36 by System of a Down Lyrics Meaning – Diving Into the Chaotic Critique of Modern Life
Lyrics
Life you get old, it’s the race
Can you break out, can you break out?
Will you live at your own pace?
Life, so, unnecessary
Television is disgrace
Life you get old, it’s the race
Can you break out, can you break out?
Will you live at your own pace?
Now will you live at your own pace?
Will you live at your own pace?
In the ever-pulsating world of alternative metal, few bands have managed to craft the unique blend of social commentary and aggressive melodies quite like System of a Down. One of their more enigmatic and lesser-known tracks, ’36’, clocks in at a mere 46 seconds, but what it lacks in length, it compensates for with a dense, compact critique of the mechanized monotony of modern life.
With its succinct delivery, the song seems to scorn the inauthenticity of a society steeped in the glow of television screens, urging listeners to question the pace of their lives in a culture obsessed with speed and productivity. But there’s more to ‘36’ than its surface level cynicism – for those willing to look beyond its brevity, the song is a philosophical maelstrom.
The Modern Disgrace: Media Mesmerism and Its Pitfalls
System of a Down has never shied away from contentious matters, and ’36’ is a sonic burst of criticism aimed at the television’s role in modern culture. Describing it as a disgrace, the lyrics evoke the idea that television has become a pervasive force, leading to a widespread lifestyle of passive consumption. In fewer words than most, System of a Down connects televised media with a societal surrender to distraction.
The indictment of television forms an allegory for the broader issue of media consumption – one that keeps individuals trapped within a cycle of superficial engagement, never quite allowing them to live authentically or question the systems they’re enmeshed in.
Racing Against Time: The Endless Struggle of Existence
The line ‘Life you get old, it’s the race’ delivers a staggering punch. It’s a glimpse into the existential dread of aging within a society that’s perpetually on fast-forward. This ties into the notion of living ‘at your own pace’—an idea that’s increasingly foreign in a world that idolizes busyness and undervalues introspection.
System of a Down unleashes a challenge to listeners: to break out of this relentless race against time and reject the conventional benchmarks of success and fulfillment that are relentlessly promoted by mainstream media.
Confronting Life’s Excess Baggage: What’s Truly Necessary?
The terse statement ‘Life, so, unnecessary’ is an abrupt existential jolt. The philosophical implication here goes beyond simple disillusionment—it touches on the absurdity of accumulating experiences and material possessions that society says are important, which, in the end, may hold little genuine value.
Through this stark declaration, ’36’ serves as a cipher for the disillusioned listener, encouraging a critical assessment of what we deem ‘necessary’ and whether these things truly enhance our human experience or merely weigh us down.
Can You Escape the Iron Grip of Conformity?
The song’s repeated questioning—’Can you break out?’—is a call to action, or perhaps rebellion, directly challenging the listener’s complacency. It sparks a sobering realization of our own capitulation to societal norms and the difficulty of freeing oneself from the clutches of mass culture.
System of a Down isn’t just putting words to a feeling; they’re invoking an inner struggle many face between the comfort of conformity and the liberating, yet daunting, pursuit of individuality.
The Quintessential War Cry for Personal Autonomy
Perhaps the most profound aspect of ’36’ is its repetitive, almost meditative query: ‘Will you live at your own pace?’ This line resonates as a modern-day battle cry, endorsing the pursuit of personal autonomy in a world that too often presses us into homogeneity.
The song, short as it may be, thus becomes a condensed capsule of encouragement—an emphatic reminder to live life not as it’s sold to us on a high-definition screen, but in a manner that aligns with our deepest values and truths.
