System of a Down – Toxicity

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Looking at life through the eyes of a tired hub
Eating seeds as a pastime activity
The toxicity of our city, our city

You, what do you own the world?
How do you own disorder, disorder
Now somewhere between the sacred silence
Sacred silence and sleep
Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
Disorder, disorder, disorder

More wood for the fires, loud neighbors
Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck
Eating seeds as a pastime activity
The toxicity of our city, of our city

Now, what do you own the world?
How do you own disorder, disorder
Now somewhere between the sacred silence
Sacred silence and sleep
Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep
Disorder, disorder, disorder

Now, what do you own the world?
How do you own disorder, disorder
Now somewhere between the sacred silence
Sacred silence and sleep
Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
Disorder, disorder, disorder

When I became the sun
I shone life into the man's hearts
When I became the sun
I shone life into the man's hearts

Send "Toxicity" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by F4RiD

Track duration: 03:30

"Toxicity" as written by Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian, Shavo Odadjian, John Dolmayan

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Toxicity song meanings
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353 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I'm pretty sure this is about destruction of the natural environment as our world becomes industrialized.
    Flag Ganondoxon April 15, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:"Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep, Disorder."

    Sacred Silence = Before Birth
    Sleep = Death
    Disorder = Life

    It's not hard to get people. Somewhere between your birth and your death is the chaos that is life. How do you own disorder? In other words, how do you own your own existence, life, possessions?

    -jdseemoreglass
    Flag seemoreglson April 10, 2013   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I also believe it could also mean the people are getting sick of the leaders being so greedy and wasteful" eating seeds as a pastime activity" like my last comment, but the greedy leaders are trying to still have power but they cannot because they are " Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub" and believe they are right and are one siding but there is so much disorder and discontent in society.
    "More wood for our fires, loud neighbors" This could represent more greediness and wastefulness and the same leaders are striving to be the best and have the most power, they are trying to be the brightest and the loudest and are competing for that.
    "Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck" I think this means the leaders are blind to what they are doing wrong, they don't see that people want them to change but will not, and the leaders will be this way until "Sacred silence or sleep" meaning until they are dead or overthrown.
    "When I became the sun,I shone life into the man's hearts"
    I think this is a meaning about how he wishes that the leaders to have a change of heart or to be overthrown.
    Flag Rcolemanon April 08, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think this song is about the greed and wastefulness of society.
    "Eating seed as a pastime activity" To me, it means that they are wasting something that can be used to get more of them, but they don't care about it" Looking at life through the eyes of a Tire hub" To me it means that people have such a one sided view and wont stop being wasteful and it is not them doing something.
    Flag Rcolemanon April 08, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Obviously there are two seeds that they could be talking about, I think both are viable. But I can't for the life of me find a way to fully back up either of them.

    1. sperm. This one is the most poked at because, well, peoples minds drift there really fast these days. Indicatting that sex isn't quite what it used to be, it's not special it's basically a new pastime.
    2. or plant seeds, eating the seed instead of the plant that bears fruit because they just don't got time to wait, ruining valuable future recourses.

    And I can't seem to find a way of going deeper than that...
    Flag Owlflameon April 05, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Poeple catch most parts of the song right exept for the most obvious part. Eating seeds. It's not a sexual metaphor or any of that crap. If you've seen the video you see the band members eating seeds. That's it. If it was a metaphor it would be taking the lesser, but immediate joy instead of the long term, greater enjoyment. Think What feeds you more, a seed, or the plant that emerges from waiting and taking care of it? The latter, of course. But we need gratification NOW. Just in case you don't get it, the whole disorder chorus is saying "how can you own something so out of control, so chaotic" to people in power (goverments, whatnot).
    Flag Kanguson April 02, 2013   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • -1
    My Interpretation:I am pretty sure about the meaning of at least one line of the song:
    "Eating seeds as a best time activity"
    What seed do they mean? Well, human seeds. They are talking about bitchy girls eating sperm. I know it is not a lovable vision, it is just the toxicity of our city :)
    Hope it helped to understand SOAD.
    Flag topopelonon January 12, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:What if this is about the apocalypse? Toxicity means level of being toxic, and radiation is toxic. Also, the radiation could cause disorders in humankind. The seeds might be the only form of pass time, as all games or books are destroyed. The sacred silence could refer to the silence of the destroyed human race.
    Flag Pikachu87on December 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Maybe the whole 'seed' thing is about opium?
    Or...(gasp)...being gay?
    Flagged bjsbon November 24, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:This song is a zen koan. The meaning is perceived beyond the mind an only thru experience do you realize it. The sacred silence means No-Mind, no thoughts to cloud reality. Most everyone is asleep in this world... we are a race of zombies.

    WAKE UP! CHECK OUT RATM, YOU'LL GET IT!!
    Flag madeline88on July 26, 2012   Link

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