"Revenga" is the third song by System of a Down from their 2005 album Mezme… Read Full Bio ↴"Revenga" is the third song by System of a Down from their 2005 album Mezmerize. It is believed by many fans that the meaning of the song is about a man who had a crush on someone that hated him, the man either being Daron, or just an unnamed person. The lines "I saw her laugh, then she said go away" seem to suggest that he asked her out and she turned him down and laughed at him, and now he wants to take revenge on her ("poisoning a drink, bleeding in a sink, choking with a link, killing with a stink").

Revenga
System of a Down Lyrics

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Poisoning a drink, bleeding in a sink
Choking with a link, killing with a stink
Just your mother's ho

Bleeding in a sink, poisoning a drink
Burning up, my sweet Clementine

Trampling a shrink, bleeding in a sink

Hallelujah wink, getting on the brink
Just your mother's ho

Hallelujah wink, murdering a shrink
Burning up

Oh, my sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making, baby, oh

My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making, baby, oh

Killing with stink, bleeding in a sink
Poisoning a drink, getting on the brink
Just your mother's ho

Bleeding in a sink, trampling a shrink
Burning up, my sweet Clementine

Poisoning a drink, bleeding in a sink
Choking with a link, killing with a stink
Just your mother's ho

Poisoning a drink, bleeding in a sink

Burning up

My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making, baby, oh

My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making, baby, oh

I saw her laugh
Then she said
"Go away"

I saw her laugh
Then she said, then she said
"Go away," away

Oh, oh, oh

My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making, baby, oh

My sweet revenge
Will be yours, it's in the making
It's in the taking, making, baking, taking, faking, oh

Ho
My sweet Clementine
Ho

Shoulda been, coulda been, woulda been, woulda been you
Shoulda been, coulda been, woulda been, woulda been you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Revenga by System of a Down are complex and difficult to interpret. However, it can be understood that the song likely deals with themes of revenge, violence, and maternal figures. The repeated lines "poisoning a drink, bleeding in a sink" and "killing with a stink" suggest violent actions taken by the singer, perhaps in an attempt to avenge a wrong done to them. The line "just your mother's ho" adds an interesting layer to the interpretation, as it suggests a connection or scorn towards a maternal figure.

The chorus, which repeats the line "my sweet revenge will be yours for the taking, it's in the making" could be seen as the singer gloating about their plans for revenge, with the use of the word "sweet" adding a disturbing element to the portrayal. The lines "shoulda been, coulda been, woulda been, woulda been you" add to the overall sense of bitterness and anger conveyed in the song. In the final verse, a female figure is mentioned, who laughs and tells the singer to go away. It is unclear who this figure is, but the mention of a female figure could add to the theme of maternal figures present in the song.

Overall, the song Revenga is a violent and intense portrayal of themes such as revenge and maternal figures. The repeated phrases and use of violent imagery create a sense of unease and discomfort for the listener.

Line by Line Meaning

Poisoning a drink, bleeding in a sink
Intentionally adding chemical substances to a drink in order to cause harm, and bleeding in a sink as a result of some physical harm.

Choking with a link, killing with a stink
Cause someone to choke using a metal link, or strangle by another means while releasing an unpleasant odor.

Just your mother's ho
Insult or accuse someone's mother of being promiscuous.

Bleeding in a sink, poisoning a drink
Resulting in bleeding in a sink and intentionally adding chemical substances to a drink as part of some harmful activity.

Burning up, my sweet Clementine
Causing severe physical harm to someone named Clementine.

Trampling a shrink, bleeding in a sink
Physically harming a mental health professional and resulting in bleeding in a sink as a result of that harm.

Hallelujah wink, getting on the brink
Rudely insulting someone or some situation, and getting closer to reaching a dangerous or undesirable state.

Hallelujah wink, murdering a shrink
Rudely insulting someone or some situation, and committing the murder of a mental health professional.

Burning up
Experiencing extreme physical pain or harm.

Oh, my sweet revenge
Emphasizes the personal satisfaction or pleasure one seeks to obtain from harming someone else.

Will be yours for the taking
This revenge or act of harm can be committed by anyone, and is easily accessible.

It's in the making, baby, oh
The act of harm or revenge is in the process of being completed.

Killing with stink, bleeding in a sink
Causing someone's death while releasing an unpleasant odor, and resulting in bleeding in a sink as a result of some harmful activity.

Poisoning a drink, getting on the brink
Intentionally adding chemical substances to a drink in order to cause harm and getting closer to reaching a dangerous or undesirable state.

Bleeding in a sink, trampling a shrink
Resulting in bleeding in a sink as a result of some physical harm, and physically harming a mental health professional.

Poisoning a drink, bleeding in a sink
Deliberately adding chemical substances to a drink in order to cause harm, and bleeding in a sink as a result of some physical harm.

Burning up
Experiencing extreme physical pain or harm.

My sweet revenge
Personal satisfaction or pleasure one seeks to obtain from harming someone else.

I saw her laugh
Witnessing someone, likely the target of harm, expressing pleasure or joy.

Then she said
Subsequent words spoken by the individual being observed.

"Go away"
An exclamation or request by the individual being observed to cease the observed activity.

My sweet revenge
Personal satisfaction or pleasure one seeks to obtain from harming someone else.

Will be yours, it's in the making
The act of harm or revenge can be committed by anyone and is in the process of being completed.

It's in the taking, making, baking, taking, faking, oh
A play on words and imagery that suggests the act of harm or revenge is more complicated than originally anticipated.

Ho
An exclamation of triumph or pleasure.

My sweet Clementine
Refers to someone named Clementine, indicating a desire or plan to harm them.

Shoulda been, coulda been, woulda been, woulda been you
Regret or resentment towards an individual for not being the target of the harm or revenge.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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