2/20/2023 0 Comments Chop suey song![]() This problem had apparently been around for some years. The doubt specifically concerned the original version of it, which he had recorded with the Hot Five for OKeh early in 1926. Over the years, I had occasionally heard that some doubt existed as to the correct key for Louis Armstrong’s tune of this name. Other acknowledgements will be found at the foot of the text. I think it made the song more popular.This article could not have been written without the generous help of Michael Kieffer, to whom many thanks. It’s almost like you’re not part of the cool group if you’re not banned once or twice. “So many great rock bands have been banned. “In music, that’s a badge of honor,” said Malakian. “Chop Suey!” was removed from the radio for a brief time as Clear Channel and promoters thought it too aggressive considering the circumstances.ĭespite the timing, the song still managed to make the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 7 on US Billboard Alternative Airplay. In the days after 9/11, US media conglomerate Clear Channel sent a memo to each of its radio stations with a list of questionable songs that programmers and DJs might want to consider not playing in the wake of the 9/11 attack. While the song would eventually receive a gold certification status from the Recording Industry Association, the song’s initial charting success was cut short. The title stands out and is not mentioned at all in the lyrics, but the strange choice is believed to have helped the song’s success. While seemingly random, the group chose the title to describe their musical style: lots of stuff thrown together. The title of the song is named after a Chinese stew made with meat or fish, plus bamboo sprouts, onions, rice, and water chestnuts. So… What exactly is chop suey? The meaning behind the song title. “Like, if I were to die from a drug overdose, everyone would say I deserved it because I abused drugs, hence the line Angels deserve to die.” “The song is about how when people die, they will be regarded differently depending on the way they pass,” said Malakian. Malakian said that people judge others for how they pass, especially if due to any drug-related issues. Let’s make them believe we actually did it.’”ĭespite the assumptions, the song was intended to make a comment on the ways that people die. “ ‘Self-righteous suicide’, ‘Aerials in the sky’, Jet Pilot.’ I was, like, ‘Wow, that’s cool they think that. “Our fans were starting to say, ‘Hey, these guys are prophets, they’re saying things that hadn’t happened yet,’” says Malakian. Frontman Serg Tankian’s energy on the verses comes out in righteous anger before slowing down to the half-time lines that would ignite the controversy. The song begins with an iconic, driving chord progression before the rapid-fire chaos of the verses unfolds. As bold a move as it was to release this as a single, it solidified the group’s breakout hit. “Chop Suey!” comes from the band’s second album, Toxicity. I just started playing that acoustic guitar, and that’s when I started writing Chop Suey!” The Controversy “There was an acoustic guitar I used to take around with me. “I was just hanging out by myself on a bed at the back,” said Malakian. Guitarist Daron Malakian always had an acoustic guitar on-hand and picked it up to entertain himself on the long drive on some random, unnamed highway. The song was born in the back of an RV between stop-offs on the tour for System’s debut album. Despite the busyness of the song, the way it came into being was actually quite… calm. The driving strums of the guitar and frontman Serj Tankian’s rapid-fire verses make for an overstimulating experience that takes a second for the brain to catch up. “Chop Suey!” is very busy both lyrically and musically. How did such a strange song make so many waves? The calm before the storm: the making of the song. ![]() Take that and turn it up to 11 with System of a Down’s “ Chop Suey!” Released just a month before the 9/11 attack, the strangely named song incited controversy, fueling a rumor that the group were psychics and prophets. From Big Mama Thornton to AC/DC, rock music offers the grit and intensity to say something bold. Rock music has always been about making a statement.
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