Lost In Hollywood by System Of A Down

Album: Mezmerize (2005)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

"Lost In Hollywood" was written and sung by System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian, who grew up in Hollywood and later made it his home. In the song, he's telling a friend that people there lie and they shouldn't be trusted. This person goes anyway, and finds out the hard way that Hollywood is filled with broken dreams. Malakian has said it's the System song he's most proud of. >>
Suggestion credit:
Paul - Cumberland, RI
Hollywood was especially seedy in the '80s when Malakian grew up there near Vine Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. It had cleaned up by the time he wrote this song, but was still a place where many aspiring actors ended up on the streets.
System Of A Down all grew up in Hollywood and have a love-hate relationship with the area. It's where they were able to build a fanbase playing the many clubs in the vibrant music scene, but for those less fortunate (and less talented), it wasn't so kind. SOAD have often made the point that there is a dark underside to the city that is kept hidden behind the shiny lights. Their 2001 song "Toxicity" explores these themes, implying it's a "toxic city."
I wrote you and told you
You were the biggest fish out here

Many who excel in their communities assume they can make it anywhere because they haven't experienced failure. They don't realize they're a big fish in a small pond, and when faced with real competition, they're overwhelmed.
Later in the song, Malakian takes the voice of a hissing crank spitting venom at the unfortunate souls in Hollywood:

All you maggots smoking fags on Santa Monica Boulevard

"smoking fags" is British slang for smoking cigarettes.
This was part of the SOAD album Mezmerize, whose lead single was the Iraq War protest "B.Y.O.B." It looked like they were going to make a video for "Lost In Hollywood" and release it as a single, but they never did. Just six months after Mezmerize was released, they followed with another album, Hypnotize - both went to #1.

"Lost In Hollywood" became one of the band's best-known songs and a regular feature of their live shows.

Comments: 27

Joseph Andrew Gamez (crowseph) from Fresno, CaI love system of a down. As I was reading about this song I said "oh, just like me in this city", "I think that's a bird", and I gasped and said "maybe there's one here... Awwe". Maybe you can guess what I said it to lol and I swear to God I won't call you foo(fool).

Answers. The love and hate relationship. The hissing. The broken dreamer on the streets.
Alison Wonderland from Long Beach Calif.I too grew up in LA. Lost in Hollywood perfectly explains the feeling of someone who finds themselves alone there. Trying to "make it" The heart stopping melody is profound. Only a genius could have written it. SOAD....the greatest band of the last 2 decades.
Jaxosn from Bismarck Ndi honestly wondered what message it was spreading because it was interesting oh yeah system of a down released 2 new albums protect the land and genocidal humanoids spreading awareness about the war between Artsakh and Turkey so if you have any money you want to give towards a charity give to them because they are raising it to get medkits for Artsakh
Jonathan from Mesa, Az.Fags mean cigarettes. It's British slang people. Daron is obviously talking about agents (maggots) in Hollywood out on the boulevard's searching for new talent to exploit.
Rin from AustraliaI don't think its specifically about a girl being manipulated by Hollywood people-
I think it's in general, about how when you look past all the money and fame, the celebrity lifestyle is full of lies and control. Basically how it isn't what it looks like- behind all that is an inescapable life shared with the world, and scary people who make sure they can control each single aspect of it to be something people will keep liking. Glamour sells, originality doesn't.
Jose Mario from Olanchito. Yoro, Hondurasyeah songs can mean anything you want (maybe) but remember there is always a original meaning of what the song wants to express
Scott from New York, Nypersonaly, i dont see this song as jsut talking about how people in hollywood lie and cheat but more of how people in general anywhere in life will lie cheat and steal to get an edge over you
Dale from New Orleans, La"Songs can mean anything you want them to. IDIOTS
Joe from Chicago, Ilvocals in this song are amazing!!!
Holly from Maui, Hii absolutley love this song! soad ftw. its so true tho about how people lie, do drugs, sex etc. i mean what is hollywood? porn money drugs. thats basicaly what soad sings about. the practical subjects in our world that goes on.
Cody from Port Charlotte, FlWho cares, it can mean whatever you want it to. Have a friend who sold out on you? There you go. Songs can mean anything you want them to.

IDIOTS <3
Marcus from Richmond, Vawhen i listen to this song it almost makes me want to cry, because its showing a person(a girl) had a dream to become big in hollywood, then she just ends up selling her body for money. And yes Serj and Daron deliver a nerve pounding vocal harmonic performance :)
Erik from Knoxville, Tnwhen daron says people look at you in disgusting ways he is talking about how you have to go through all of the crap of pornography and people just watching anything
Andrew from Easton, Pathis song is without a doubt their BEST slow song. "Lonely Day" is still great, but I like this one better. Serj's humming was absolutely perfect, I can listen to this song all day.
Blake from Hamilton, OhI think that not only is it saying Hollywood is a city full of evil, but how people can act like your friends, and turn away from you hence "Phony people come to prey." Anyway, it's a terrific melody, and Serj's humming is amazing!
Jake from Naperville, IlThis is one of my favorite slower songs from them. In fact it's one of my fav all together
Brosive from BermudaThis song sounds very similer to 'Radiohead's Street Spirit (Fade Out)'
George from Longview, TxI know that the song Lost in Hollywood is about Daron's hometown(Hollywood) because he explained it at the concert that i went to
He explained that the song is him telling a girl that people cant be trusted in Hollywood
Daniel from Chino Hills, CaI think the vocals in this song are great....seriously......
Neil from London, England, EnglandPerhaps the comment is a triple entendre, on one hand it could refere to smoking out gay (famous) people, as in how hungry 'newspapers' and magazines are for a famous closet case - refering to how your whole life will be scrutinised in hollywood.

On the other hand it might be related to the fact that smoking cigarettes is bad (mmmKay), and how hollywood has such a large drug culture.

It could also be a refertence the the cancerous nature of fame, it grows and grows and as it does, it eats you from within.
Ray from Southold, NyI beleve and im I may be wrong that this is a reference to catcher in the rye the main charter holden caulfield always refers to people a phony and despises the fact his brother DB went to hollywood and sold out. Another way my agrrument is backed up is he calls his brother the best there ever was untill he was corupted by hollywood
Zach from L.a., Cawell Derick Mulackion (forgive my spelling) had alot of troubles in hollywood with his parents. Luke you weredead rite with the pornagraphy bit but (all you magots smoking fags out there on Santa Monica Blvd) doesnt mean killing gay people. fags mean cigeretts.
Justin from Arleta, Ca"People who don't live here see it as a fantasy island. But I see people giving up their morals, giving up their lives, giving up everything for this town. All the girls who came here to be actresses and ended up pornstars; all the girls who came here to be models ended up as strippers".
Daron Malakian
Corrie from Calgary, CanadaI think this song could also be refering to the fact that hollywood to some people is there everything... so in comparison this could be someones signifigant other. This song could be saying that you should have never trused them or gone to them when you needed them cause there were just a fake..
Kelly from West Lafayette, InDo you have any idea what the word "fags" refers to in this song? Maybe I've spent too many hours reading old British novels, but even in the modern U.K. "fags" refers to cigarettes. Like it says in a ridiculous preteen book, "in england cigarettes are called fags, hence 'lighting a fag' is not the cruel practice you might think"
Talal from Kuwait, OtherIN This I THink Hollywood means Bad Frenids ???
Luke from Delta , CoI think it's more about the idea of pornography and how people get sucked into that- 'they looked at you in disgusting ways, you should have never trusted Hollywood'. I also think it's about the treachery of Hollywood and the film industry- 'they find you, they two-time you.' And then, the narrow mindedness of people- 'all you maggots smoking fags on Santa Monica Blvd.' I think what he says there is that people are unopen to what isn't usual, such as homosexuality.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

DilemmaNelly

Kelly Rowland was the first Destiny's Child member to have a hit away from the group: her Nelly duet "Dilemma."

Afternoon DelightStarland Vocal Band

The Starland Vocal Band got the title "Afternoon Delight" from the late-afternoon appetizer menu at the restaurant Clyde's Of Georgetown in Washington, DC.

Everything ZenBush

References to David Bowie, Tom Waits and Allan Ginsburg are peppered into the Bush song "Everything Zen."

Rum and Coca-ColaThe Andrews Sisters

The '40s hit "Rum and Coca-Cola" is really about American soldiers soliciting prostitutes in Trinidad.

Give Me Everything (Tonight)Pitbull

Pitbull's line "I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan" in his 2011 song "Give Me Everything (Tonight)" didn't go over well with Lohan, who sued him for defamation. Around this time, she was in a downward spiral and often getting arrested. Her case was thrown out, but she did get her life back together.

FancyIggy Azalea

The video for Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" pays homage to the classic 1995 film Clueless with the rapper playing Cher and featured singer Charli XCX portraying Tai. It was filmed at some of the same locations used in the movie.