Why don't you go photograph
Everything that ever passed in time,
Indigenous traces, tribal chiefs,
Vanishing hereditary lines,
Poets gone wild on the muse
Prophets all destroying the Tao,

When you see that honking antelope,
The secret dance of snakes, the tales of it all,

Nature based being will survive
Apocalyptic days of now,
Poets gone wild on the muse
Prophets all destroying the Tao,

When you see that honking antelope,
The secret dance of snakes, the tales of it all,

Of it all,
Run away with me now,
Run away with me now,
My life,

We are the cause of a world thats gone
wrong,


Nature will survive us human dogs after all,

Why don't you go photograph
Everything that ever passed in time,
Poets gone wild on the muse
Prophets all destroying the Tao,

When you see that honking antelope,
The secret dance of snakes, the tales of it all,
When you see that honking antelope,
The secret dance of snakes, the tales of it all,

Of it all,
Run away with me now,
Run away with me now,
My love,

We are the cause of a world thats gone
wrong,
Nature will survive us human dogs after all,
We are the cause of a world thats gone
wrong,
Wouldn't it be great to heal the world
With only a song



Lyrics submitted by naeem9

Track duration: 03:51

"Honking Antelope" as written by Serj Tankian

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Honking Antelope song meanings
Add your thoughts

30 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:Serj said in his self interview that art and music comes from the universe. He said it doesn't come from him but from our collective consciousness.

    Words mean something a little different to each person because we have different experiences and memories therefor we have a unique perspective. Of course there is the dictionary definition of words which IS definite but how that word relates to us personally is another aspect. Music is about that aspect which we relate to in our own way. So Serj doesn't like giving his meaning to his songs and I respect that. If he gave his personal meaning I think it would make the lyrics more definite like a dictionary definition and I don't think it would be true art anymore.

    To me this song is about us messing everything up. "We are the cause of a world that's gone wrong."
    To someone this might be about problems in their family, things they regret. To someone else it could be about the company they work for that dumps their waist in the waterway. It's really limitless. Different people have messed the world up in different ways. If Tarj said that what he was talking about was the terrorists who blow up buildings or something and they are the cause, then it would become more definite and become less meaningful.

    My favorite part is "wouldn't it be great to heal the world with only a song!?"

    I think allot of people would get up there and sing a song to the world if they could to heal it. I was thinking that maybe each person will get a chance to save the world and they will, and the universe will never die.
    Flag onegastankon November 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This may sound a bit strange to most people who are first exposed to it. However I am almost certain a more transcended being like Mr. Tankian would be aware of this happening to even far greater depths than I am. This entire song is describing an age old cycle of attempted subjugation imposed by an elite class of beings. The "secret dance of snakes" is the key given to unveil the source of this process. Humans are a very intelligent yet very sensitive and impressionable species. Negative energies beyond our visual spectrum have been attempting to latch onto key power holders since the dawn of man and perhaps even before then. Although we live in a seemingly peaceful and nurturing environment, the system of key players on the world field has been attempting to lull human kind into subservience since civilizations birth. At the current stage, the process is reaching critical mass and even many of our artists and poets are programmed to continue the cycle of dominance and ignorance: "poets gone wild". their "muse" has become these negative energy feeding phenomena that seem irresistible to touch yet reap nothing but empty promises of wealth and power. Many are raised within its ectoplasm from birth. Serj asks us to look back into history and trace every single line of power that has ever existed, even into the age of tribal chiefs. There you will find ancient patterns of control that lead into the very fabric of modern faith that is religion. When "prophets destroy the Tao" they are feeding these controlling energy structures and not the transcendence of consciousness (the birthright of nature). Humans have become lower class slaves to these beings who embody these age old power structures and our consciousness is kept stunted. We are trained to be "Human Dogs". Isn't it interesting that the one phrase in the song no one can figure out holds the key to this understanding. This is because these symbols are shrouded misdirection. The serpent has been a constant symbol throughout the ages for family bloodlines, nations, and organizations connected to this powerful negative karmic force that tears the world apart, spreads confusion, and tortures kind trusting souls to "gain a little capital"-(See on youtube: Alex Grey and Kenji Williams World spirit). And yes, this may be the unnecessary icing on the cake but: the serpent is one of the most prevalent symbols of the illuminati who have existed in many forms since the dawn of civilization to control and feed from those trusting and open to expanding positive karmic consciousness. Serj is fighting this negative forefront and isnt afraid to put out a song that could potentially "Heal the World" from this negative karmic sickness that may even destroy him for doing so.
    Flag OakSpideron August 23, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:My interpretation of thing amazing song is that humans will survive the apocalypse that may be ignited by other humans. I believe this because humans are smart enough to cause major destruction but also smart enough to run away from it also. No matter who you are and what how strong you or your army may be there will always be traders and people smarter than you. All we have to do is brainwash ourselves with positivity and intelligence to overcome the evil certain people create. Most things in life are false advertisements to convince us to pursue another humans creation (companies, products, services). Our minds need to open up and realize what is really important and what is really literally the work of the evil.

    Serj ends this masterpiece with a great line "Wouldnt it be great to heal the world
    With only a song" ... This song helped guide me to heal the world and it will for you also whether you are ready or not.
    Flag Armenianon January 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I agree with most people's interpretations to this song, but i not only think it's linked with man and nature, but man vs. man. The music video depicts a brutal war scene where poor brain washed soldiers are being sent off of a conveyor belt to fight politicians wars. The part where the angel saves the soldier shows the love that could exist but then when the angel dies it shows the heartbreak of war. And at the very end of the video it shows another wave of angels with bombs, and soldiers, and tanks all coming off of their assembly line. It tells of how people will never learn from their mistakes. Also when the soldiers come off of the belt they have red eyes meaning they're full of hate from being brainwashed. then when the soldier realized the terrors of war his eyes turned blue when he learned the truth of it all. Thats my idea, feel free to comment or correct me. but be courteous to my opinoin.
    Flag TomTom40202on July 23, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:A honking antelope, I think the title might be suggesting that the natural world is turning into a pile of metal.

    An antelope, which honks instead of making it's natural sound. As if it were an unnatural animal.
    Flag Reaverweson May 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:SERJ TANKIAN IS THE BEST SINGER IN WHOLE WORLD.
    I am sick and tired of an equal globalizam,
    I am sick and tired of faschisam,
    I am sick and tired of this type of people!

    I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH SERJ!
    SERJ YOU ARE THE BEST!
    JUST KEEP GOING IN THAT WAY AS YOU ARE NOW!!!!!!!GORANA
    PEACE
    Flag guitarloveon March 31, 2009   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:I'll give you it straight and simple. Serj is talking about how HUMANS are screwing up the earth!
    Flag MASTERCHUBSon December 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with Flammatus in nearly every case.
    The only that I interpret in a different way are the following lines:
    "Poets gone wild on the muse
    Prophets all destroying the Tao,"

    I see the muse as a metaphor for nature because many artists are inspired by nature.
    Although Poets and Prophets are usually intelligent people most of them fail to recognize a very basic issue of our world: The importance of a nature(= muse; tao) in balance.


    Seems to be very obvious to me.
    I love this song. Sums up my view on mankind.
    Flag Nacaeron November 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In response to what droste said:
    "...i thought it was more about poperazi and Americas obsession with celebrity's that dont do crap..."
    regarding the lyrics: "why dont you go and photograph everthing that ever passed in time? "
    I have to disagree, I think he's referencing the fact that we, as a society, are obsessed with pictorially capturing everything in nature even though we don't care enough to physically preserve them. We are a nation of lazy conservationists. It's too much work to actually change our way of life so we aren't contributing to global warming "so why don't [we] go and photograph everthing that ever passed in time?"
    Flag soytugitanaon October 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I didn't take the time to read the other interpretations above but I think this song is about our world gone wrong. And how we shouldn't be surprised how bad its getting and how much worse its going to get. we can be surprised when we see a "honking antelope". Or my other interpretations was that he could be talking about the potential that animals and nature have. how they could take over and be the rulers of the world. he's trading places with an antelope, him on the road and the antelope in the car. The world as it is from the antelope's perspective.
    Flag [s]weet.[b]erryon September 16, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain