Album: Hypnotize (2005)

License This Song 

• Dead man lying on the bottom of the grave
  Wondering when savior comes is he gonna be saved
  Maybe you're a sinner into your alternate life
  Maybe you're a joker
  Maybe you deserve to die
  
  They were crying when their sons left
  God is wearing black
  He's gone so far to find no hope he's never coming back
  They were crying when their sons left
  All young men must go
  He's come so far to find the truth he's never going home
  
  Young men standing on the top of their own graves
  Wondering when Jesus comes are they gonna be saved
  Cruelty to the winner, bishop tells the king his lies
  Maybe you're a mourner
  Maybe you deserve to die
  
  They were crying when their sons left
  God is wearing black
  He's gone so far to find no hope he's never coming back
  They were crying when their sons left
  All young men must go
  He's come so far to find the truth he's never going home
  
  Welcome to the soldier side
  Where there's no one here but me
  People all grow up to die
  There is no one here but me
  Welcome to the soldier side
  Where there's no one here but me
  People on the soldier side
  There is no one here but me Writer/s: Daron V Malakian, Serj Tankian
  Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 18

• Nick from MassachusettsWhile listening to Soldiers Side I always interpreted that the song had the perspective of the Armenian people particularly their fallen soldiers and the families they left behind. Like others have stated the Hypnotize album has a lot to do with the Armenian genocide and struggles of thay country while talking about thier long history. Being part of the Armenian diaspora they definitely are passionate about the ongoing intermittent fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And especially with this song as the first Nagorno-Karabakh war had just taken place around 10 years before the album was released. Then again this is System of Down and their songs tend to have multiple interpretations and meanings.
• Riq from Brazilscott nailed it
• Belly from AustraliaTo me, it feels like it talks about the betrayal the soldiers must've felt when the government lied to them about war and promised the soldiers they'd be home before Christmas. They glorified it so much that they had no idea the horrors they'd face until they got there and feeling so alone upon realizing that the 'right side' they were fighting for wasn't right at all, that its all pointless and that they wouldn't be returning home the same. This song also relates to what's happening right now with the Ukraine invasion, how there are some Russian men and boys are being torn from their mothers, lied to and thrown out into a horrible war that shouldn't be happening or dying for but they have no other choice and its so sad to see how much history has repeated itself. It's always the people that suffer.
• Somebody557 from OhioIt’s about a while ago when they were drafting all young men overseas. Mothers feared for there kids lives left with a feeling that they could never come back. When there’s a war you’re sending people off hoping that there’s a way you can win and end it right there but when it lasts for a while the hopes fade and kind of like the color black it’s dark empty til you see some sort of end. Back then also and still now you dug your own graves too you never know who’s coming back alive so you take extreme precautions. When it says Cruelty to the winner it’s talking about how there are no winners you may think there are but people who are in that position have killed a lot of people or have seen their buddies die or both no one walks out without blood on their hands except for the “King” like the president or politicians not on the frontlines
• Derek from Wales UkI believe this song is about ptsd me being ex military who suffers with the aforementioned condition feels it’s basically what we go through as armed forces and reminds me of my flashbacks.
• Ernest from Idaho - UsaAs far as the song goes you all have it covered. The only thing you forget to mention is the double entendres that is the title of the song. Soldiers side refers to the song being on the soldiers point of view. But the sound of the title “Soldiers-cide” refers to being a soldier is basically suicide. I did my time for the USA and answered daddy Bush’s call when his oil was threatened so I know what it feels like to wake up and find out that your today’s cannon fodder. You think to yourself at some point I should just get it over with and do it myself.
  Two Cents worth now soap box goes away.
• Mokitoro from FranceYou should all keep in mind that System of a Down is an Armenian band. The album Hypnotize is talking about Armenian genocide in many tracks. I think that Soldier Side deals with the idea that the turkish soldiers are not the true murderers but more the Turkish Government. Holy Mountains symbolizes the hate of the Armenian people for the Turkish Government when Soldier Side is more about Turkish Soldiers. The Armenian genocide is often the key to understand SOAD's songs.
• Max from GermanyI'm with Cardio I totally think that this song is about the crusades. There are so many references in this song such as:
  -maybe you're a sinner into your alternate life
  he says that, because the pope said if all the man and knights would go into that war they would be no sinners anymore but it doesn't changes anything if u die and who knows if were going to heaven or not
  -he's gone so far to find the truth he's never going back
  they all went to the "holy land" where Jesus died and they were searching there for the truth of god and their religion but did they find anything? And they will never going back because most of them died in these wars
  -bishop tells the king his lies
  the lies about a holy war and that it's the best to go there and kill everyone who's not Christian, with a speculation on money and prey
  -he's come so far to find no truth
  and that's what I was talking about they never find a truth there. And in killing people not at all
  And that's my opinion about this song. It's mostly about the crusades, but also about pointless wars and all wars, because no one will find "the truth" in wars. I hope u understand me.
• Naw from Wonka, Afghanistan"God is wearing black". Sounds to me like the Special Forces Black uniformed "General" giving the orders to the soldiers to kill the enemies or each other. Sorry if this offends any soldiers or government or the general public.
• Calvin from Sioux City , Iai love this song because i am going into the army to be a ranger.
• Xavier from Santa Fe, NmThis song kind of scares me because one day I will be one of those soliders.
• Alex from Levallois, FranceI think this song is about the loneliness and despair of the soldier on the battlefield.
  
  The name means than when you're about to die on a battlefield in a foreign country, forsaken by everyone, the usual propaganda idea of being on the "good side" crumbles and you're only on your own side, the "soldier side", trying to save your life for one more day.
  
  It also suggests that all the soldiers in the world are united in loneliness and misfortune and constitute a "soldier side", being closer to one another than to the cynical rulers who send them kill and get killed without taking any risk themselves (same idea as in B.Y.O.B : "Why don't presidents fight the war ? / Why do they always send the poor ?")
• Amanda from Madisonville, TnWhen I first listened to this song, I almost felt like crying. I could not believe how unbelievably sad this song was and how poignant it was to the Iraqi conflict. The whole line, "Cruelty to the winner, bishop tells the king his lies
  Maybe you're a mourner, maybe you deserve to die.." reminds me of the American generals or even the Vice President lying to the President and American public about the severity of the situation in this conflict in order to gain support. Pitiful song, to say the least. Great form of protest, I must say.
  
• Cardio Toxin from El Paso, TxWar is not pointless. If it wasn't for war we would lack large amounts of technology amongst other things.
• Blake from Hamilton, OhExcellent song. Definitely about pointless wars....not just the Iraqai....all of them. Me being an anti-war radical.....Scott pretty much nailed this.
• Scott from New York, Nythis song is about how soldiers go and fight and die in pointless wars.
  "hes gone so far to find no truth
  hes never going home"
  this is saying that the soldier has fought so long and found no reason to fight(found no truth) and now he is going to die(hes never going home) and he will never see his family or his country again. and he still doesn't know what he is dying for.
  "dead men lying on top of their own grave" saying dead soldiers are on top of the land they have just died fighting for and may never be buried because all of the people who may bury them are may be dead, or they may not be dead yet, but just good as dead "wondering when savior comes, are they gonna be saved" in other words wondering if they will ever survive this, savior may be a religious thing or reinforcements.
  the soldiercide continues
• Cardio Toxin from El Paso, TxThis song emplies a lot, listening and reading the lyrics i believe that it emplies that the soldier, might have committed a mortal sin of killing another person, and will not know if he will be redeemed.
  
  The crusades is my best perception of this song. It is by far one of the most religious wars. The soldiers they are talking about are obviously christian because the lyrics anounce the name of jesus.
  
  He has gone so far to find the truth implies to me that god didnt want war, but seduced man into believing that this is the only way. God wearing black would mean that he already morns them, because he knows the outcome.
  
  Welcome to the soldier side is more like a welcome to death and heaven. There is noone here but me is god talking because all the of the soldiers had sin and condemed them all to die.
• Chandler from Woodbridge, CaThe name of this song is also a reference to a mass killing of soldiers - instead of a genocide its a soldier side

More Songfacts:

I Write The SongsBarry Manilow

Barry Manilow didn't write his #1 hit "I Write The Songs." Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys wrote it.

(Walking) In the RainThe Ronettes

Ronnie Spector nailed the vocal for The Ronettes song "(Walking) In the Rain" on the first take -- unheard of in the perfectionist producer Phil Spector's world.

We Belong TogetherMariah Carey

Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" was the best-selling song of the 2000s in the US.

Paper PlanesM.I.A.

"Paper Planes" was inspired by M.I.A.'s hassles trying to get a visa to enter America.

Then He Kissed MeThe Crystals

The '60s hit "Then He Kissed Me" was covered by The Beach Boys as "Then I Kissed Her."

Uptown FunkMark Ronson

"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson was 2015's best-selling single in both the U.S. and U.K.

Editor's Picks

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

80s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.