ATWA by System of a Down – Unlocking the Profound Message in a Metal Anthem
Lyrics
Hey you, see me, pictures crazy
All the world I’ve seen before me passing by
I’ve got nothing to gain, to lose
All the world I’ve seen before me passing by
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel it anymore
Anymore na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
Hey you, are me, not so pretty
All the world I’ve seen before me passing by
Silent my voice, I’ve got no choice
All the world I’ve seen before me passing by
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel it anymore
I don’t see (anymore)
I don’t hear (anymore)
I don’t speak (anymore)
I don’t feel
Na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na
Hey you, see me, pictures crazy
All the world I’ve seen before me passing by
I’ve got nothing to gain, to lose
All the world I’ve seen before me passing by
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore
You don’t care ’bout how I feel
I don’t feel it anymore
I don’t sleep (anymore)
I don’t eat (anymore)
I don’t live (anymore)
I don’t feel (anymore)
Beneath the heavy riffs and the intense vocal delivery, System of a Down’s ‘ATWA’ lays bare a raw and poignant narration of disillusionment and existential angst. This track, often overshadowed by the band’s more aggressive pieces, offers a moment of introspection within their politically charged discography.
Diving beyond the surface, ‘ATWA’ serves not just as a melodic outcry, but as a philosophical musing on the state of human connection and our fleeting place within the world. The lyrics, while cryptic, embed layers of meaning that reveal the struggles of grappling with a sense of belonging and the quest for tranquility in a discordant environment.
The Cry of the Disenchanted – A Place Where No One Feels
‘You don’t care ’bout how I feel, I don’t feel it anymore’ echoes as a mantra for the disenchanted, embodying a sentiment of detachment that many struggle with in contemporary society. The repeated phrase captures a profound personal void—a state where external apathy has led to an internal numbness.
ATWA, which stands for ‘Air, Trees, Water, Animals’ is also an acronym that references Charles Manson’s ecological ideology. Whether System of a Down aligned with Manson’s environmental concerns or critiqued his means of raising awareness, these lyrics suggest an individual’s alienation from not just society but the natural environment itself.
Images of Impermanence – The World in Snapshot
‘Hey you, see me, pictures crazy / All the world I’ve seen before me passing by’—the lyric paints a world in motion, ephemeral and indifferent. This visualization of life as a series of fleeting images perfectly encapsulates modern existence’s transience.
In an era defined by instant gratification and constant change, System of a Down hints at the paradox of having unprecedented access to a world of information and experiences while simultaneously feeling more disconnected than ever. The observer is static, the scenery ever-changing, and the resulting isolation is palpable.
A Silent Scream in the Void – The Struggle to be Heard
An unsettling stillness reflects in the lines, ‘Silent my voice, I’ve got no choice / All the world I’ve seen before me passing by’. It’s a poignant admission of voicelessness, resonating with those who feel unseen and unheard in the noise of the collective.
This quiet rebellion against an inattentive world stands out as an individual’s acceptance of their muteness. The absence of choice points to a predetermined social narrative, a path where one’s inner turmoil and pleas for acknowledgment fall on deaf ears.
Unveiling the Song’s Hidden Meaning – The ATWA Connection
‘ATWA’ can be seen as an acronym for interconnectedness, a call for ecological and existential harmony. While the lyrics do not explicitly address this broader context, the title’s reference intertwines the personal with the environmental, revealing deeper layers to the song’s inherent message.
Through this lens, the band could be construed as lamenting not only the individual’s loss of feeling and energy—a metaphorical death—but also the collective negligence toward the environment that sustains us. The song quietly exposes the fragmentation of our lives and gestures towards the need for an ethos that embraces all forms of life.
Memorable Lines that Cut Deep – ‘I don’t sleep, I don’t eat, I don’t live’
The brutally honest confession—’I don’t sleep (anymore), I don’t eat (anymore), I don’t live (anymore), I don’t feel (anymore)’—chills to the bone. It’s a stark portrayal of dehumanization, where the act of living is reduced to mere existence.
These lines conjure an image of a person stripped of all desires and functions that characterize life, a zombie-like state that many can relate to in moments of profound despair or apathy. It’s a powerful manifestation of the disconnect between the physical and the emotional, a body moving through the world without the soul’s engagement.
