Chop Suey! (song)

UK Import CD 1
UK Import CD 1 single cover of "Chop Suey!".
UK Import CD 2
UK Import CD 2 single cover of "Chop Suey!".
European Import
Cover of the European Import single of "Chop Suey!".
Music video
"Chop Suey!" on YouTube

"Chop Suey!" is the first single from System of a Down's second album Toxicity. The single was released in September 2001 and earned the band its first Grammy nomination. The song's working title was "Suicide"; the band members claim the change was not caused by pressure from their record company. The words "We're rolling 'Suicide'" can still be heard faintly in the album versions's opening seconds — though this intro is only on certain pressings of the album. The song is included as a playable track in the music video games Rock Band 2 and Rock Band Unplugged.

1 Overview
2 Music video
3 Covers and parodies
4 Chart performance
5 Track listing
6 References
7 External links

Overview

The album Toxicity was number one on the charts during the week of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the controversy surrounding the popular single at the time led to Clear Channel Radio placing the song on a list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles. It was never actually banned completely from the air, but all Clear Channel Radio stations were advised against playing "Chop Suey!" (and the other songs on the list). The song was included on the "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" list by the Blender magazine.

In an interview, Daron Malakian explained, "the song is about how we are regarded differently depending on how we pass. Everyone deserves to die. Like, if I were now to die from a drug abuse, they might say I deserved it because I abused dangerous drugs. Hence the line, 'I cry when angels deserve to die.' The lyric 'Father, into your hands I commend my spirit' is a reference to Jesus' death on the cross, as, according to the Gospels, it was one of the seven things Jesus said while dying."

A cover version of the song appears in the music video game Rock Revolution, while the master track is in the video game Rock Band 2. It was recently added in "Rock Band Unplugged" as a track included in the game.

Music video

The music video, directed by the acclaimed Marcos Siega, is set in the parking lot of a motel in Los Angeles, hometown of the band. The band members are on stage, surrounded by approximately 1,000 fans, performing the song. Editing devices are used to create the effect of the band members "walking through" one another and teleporting on and off the stage. One scene briefly shows Tankian eating chop suey with some fans, the only reference to the title dish in either the song or the video. The video also makes use of the SnorriCam technique, in which an actor will have a camera attached to them with a harness. This technique makes it appear as though the background is moving and the actor is stationary. In the middle of the video the Armenian flag can be seen.

Covers and parodies

The song has been parodied and covered several times. Tenacious D covered the song in live performances, with Jack Black singing gibberish lyrics. "Weird Al" Yankovic included the song in Angry White Boy Polka" medley, included on his album Poodle Hat. Richard Cheese parodied the song in his 2002 album Tuxicity (which itself is a take-off on the album's name). ApologetiX parodied the song as "Downer of a Sister" on their album Adam Up. Filipino band Parokya ni Edgar also parodied this song, along with "Toxicity", another of System of a Down's songs, and amalgamated it as "The Ordertaker" in their album "Halina sa Parokya". It is about an angry customer at a restaurant that has a menu but sells nothing.

Chart performance

"Chop Suey!" was a moderate success on the charts around the world. In Australia, after hitting No. 3 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2001, with virtually no airplay on commercial radio, it debuted and peaked at No. 14 in February 2002. It is System of a Down's highest charting single in Australia. In the United States, the song peaked at No. 76, making it the band's lowest peaking song on the Hot 100. On the Modern Rock Tracks, "Chop Suey!" peaked at No. 7, becoming the first top ten band's single.^[1]

In the UK Singles Chart, it debuted and peaked at No. 17.

Track listing

Chop Suey! (single)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Chop Suey!"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:30
2.	"Johnny"	Tankian	Tankian	2:07
3.	"Sugar" (Live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	2:27
4.	"War?" (Live)	Tankian	Malakian	2:47

Chop Suey! (Australia Tour EP)

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Chop Suey!"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:30
2.	"Johnny"	Tankian	Tankian	2:07
3.	"Know" (Live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian	3:04

Chop Suey! (UK import)

UK CD1

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Chop Suey!"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:30
2.	"Johnny"	Tankian	Tankian	2:08
3.	"Know" (Live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian	2:55

UK CD2

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Chop Suey!"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:31
2.	"Sugar" (Live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	2:27
3.	"War?" (Live)	Tankian	Malakian	2:47
4.	"Chop Suey!" (Video)	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:27