Album: System Of A Down (1998)

License This Song 

• The phoenix he helped create
  Out of control boy without a dad
  Shot the gun that startled my life
  While I drove him with a forty-five
  
  Friends for years, images in red
  Blew off his own motherfucking head
  Confidence, death, insecurity
  Your men fall unrealized
  Unrealized, unrealized
  
  Making a decision of death
  While everyone around you plead
  That you fly in peace
  I hope, my friend
  A man can't avoid what he's meant to do
  When he's meant to do it
  Even if he doesn't really want to
  
  My memories are of fun and friendship
  Of weakness within the strength of youth
  For reasons undefined, reasons undefined
  Reasons undefined, reasons undefined
  
  Friends for years, images in red
  Blew off his own motherfucking head
  Confidence, death, insecurity
  Your men fall unrealized
  
  Don't you realize evil lives in the motherfucking skin?
  Don't you realize that evil lives in the motherfucking skin?
  Don't you realize that evil lives in the motherfucking skin?
  Don't you realize that evil lives in the skin?
  
  Don't you realize evil lives in the motherfucking skin?
  Don't you realize that evil lives in the motherfucking skin?
  
  Why the fuck did you take him away from us, you motherfucker-fucker-fucker-fucker Writer/s: DARON MALAKIAN, JOHN DOLMAYAN, SERJ TANKIAN, SHAVO ODADJIAN
  Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 18

• Winzy from WashingtonI love s.o.a.d
  My next new love after Metallica!
• Smh from UsaWow...shot his gun...with out a dad...out of control...45 is the gun for his mind...shotgun was the gun for his head...45...April 5.....Do you know how many lives and sings that day (April 5 1994) has affected/inspired around the world. Art and God are as dead if you don't know this....RIP....I love you Kurt... Layne...Chris...Starr... Chester... Robin will know too....shame on anyone who doesn't get this and I pray for your senses and conscious to heal
• Kian from TexasI don’t agree with anyone’s comment XD, I think this song it’s about a friend of them that kill himself, that’s why Serj says “don’t you realize evil lives in our motherf*cking skin” meaning that evil is always near us and tempting us to do harm to others and ourselves. And at the end when Serj says wtf did you take him away from us you motherf*ucker! In my opinion he’s telling that to the devil, because he “won” the soul of Serj’s friend who committed suicide. If you are a religious person you might know that committing suicide is a mortal sin. Idk this is how I interpreted the song.
• Breanna from San Antonio, Txno, josh from australia the song is about a friend of the band who commted suicide. so who ever thouhgt that you are correct. i think it is vary sad that this would happen to one of the best bands ever.
• Suite-pee from Columbus, OhSoil is one of the best songs ever wrote on THE best album Daron and Serj have ever done or will probably ever do.Hands f*kn down!No f*kn argument!That being said,may I add that stating the painfully obvious or totally retarded,is not f*kn necessary!if you cant "listen" to Soil 1 time and not know its about death,i need to come confiscate all SOAD discs and any other contraband you have! And yes,contraband is the right word.It should be forbidden for you to own.
• Lawrence from Nokesville, Vatheir previous bassist didn't shoot himself in the head or commit suicide at all. he's the current bassist for Mt. Helium.
• Cardio Toxin from El Paso, TxThis song is about a friend of the band that did commit suicide. why did u take him away from us you.... i think means, he was lead to the path that the others didnt follow, and that is why they couldnt comprehend it. And as far as a fourty-five, it is meant as a gun, and not a fkn vinyl record.
• Blake from Hamilton, OhI really don't like this song. I like Dennis' theory.
• Dennis from Toledo, OhDefinately has to do with someone involved in music, I like the bassist theory but haven't seen it anywhere else. "While I drove him with a forty-five" to me refers to a forty-five, i.e. a 45rpm vinyl record. This implies he feels some responsibility for the death, maybe by putting too much pressure on to release a single?
  
  The time signature is weird (same as toadies' possum kingdom... 7 beats, then 8 beats) but i dont think that has anything to do with the meaning
• Jasmine from Vancouver, CanadaSoil is about their previous bassist, who shot himself in the head.
• Jimmy from Monroe, NyI personally think the song is about suicide. The beggining kind of sounds like two young boys killing their dad. I don't know it just seems to boys kill their dad and are friends and then one of the boys later kills himself. It's definately about suicide in some way.
• Anthony from Melbourne, Fli figured why the eff did you take him away from us was just someone cursing at god, "why did this one have to go?" maybe a friend or family saying that.
• Max from New York, NyMan I thought it was more specific than that. I thought it's specifically about a dad who killed himself and Serj is cursing at certain entities. May I say i really only liked the final minute and a half of the song, and that cute lil guitar solo is nice, fun, and easy to play.
• Gabriel Maclean from Toronto, CanadaBut why would it "Blew of his own mofoing head"?
• Gabriel Maclean from Toronto, CanadaIts about how if god is perfect, then why do people die from something thats in themselfs- cancer ect
• Adam from Dumfries, ScotlandThere is a note of frustration with God and his methods in this throughout. The idea of evil being in the skin could be interpreted as an attack on God's methods. And of course referring to God as an "mf" 3 times at the end. Truly shocked me first time I heard that!
• Josh from Perth, AustraliaThe song was written about friend of the band who died from cancer - 'dont you realise, evil lives in the muther-f**kin skin' ... 'why did you have to take him away from us you mother-f--ker'.Makes sense
  
• Scott Baldwin from Edmonton, CanadaAnd alson,May I add that at the end,serj screams,"whay the f*ck did you take him away from us you mother-f*ckers",which symbolizes this is about death.

More Songfacts:

Freak On A LeashKorn

Korn's most popular song, "Freak On A Leash," is about their predatory record label making huge profits off the band. It was quite profitable, helping the Follow The Leader album sell over 5 million copies.

Shot In The DarkOzzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne's "Shot In The Dark" is titled after a Pink Panther movie.

The WeightThe Band

In The Band song "The Weight," Nazareth ("Went down to Nazareth") refers to a town in Pennsylvania where the Martin Guitar company was located.

VoodooGodsmack

The line, "I feel the snakebite enter my veins," led many to believe the Godsmack song "Voodoo" is about drugs, but it's really about Wiccan ritual, inspired in part by the Wes Craven movie The Serpent and the Rainbow.

Right RoundFlo Rida

An unknown Kesha (known then as Ke$ha) sang on Flo-Rida's #1 hit "Right Round," but refused to appear in the video because she wanted to make a name for herself.

SOSRihanna

A section of verse lyrics in Rihanna's "SOS" is made up of titles from '80s hits - check out the part that starts, "Take me on, I could just die up in your arms tonight."

Editor's Picks

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."