Tentative

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"Tentative" is the sixth song from System of a Down's fifth album, Hypnotize. This song makes reference to the victims of bomb attacks, possibly related to US' attacks in Afghanistan and/or Iraq. The song is 3 minutes and 36 seconds long. Live version of the song was played only once in Big Day Out 2005, there is a short clip of it (26 seconds), where Daron and Serj sing together Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall? part.

[edit] Interpretations

Many believe the song is protesting the American invasions of Afghanistan and/or Iraq (or war in a more general sense), as it says in the lyrics "Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?", relating to innocent victims hit by airstrikes. It could also be understood as a possible future nuclear war were no one can escape the bombs and therefore have no where to go when the nukes fall. Also, the reference to the "signs of the Right" could refer to the American Republican Party, because it is generally aligned to the "right" in the political spectrum. The lyric "While you are talking all detached, so tell us" could refer to the general American populace's apathy to the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan..

Some lyrics can be interpreted to refer to Islamic extremists. The lyrics "Superstitions taking all of us for a ride" and "Ceremonies have killed religions for they provide The masked comforts to delusionals, they're all in fright"; this could refer to an Islamic fundamentalist belief that if they sacrifice themselves in defence of their religion, they would gain entrance to Paradise. This interpretation is backed up by the line immediately following, "The true believer's head was bathed in sunlight". Also, it could refer to how the radicals have twisted a peaceful religion to justify brutal and inhuman acts.

Another interpretation of the song's meaning is the actual meaning of the word tentative; not fully worked out, concluded or agreed upon. This could refer to the possible attacks with which terrorists will attempt to strike "us", referring to Americans or Westerners in general. This interpretation ties in to the previous paragraph.

A number of the songs on System of a Down's two part album, consisting of Mesmerize and Hypnotize, can be considered a protest to the aggressive policies of the U.S. government, and if interpreted this way, "Tentative" is the most straightforward. "We're going down, in a spiral to the ground. No one, no one's gonna save us now." These are the words that are said in the chorus (with some variation on each chorus). This could be interpreted that System of a Down's opinion is that the government does not care about the troops individually, but just the goal of the war as a whole. This could be supported by the lyrics in another of System of a Down's single, from Mesmerize, saying "Why don't presidents fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?". "Where you going? To the bottom? Do you hear us? We are rotting." which is another quote from "Tentative", expressing System of a Down's protests. However, System of a Down refuses to explain the meanings of their songs, to force listeners to think for themselves.

Full Text:TENTATIVE

Superstition taking all of us for a ride 
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight 
While you are talking all detached, so tell us
Where you going
To the bottom
Do you hear us
We are rotting 
We're going down in a spiral to the ground 
No one, no one's gonna save us now
Ceremonies have killed religions for they provide 
The masked comforts to delusionals, they're all in fright 
The true believer's head was bathed in sunlight 
While you are walking all detached, so tell us
Where you going 
To the bottom
Do you hear us
We are rotting 
We're going down in a spiral to the ground 
No one, no one's gonna save us now 
Not even God,
no one saved us No one's gonna save us 
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect them to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right 
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight 
While you aretalking 
all detached, detached, detached, detached, detached
Going down, in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now
Not even God, no one saved us, no one saved us 
No one saved us, no one's gonna save us now 
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall? 

System of a Down
Serj Tankian | Daron Malakian | Shavo Odadjian | John Dolmayan
Andy Khachaturian
Discography
Albums/EPs: Sugar EP | System of a Down | Toxicity | Steal This Album! | Mezmerize | Hypnotize | Lonely Day EP
Demos: Untitled 1995 Demo Tape | Demo Tape 1 | Demo Tape 2 | Demo Tape 3 | Demo Tape 4
Singles: "Sugar" | "Spiders" | "War?" | "Prison Song" | "Chop Suey!" | "Toxicity" | "Aerials" | "Innervision" | "Boom!" | "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" | "B.Y.O.B." | "Cigaro" | "Question!" | "Radio/Video" | "Hypnotize" | "Lonely Day" | "Kill Rock 'N Roll"
Related articles
Axis of Justice | Cool Gardens | Vartan Malakian | Screamers | Category:System of a Down songs Bands: Serart Labels: Serjical Strike Records | EatUrMusic
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