B.Y.O.B. – English Lyrics

• By: System Of A Down

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the intense world of System Of A Down's 'B.Y.O.B.,' a song that masterfully blends metal aggression with a critical message about war and society. Explore the potent lyrics and unique musical composition that made this track a Grammy-winning protest anthem.

[English]

(intense heavy metal music)

♪ You ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Barbarisms by Barbaras ♪

♪ With pointed heels ♪

♪ Victorious, victories kneel ♪

♪ For brand new spankin' deals ♪

♪ Marching forward hypocritic ♪

♪ And hypnotic computers ♪

♪ You depend on our protection ♪

♪ Yet you feed us lies from the table cloth ♪

♪ La, la la, la la, la la, la la ♪

♪ Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time ♪

♪ Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine ♪

♪ Kneeling roses disappearing ♪

♪ Into Moses' dry mouth ♪

♪ Breaking into Fort Knox ♪

♪ Stealing our intentions ♪

♪ Hangars sitting dripped in oil ♪

♪ Crying, "Freedom" ♪

♪ Handed to obsoletion ♪

♪ Still you feed us lies from the table cloth ♪

♪ La, la la, la la, la la, la la ♪

♪ Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time ♪

♪ Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine ♪

♪ Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time ♪

♪ Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine ♪

♪ Blast off ♪

♪ It's party time ♪

♪ And we don't live in a Fascist nation ♪

♪ Blast off ♪

♪ It's party time ♪

♪ And where the (censored) are you ♪

♪ Where the (censored) are you ♪

♪ Where the (censored) are you ♪

♪ Why don't presidents fight the war ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why don't presidents fight the war ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Kneeling roses disappearing ♪

♪ Into Moses' dry mouth ♪

♪ Breaking into Fort Knox ♪

♪ Stealing our intentions ♪

♪ Hangars sitting dripped in oil ♪

♪ Crying, "Freedom" ♪

♪ Handed to obsoletion ♪

♪ Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth ♪

♪ La, la la, la la, la la, la la ♪

♪ Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time ♪

♪ Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine ♪

♪ Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time ♪

♪ Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sun ♪

♪ Where the (censored) are you ♪

♪ Where the (censored) are you ♪

♪ Why don't presidents fight the war ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why don't presidents fight the war ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ Why do they always send the poor ♪

♪ They always send the poor ♪

♪ They always send the poor ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
party /ˈpɑːrti/ A2	noun - a social gathering of invited guests
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ B1	noun - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants
hypocritic /ˌhɪpəˈkrɪtɪk/ C1	adjective - behaving in a way that suggests one has higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case
victory /ˈvɪktəri/ B2	noun - an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition
steal /stiːl/ B1	verb - to take another person's property without permission
desert /ˈdɛzərt/ B2	noun - a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs
computer /kəmˈpjuːtər/ A2	noun - an electronic device for storing and processing data
oil /ɔɪl/ A1	noun - a viscous liquid derived from petroleum, used for fuel and lubrication
mouth /maʊθ/ A1	noun - the opening in the face used for eating and speaking
rose /roʊz/ A2	noun - a type of flowering shrub known for its fragrant blooms
intention /ɪnˈtɛnʃən/ B2	noun - an aim or plan
deal /diːl/ B1	noun - an agreement or arrangement, especially in business
barbarism /ˈbɑːrbəˌrɪzəm/ C2	noun - extreme cruelty or brutality

Key Grammar Structures

• Why do they always send the poor

  ➔ Interrogative sentence structure

  ➔ The phrase starts with 'Why', indicating a question about the reason behind the action.

• You depend on our protection

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The present simple tense is used to express habitual actions or general truths.

• Still you feed us lies from the table cloth

  ➔ Adverb placement

  ➔ The adverb 'still' is placed at the beginning of the clause to emphasize the ongoing action.

• Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine

  ➔ Gerund phrase

  ➔ The gerund 'dancing' acts as a noun, describing the action taking place.

• It's party time

  ➔ Simple present for emphasis

  ➔ The simple present is used here to make a strong statement about the current situation.

• Where the (censored) are you

  ➔ Informal question structure

  ➔ The informal structure is used to convey urgency or frustration in the question.

• Breaking into Fort Knox

  ➔ Present participle phrase

  ➔ The present participle 'breaking' describes an ongoing action related to the subject.