they cross that line, meaning they won't be able to stop themselves from indulging in pain.

The poison chosen tonight
Describing the pain that the person had taken on their own purposely and in turn, predicting for the person's impending doom or death.

Borrowed dreams, hollowed reveries
The song expresses the extent of despair and frustration where people call even their very dreams and hopes hollow and without meaning.

Metal pillows, pewter yellows
Describing the dreary environment and surroundings that the person experiencing deep pain feels. The metal pillows' coldness indicates lack of comfort, and pewter yellows show a sad, faded world.

Furry roadkill, house on the hill
Life feels pointless; even a house on a hill, which is the epitome of success and happiness, no longer means anything to a person who's experiencing pain. They see furry roadkill, or death, at every turn.

Pouring gravy on her thighs still
The song suggests gruesome ways to commit self-harm like pouring hot gravy on your wounds to make the pain more pleasurable to the masochistic person.