Spiders by System Of A Down

Album: System Of A Down (1998)

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System Of A Down gave some guidance to the meaning behind this song, writing in the album liner notes: "Your thoughts and dreams are no longer sacred as they are exposed to a weapon known as remote viewing and monitoring." Distrust of governments is a common theme in SOAD's lyrics. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Tim - Pittsburgh, PA
The line, "the V-chip gives them sight," is a reference to a chip that was built into certain television sets to let owners block violent content; it was intended for parents to use. Of course, the V-chip could also supply data to manufacturers and government entities, making it possibly another vector for surveillance. You can imagine was SOAD thinks of the "smart TVs" that know everything about your viewing habits.
A track from System Of A Down's debut album, "Spiders" was their second single, following "Sugar." After playing their first show in 1995, they got the attention of Rick Rubin two years later, and he signed them to his American Recordings label. Rubin produced the band, helping them harness their live energy in a studio setting. The album was released in June 1998 and was a slow build. They got on Ozzfest and toured constantly; eventually, some adventurous radio stations started playing "Sugar," and thanks to a striking music video, that song landed on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart late in 1999, peaking at #28. "Spiders" climbed to #25 in April 2000. They kept touring and writing; their next album, Toxicity, was released in September 2001 and went straight to #1.
The music video was the first directed by Charlie Deaux, who was known for making short films. The video shows a woman whose physical body has dissociated from her consciousness - a theme that would show up in the movies The Cell and Minority Report. System guitarist Daron Malakian plays a creature of some kind that is likely hooked into that consciousness, while lead singer Serj Tankian sings in this world. Both had to sit through hours of makeup for the shoot.

The video wasn't released until early 2000, about 18 months after the album came out.
This was used in the 2000 movie Scream 3 and featured on the soundtrack. The film studio offered to finance part of the music video if the band included scenes from the movie in it, but SOAD declined.

Comments: 38

Penance from 1984In 2007 a chip known as the Veri-Chip reached approval status for implantation into humans. The business has since sold that portion of it's holdings. Imagine the wave of the future is your hand over the scanner, to get on the bus, to go to the factory with the rest of your neighbors.
Seditionist from You Know.. ‘the V-chip Gives Them Sight’...Spiders; (the VERY TITLE of) this song is in FACT, (you ready for it..?!)

A Web crawler, sometimes called a spider or spiderbot and often shortened to crawler, is an Internet bot that systematically browses the World Wide Web, typically for the purpose of Web indexing (web spidering). ... Mechanisms exist for public sites not wishing to be crawled to make this known to the crawling agent.

Ya-da!!
Vernon from South AfricaOr maybe it's about the nwo who has always been here coinsiding with aliens to complete the why we are actually here... the fact being USA govenmental control under the order of alien nation.
Jon from Merced, CaIt _may_ be about government surveillance to an extent, but the part about "all the life running through her hair" seems to indicate Internet traffic. A lot of people conduct their lives, or parts of their lives online, Internet backbones are usually hair-like fiber-optic cables. Transmitting in the clear would make "your life open wide".
Connor from Pittsboro, Nc(sorry not finished) Serj could have used the V-chip as an example for invasion of privacy
Connor from Pittsboro, NcAlright Guys look this song is about invasion of privacy and how a woman would feel during an abortion. that V-Chip s--t could be true or false not saying it isnt true but hey, ya never know. AND serj is talking about invasion of privacy and abortion... just my opinion
Justin from Ankeny, IaOh, and how she RISES out of the water after the abortion reminds me of how she's being un-baptized.......indeed some deep-but-scary s--t.
Justin from Ankeny, IaAlright, guys and gals. I look at songs a little deeper than you guys, apparently. Not calling nobody stupid. But let's think......This song is about ABORTION. Watch the f'in music video, the mother with the extended tubular arms is her mind control (a representation of many mothers in this country) and when she drops the egg into the pool of misunderstanding, she allows the doctors to abort her baby. And you see the wires right after it happens, it's so flippin obvious. It's more about abortion, not so much about the "v-chips" you guys talk about.
Hannah from Statesville, Nci think its an amazing song keep rockin SOAD !
Avery from Bucksport, Meand breaking benjamin is another awesome band on the radio and live! So Cold is their song and and how does the song rip off spiders jordan??
Avery from Bucksport, MeI love this song its awesome!! I am in love with Serj Tankian he has the best voice ever and he has the best band! although he is going solo for a while which is sort of sad but he does have a few good songs like Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition and Empty walls! he is pure talent and is concerned with global warming and over population so he seems very smart i cant wait to see what he comes out with next!
Tom from ..., MaltaPeople the V-chip is the VERICHIP!!
check out www.WeThePeopleWillNotBeChipped.com . . .
Its real... its coming... and it's already here tbh =P
its a microchip that is in passports, new tvs... and eventually human beings =p
yes htats right, it's going to become normal to be implanted with a chip... initially they'll say its to sore medical data... but they can track ou with it
and god knows what else... this songi s meant to raise a little awareness... and is abundant with symbolism =p
Kyle from Melbourne, Australiayour thoughts and dreams are no longer sacred. as they are exposed to a weapon known as remote viewing and monitoring.
Marcus from Richmond, Vadefinenitly my favorite system song, one of the best solos i've heard, john slams the hell out of his tama set and serj gives a great lyrical performance
Ajh from Detroit, Mi(didnt finsih my comment) Wake up and see what is really going on here. your being lyed too and it is not ok.
Ajh from Detroit, MiIn my eyes this song is not about the goverment watching us so match as it is DIRECTING us. Its about how the goverment may censor what we view and may in turn, control our opinons on things but feeding us propaganda, or simply lying. When Serj said AMERICA AWAKE! on conan he is saying Look america
Graeme from Carluke, ScotlandThis song is about the government watching everything we say and do, using the V-Chip. I suspect the V-Chip is a little device in every hime that keeps track on people. "The V-Chip gives them sight). The V-Chip is also reffered to as the Spider, from the title (The Spiders all in tune)
So the government watch us, and there's only one way to escape. In our dreams. No-one can see what we dream, so we're safe there.
(Before you know, awake. Your lives are open wide) When we wake up, they watch us once more. If this is true, I'm scared.
Mark from Fruitland, IdThis song is about the government watching us. Soposedly the government watches us and knows what we say, and the only way we can keep them from knowing who and how we are is in our dreams or in our thoughts. They mention the moon, and night, and they are talking about people sleeping, and the v-chip has something to do with the government controlling our thoughts better.
Robert Roberson from Elmwood Park, Ilthe greatist part about a select number of SOAD songs is that they all get to a good part of the song where u turn it up and think of nothing but the music. when you get to the end of the best part of the song, you hope it never ends and when it does, you filled with goosebumps and emotion. like a whole body orgasm lol
Blake from Hamilton, OhFirst of all Spiders is possibly my favorite song by SOAD. Second of all I have no clue what it's talking about. Third of all, "Spiders" isn't their first hit, it's "Sugar." Sugar was there first single. Anyway, I do think it's talking about the government and how it manipulates us into certain situations.
Joseph from Lake Wales, FlThis song is aabout how people use human subjects in test like the v-chip(violence chip) and others which hurt subcts mentally and phisiclly, and even kills them.
Tony from Chicago, IlIn response to Brian from NY... their first hit was SUGAR, not spiders... either way this song is absolutely amazing. I tend to like the songs more when it has more of Serj's voice opposed to Daron's... just another reason to praise the self-titled album and Toxicity.
Brian from Albany, NyNot Sure if some of you know... this song was their first hit... NOT CHOP SUEY, IT WAS SPIDERS
Petrified Monkey from South Park, CoThe V-Chip is a chip implanted in all newer modile televisions. It is suposed to let parrents block the programs that their children watch. But there is a consperacy out there that says when you have a V-Chip active it sends out radio waves to the goverment to monitair what you watch on tv. Hence "Your lives are open wide, the v-chip gives them sight"
Klayton from Lancaster, OhAll I have to say is that anyone who listens to system of a down rocks.If I had to choose between good sex or this awesome music I would choose the music
Alberto from Carpi, ItalyIt's always hard to say what's your very favourite song, but if I was forced to choose only one title I would say this one. A perfect mix of sweetness and power, and Serj's voice is... I can't define it. I love to mentally go adrift on this song. SOAD rule!
Jordan from Channelview, Txthe band "Breaking Benjamin" also ripped off part of this song on their song "Cold"
Tyler from VictoriaJudging by what the linear notes say, and by re-reading the lyrics after having heard that, I think it's about government watching people with sattelites and stuff. "The V-chip gives them sight"
Olly from SussexGoing back to Tim from Pittsburgh's point about surveilence; The song sounds to me like someone is watching a girl obsessively - "all the life / running through her hair", and also the way the scene is set with the lyrics at the start of the song, "The piercing radiant moon / The storming of poor June". And confirming the whole surveilence theme;
"Your lives are open wide
The V-chip gives them sight"

Or at least that's how I have interpreted it.
Jesse from Seattle, Wathis is the song that got me listening to them aside from passing videos and radio play.this is the only post i think i have seen so far that didnt go off about how the song is about drugs!! thats awesome and im sure will be short lived as theres NO other subject a song can be about.
Aaron from Chicago, IlThis song was also included on the Scream 3 soundtrack album. The video MTV played had that listed as the album.
Max from New York, NyMan this goes on my list of best bass lines ever. Thats a very prestigious list that includes songs like Jungle Boogie, Smoke on the Water, Nothing to Gein, Keep Away, These Eyes, Voodoo, and Hit the Road Jack. No i'm not including instrumental solos cause i'd put even better stuff up.
Justin from Columbus, MsThis song is amazing. System of a Down does wonders with there music, and it is very inspirational. No matter what any body says, this is one of the greatest bands out there.
Kieran from Eastbourne, EnglandThis is what I consider to be SOAD's best song. It is an amazing song that is always overlooked by Chop Suey and Toxicity.
Robert from Los Angeles, CaSerj said "America AWAKE!!!" in the middle of Spiders when SOAD performed on Late Night with Conan O' Brian
Dennis from Toledo, OhSystem fans always rank this among their favourites. It is about the invasion of privacy and how the government monitors actions, but it doesn't approach the area of mind control - something they saved for another song on this album. The whole song is A-La 1984, and the video is moving and memorable, if unusual.
Hetfield from Manchester, EnglandFantastic song, Papa Roach, being fools, ripped off some of the guitar riffs on, "Between angles and insects"

ridiculously blatant
Robert from Kyle, TxLove this song, its so powerful and i dont think this was such a big hit but i loved it system of a down is such a good band with a postive message in their music

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