Boom by System Of A Down

Album: Steal This Album! (2002)

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Songfacts®:

This song is about how money is spent on weapons and bombs for war when it could be spent on much better things. People are starving, seriously ill, and need help and war is wrong and nothing good comes out of it. It was released at a time when America was going through conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Before the US invaded Iraq, there were massive worldwide protests. The music video for "Boom" uses real footage of coordinated rallies on February 15, 2003, with people reciting the words to the song and voicing their opinions. System Of A Down (and also Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine), participated and show up in the video as marchers and journalists, documenting the peace effort. The video opens with this statement:

On February 15, 2003, 10 million people in over 600 cities around the world participated in the largest peace demonstration in the history of the world. Because we choose peace over war, we were there too.

The video was directed by Michael Moore, known for his documentaries Bowling For Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11.
The lyrics were written by lead singer Serj Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian; music by Malakian. Tankian told MTV: "To me, 'Boom' is kind of like building a little pyramid of what may or may not lead us to bomb someone or be at war. It's about human life, and there's a lot of civilians that die when bombs fall, and that's the problem."
SOAD recorded this song during sessions for their 2001 Toxicity album, but it didn't make the tracklist. In 2002, it was leaked on the internet along with other unused songs from those sessions. "Boom" showed up under the title "Everytime" on Napster and other file sharing sites, but with a dodgy mix that horrified the band. In response, they quickly released the leaked songs as their third album, Steal This Album!

Unlike Toxicity, which debuted at #1 thanks in part to a well-funded promotional campaign, Steal This Album! was packaged to look like a home-burned CD, with no liner notes or artwork. "Boom" was issued as a single with a similarly spartan look.

Both the single and album sold poorly relative to Toxicity, but the band wasn't concerned; they just wanted the songs heard as they intended. Their next album, Mezmerize, was released in 2005 and went to #1.
At the end of the video the quote from John Lennon and Yoko Ono is from their bed-in for peace: War Is Over (If You Want It)." >>
Suggestion credit:
Julie - NY, NY

Comments: 35

Layton from Paris, TxJoe from El Paso, I pity your ignorance to SOAD's message.
Mike from Phoenix, Az@Joe from El Paso. You could not be more wrong. SOAD is completely anti-religion and Anti-AMERICAN government (Every single one of their albums has an upside down American flag in the bottom right corner.) Their songs just make a mockery of the world, mostly America. In Boom the message is pretty 100% straight forward, just listen to the lyrics. As for "Every time you drop the bomb you kill the god your child has born." I believe they are saying that every time we drop a bomb, we contradict the fact that there is a god. Even though the miracle of child birth seems to prove that there is a god in some form, the fact that we kill eachother with bombs disproves this theory.
Kobe from New York, ArubaThis song is about 9/11
Ben from Boise, Id@joe...Of course! Nothing says "hail jesus" like "when angle's deserve to diiiiiiie!!!!!!" now it all makes complete sense! They're not religious! There saying in that song that jesus wasn't the messiah and that he deserved to die (i totally disagree but system is awesome so i don't give crap!).
Joe from El Paso, TxContinuing from what i wrote, but forgot to put, this song sounds almost nothing like SOAD but the rythim guitar in the background sounds a little like the guitar chorus from deer dance.
Joe from El Paso, TxGeorge, you can not be more wrong. SOAD is a religeous band, Chop Suey is about the crusifixion of Jesus. Well, the meaning is clear, just read the lyrics.
Dom from Croton - On - Hudson, Nyat what time in the video is tom morello holding up the sign
Stan from Chicago, Il"manufacturing consent" is a quote from Noam Chomsky.

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."-Martin Luther King jr.
George from Jackson, Nji think kill the god your child has born means this, their is no god so god is born in a child so to speak, after seeing bombs and all the evil in the world, stops people like me from beleiving in god because if he was real he would put a stop to bombs and chaos or what have you. so in a sense you kill the god by not beleiving in it. the god that was born when u were a child and started beleiving in god. hope u can follow that
William from Louisville, KyI'm pretty sure what they mean is that war is bad, and we are spending a ton of money on it.
Jake from Naperville, Ili think that system is offensive to those of us who are athiest and should be shut down!! I'm just kidding, this song has a great meaning about how war hurts all and that it will kill god in the world
Ryan from Costa Mesa, CaI think 'Kill the God you child has born' is refering to how we all have our own God in us. This can be our vision of God or our own personallities.
Cardio Toxin from El Paso, Txthis song is about advertsing and how advertising the a war for good is wrong. keep in mind, serj did study advertsing.
Blake from Hamilton, OhI love this song, I hate the war, and I agree with it soooo much. In fact, if you haven't seen the video, SEE IT!!!! The only part that seems confusing is the "Kill the God, your child has born." I think it's saying that when you kill a kid, you hurt God even WORSE.
Joseph from La, CaDefinently one of SOAD's most straight forward songs, though the "Kill the God your Child has born" is strange. I know what it basically means, but God your Child has born doesn't really seem that clear to me on what it exactly implies on a deeper level.
Jane from Los Angeles, CaIt talks about how our fears are controlled by the TV and news. It also talk about how stupid it is that we are spending billons of dolalrs on bomb when it could be spent on better things like for the kids who are starving in other countrys, yet american could care less, all they care about is money.
Reorith from Clarksville, Mdif you're completely against war, why are you advocating it?
Mike from Maryland, GaI am completely against war ok, but i just had a brush up on history. we wouldnt have been a Nation without war, the Nazi's would be living here and and there would be no way to settle conflicts war is completely neccasry because... we are all diffrent and diffrences are impossible to get over!
Neil from London, England- Jim, Oxnard, CA

What do their politics have to do with their talent. If they sound like the best band in the world...then they must be the best band in the world, no metter what they believe.

Music is about passion. They fully believe in what they are singing about. You don't have to agree with what is being said to appreciate the passion and genius in their music.

And my the way, i know it's a fad to hate them now, but for the record, Metallica are the greatest band ever, with system a close second.
Elliot from St. Louis, MoI like this music video, it really adds a lot of meaning to the song. I totally agree with everything SOAD is saying. The part where Dubya and Tony Blair and Saddam and Osama are riding bombs is pretty amusing too. SOAD is awesome!
Jim from Oxnard, CaHow can you say that SOAD is the best band ever, yet support everything they're against?
Chaz from Richmond, Vahi, im ben from Des Moines, Iowa, and I think he is unamerican, because we all know that america is all about dumb presidents who sexist and racist, and doesnt beleive that homosexuals bdeserve certain freedoms simply because they are homosexuals, and going to war because Iraq might possibly could have "nuculer" weapons (which by the way we found...in north korea), but you know, thats ok, because we just wanted to destroy life for the sake of the american empire, money, and oil. If what was described was american, then Micheal Moore IS unamerican, AND IM DAMN PROUD TO BE UNAMERICAN WITH HIM!!!
Ben from Des Moines, IaI think Micheal Moore is UNAMERICAN!!! the money he spends making movies not to go to war, he could do much better things with. SYSTEM OF A DOWN is one of the best bands EVER!!!
Gabriel Maclean from Toronto, CanadaI thought the it was SO obvius what this song was about, but meh- good song, Moore is amazing by the way
Claire from Oak Ridge, TnHere here, Josh! Nice wisecrack too! Couldn't have said it better myself!
Amanda from Mineral Ridge, OhWhoa Josh Chillax... but ya you are right Bush sux. This is a good song I didnt know Micheal Moore directed this song either. Thats pretty cool
Robert from Kyle, TxMicheal Moore directed it i never knew that, that guy is so good at everything he does and to team up with S.O.A.D i think is powerful, they should do more projects more often
Daniel Koetter from Mansfield, TxActually, just so you know, this song was written before the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, before 9/11 even. I heard it was written before Toxicity. Think it's supposed to be the Gulf War it's talking about (?)

Remember, "Steal This Album" isn't brand new material, it's all extras and left overs from the previous albums.

The video was made recfently with this new war going on obviously, but the song wasn't.
Ridz from Los Angeles, CaWonderful video. I've always love SOAD and I think they did a great job of making a stand on the war through this video.
Scott Baddwin from Edmonton, Englandoh matt,u r so gonna get it.Micheal moore is the best.
Scott Baddwin from Edmonton, EnglandI luv the video.(Micheal Moore(bowling for columbine director)directed it.
Brad from Manteca, CaOk i dont know about anyone else but SOAD is a pretty political band especially serj and daron. boom was like the national anti war staple when we first started our involvement in this conflict. It was the response to all the other pro 911 revenge based pro america songs. So if you like the band good, great even, but dont post stupid right wing comments about their song that is completely against the war mongering, which is what they believe is going on.
Henry from Brewster, Mawarmongering? take a look around...and dont believe everything your parents tell you
Jairi from Crawfordsville, InThis song isnt just about what is listed above. Those are just the words to the song. Serj writes all of soad's music. This song is actually about how this man sees the world as it really is. Not how the "perfect" people see it. He sees that the world is coming to an end and he can point out every misperfection there is. He sees how everyone has a lie written across their faces and he is trying to tell the world there is no more use. Everything is going to end because man kind is going to end it sooner than it should be done.
Ben from Denver, CoThis song is awesome. Finally, someone realyy protesting our thief-in-chiefs warmongering

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