Kill Rock N' Roll by System Of A Down

Album: Hypnotize (2005)

Get the Sheet Music License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

On the surface, this song is about rock stars and how many of them died because of drugs ("Eat all the grass that you want"). The band tells a different story: System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian wrote it one night after he accidentally ran over a rabbit. He pulled over the car and named the dead rabbit Rock N' Roll. He felt so bad that he was writing about how the rabbit didn't deserve his fate, so the line "eat all the grass" is referring to the rabbit eating the grass, not rock stars doing drugs. >>
Suggestion credit:
Matt - Chantilly, VA
System Of A Down deemed this song too catchy to release as a single, which makes sense only in their universe. "I'd rather kinda push people's brains," Daron Malakian told MTV. "I'd hate being known as the band that is recognized for that song."
Daron Malakian wrote this song and shares lead vocals on the song with their frontman, Serj Tankian. Malakian also produced it with their label boss, Rick Rubin.
"Kill Rock N' Roll" was released on the band's fifth album, Hypnotize, in November 2005, but they had been playing it live since the spring. They had enough material for a double album but decided to split them up, so the first set of songs was released in May as the Mezmerize album, and the second set in November as Hypnotize. Both albums went to #1 in America.

Comments: 19

Francisco from Phx, AzIt was Jackrabbit not a good rabbit.
Dale from New Orleans, LaI see what Daron meant. He's comparing that poor rabbit's life to people's lives. That rabbit died unexpectedly. I think it struck a chord inside Daron and reminded him of his own mortality. We are all uncertain of how much time we have in life, so enjoy it as much as you can. Put simply, eat all the grass that you want. Do what you want and make yourself happy, but you could die tomorrow in some tragic accident. It's a very sad and emotional song, but people only see skin deep, because they're more into the music than the lyrics.
Christian from Red Lion, Pai thought that i was since they were a Nu Metal band they were talking about Nu Metal or Thrash Metal killing Rock N Roll but i was wrong
Evan from Dgdsrgdgdf, --When i first heard this song i thought the chorus said " more than the sexy people" and i thought it was talkin bout how nowadays rock n' roll is dying because music is becomin more about looks than music. now i kno that they say " mow down the sexy people" so i guess that interpretation is shot lol.
Jimmy from Lancaster, Cayeah, Mike, gettin' high & wasted dont meen the same thing. Wasted means drunk lol
Andrew from Easton, PaThe first time i heard this song i caught a hint of it being about rockstars doing drugs. but i was wrong.
daron is NOT a crackhead. although i have heard, even though SOAD is against drugs, they dont count marijuana. ???
Blake from Hamilton, OhI have another theory. Maybe it's saying how all of these stupid rockstars are giving ROCK N ROLL a BAD name by doing drugs, murdering, having sex, and other crimes. They are "Killing rock n roll" or giving rock a bad name.
Matt from Blacksburg, Vai always thought it was about the decline of the music industry and how power hungry execs have "killed rock and roll" by releasing crap for money.
Reynaldo from Denver, Cook i agree with the last dude marco when he killed the rabbit he named it ok and when he saw the other rabbit that looked like the one he killed he remebers about rock n roll soo when he says eat all the grass that you want accidents happen in the dark hes talking to the rabbit telling him how it waz a mistake and he won't kill him but hey thats how i see that part you tell me what the sexy people have to do with anything @_@
Kyle from Little Rock, ArI saw a concert version before the song started Daron said "There is no such as Rock N' Roll, Rock N' Roll is only a label, and we hate labels. We are here to kill RockN' Roll"
Chris from Bradenton, FlSystem of a Down are against most drugs, but are not at all against marijuana, thus they get high. I read an interview in Guitar One with Daron Malakian and they make numerous references to a four foot bong in his living room that he lit up several times.
Jake from Naperville, IlTo mike, wasted and high are not the same thing you retard. System may write one or two songs about gettin' high but they are against drugs.
Mike from Petersham, MaUm it sounds like some people think that SOAD are against drug use. WRONG!!! lol Their song Peephole is about "(deleted) getting high" as Serj described at a live show they played. And you can tell that Shavo is wasted during the KROQ show they did.
Blake from Hamilton, OhThis song is great. It has an amzing intro, and they're right: Other rockstars out there do nothing but drugs and they suck. Wow let's sing about drugs, but friggin deal. SOAD is tight, and I love this band. In fact, this is my favorite modern day band.
Kristin Hansen from Bryan, OhThis song Kicks Face! its really good. this song is about how tons of pple all over the world who DONT like System, think that they're "killing rock" because they sing about "nothing." or "stupid sh*t" when actually all of their songs have a great perpose. so theyre telling people "hey you think we're kiling rock and roll? go to hell!! eat all the grass that you want (do all your drugs) accidents happen in the dark (your gonna get whats coming to you)" and thats the deal.
Chaz from Richmond, Vaeat all the grass that you want...daron is a crack head. period.
Tony from Chicago, IlI saw this one live... Daron makes an introduction as follows:

When I was little, God talked to me.
and he said, you motherfxxer
and I said, you motherfxxer...
and he said, you gotta grow up strong, so one day you can kill rock n' roll, and all their sexy people.
Yuya from Kyoto, JapanI have a concert version, and at the beginning, Daron says that this is about a time when he talked to God and said "You are a mother fu**er" THen God told him "No you stop being an immature mother fu**er so kill rock and roll and fu** all the sexy people.
Marco from Brownsville , TxI read on another site that this song is about a rabbit that Daron(guitarist) killed on his way to work, he felt so bad that he decided to bury it properly. when he came back there was another rabbit that looked exactly like the one he killed. Daron then kept it and named it Rock n' Roll. I read it on Systemofadownonline.com

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Take Me HomePhil Collins

Phil Collins' "Take Me Home" is about a patient in a mental institution and was inspired by the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

The Sound of SilenceSimon & Garfunkel

The first release of "The Sound Of Silence" was acoustic, and went nowhere. It became Simon & Garfunkel's first hit when a producer at their label overdubbed it with electric instruments.

What's Up4 Non Blondes

"What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes has endured as one of the most popular songs of the '90s, but it wasn't a huge hit at the time and the band split after one album. Frontwoman Linda Perry went on to write hits for Pink and Christina Aguilera.

Not Ready To Make NiceThe Chicks

The first country song to win a Grammy for Record of the Year was "Not Ready To Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks in 2007.

Gangnam StylePSY

YouTube were forced into an upgrade after PSY's "Gangnam Style" broke the video-sharing website's hit counter. Once the tune reached 2,147,483,647 views, the maximum positive value for a 32-bit signed binary integer in computing, the view-counter could no longer work.

Old ManRedlight King

Neil Young rarely allows his songs to be sampled, but he let the Canadian group Redlight King use "Old Man" in their 2011 song, also called "Old Man."