“Chop Suey” stays one of many extra recognizable, sing-along songs in heavy music, however do you know that one of many track’s lyrics was simply pulled randomly from a e book? That’s what producer Rick Rubin revealed whereas talking about working with System of a Down on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast (heard beneath).
Rubin reveals that frontman Serj Tankian was having bother with a lyric when a second of true spontaneity led to what you hear at the moment.
“My experience is, when you are open and looking for these clues in the world, they’re happening all the time. And they’re happening, often right when you need them,” said Rubin. “This System of a Down song called ‘Chop Suey!‘ … You know that song? It has this big bridge section in it where Serj, lyric writer—the singer—didn’t have words for this one part of the song.”
The producer continued, “We’re sitting in the library in my old house and he said ‘I don’t have words for this’ and we were finishing and it’s like, ok. ‘Any ideas?’; he didn’t have any ideas. So I said, ‘Ok, pick a book off the wall.’ He picked a book randomly off the wall, I said ‘open it to any page [and] tell me the first phrase you see.’ He opened it, first phrase he sees: that’s what’s in the song, and it’s a highpoint in the song. It’s incredible, like magic.”
When pressed on which lyric that was pulled from the library e book, Rubin recalled, “It’s the part, ‘Father, into your hands. Why have you forsaken me?’ It’s wild… The context, it doesn’t really make sense to what’s going on, it’s rad.”
So there you could have it. According to Rubin, the second the place Tankian appears most weak and alluring a melodic sing-along within the crazily chaotic “Chop Suey” got here from an act of spontaneity choosing a e book at random and opening it to the “Father” line.
“Chop Suey” would go on to hit No. 7 on the Alternative Airplay chart and No. 12 for Mainstream Rock. It’s a gold licensed track and the lead single from the band’s vastly profitable Toxicity album.
Rick Rubin Reveals How Serj Tankian Came Up With Lyric for “Chop Suey” on Joe Rogan Experience
Rick Rubin on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast
System of a Down, “Chop Suey”
Rock + Metal Songs With Social Messages
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