Hypnotize (System of a Down song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Hypnotize" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by System of a Down | ||
| from the album Hypnotize | ||
| Released | October/November 2005 | |
| Format | Vinyl CD |
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| Genre | Alternative metal | |
| Length | 3:09 | |
| Label | American Recordings | |
| Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| System of a Down singles chronology | ||
| "Radio/Video" (2005) |
"Hypnotize" (2005) |
"Lonely Day" (2006) |
"Hypnotize" is the lead single for System of a Down's latest album of the same title, which was released on November 22, 2005 (see 2005 in music). The video was filmed on September 28, 2005, at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Contents |
[edit] Music
As in many Mezmerize/Hypnotize songs, guitarist Daron Malakian accompanies Serj Tankian in the vocal sections. Serj and Daron perform a harmony in the refrain before and after the instrumental bridge. The combination of the two vocalists gives the song a vocal range, with Serj handling the lower verses and Daron delivering the high parts of the refrains.
Musically, "Hypnotize" is somewhat of an enigma. It is difficult to decide whether the key is F# minor or F# major. The opening guitar riff and early verses use an upbeat melody that follows the F# major scale, but with a flatted sixth (a D instead of a D#). This produces a direct switch from a major key to the minor key of the same name. Even stranger is the minor-key bridge, which loyally follows the chords expected from an F# minor song (F#m, D, Bm, E, A, and C#). Musical discontinuities like this can be found all over the song.
The Eastern-themed instrumental bridge contains at least four overdubbed clean guitar tracks and a well-crafted, syncopated rhythm. The song leads up to a massive crescendo, then ends with a repeated portion of the opening riff with soft singing by Malakian.
[edit] Music video
The music video is mostly footage from one of the band's September 2005 concerts, (filmed at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan) but includes a CGI scene of painting along with the music; the audio is dubbed over with the studio track. The beginning and ending of the video show a helicopter spraying red matter across a city. This could possibly be the pesticide referred to in the song Attack of the same album.
The video has at least 2 parts that contains women flashing their visible breasts, one in 1:50 and another in 1:52. Both show them for a half a second.
[edit] Subject Matter
It is believed that the lyrics deal with the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Some people question aspects of the song's lyrics: "Why don't you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square / Was fashion the reason why they were there?", and also "Television made you buy it", which seems to suggest that the Tiananmen Square Uprising was a publicity stunt for the media. Those who interpret the lyrics that way believe that the lyrics are comparing it to the Armenian Genocide, and thus feel it is wrong to compare two tragedies, however the difference in magnitude. Most fans agree it is being misinterpreted, as was Serj Tankian's "Understanding Oil" essay.
Drummer John Dolmayan has stated in an interview with Uranium that if System of a Down's members were to clarify what the songs, albums, and lyrics mean, people would not "think for themselves." In that light, there is no one way to interpret Hypnotize. The chorus is unrelated with the rest of the song: in an interview with MTV, Daron stated that the song was written while he was actually sitting in his car waiting for his girlfriend.
[edit] Hypnotize (Single) Track Listing
- "Hypnotize"
- "Science" (Live @ Hurricane Festival 2005)
[edit] Hypnotize (Enhanced Single) Track Listing
- "Hypnotize"
- "Mr. Jack" (Live @ Hurricane Festival 2005)
- "War?" (Live @ Hurricane Festival 2005)
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "DOA" by Foo Fighters |
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single January 21, 2006 |
Succeeded by "Perfect Situation" by Weezer |
| 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: Soil | Serart | Scars on Broadway | ACHOZEN Labels: Serjical Strike Records | EatUrMusic |
