Money by Serj Tankian Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling Capitalism’s Sinister Symphony
Lyrics
Disposition, this possession
Dispossessed from all the attractions
Dancing bears of eroticism
Self-absorbed delusion
Inclusion of dysfunction
I now await the triumphant
Lost baggage, train station
The causes of ineptitude
Can be traced to my mandatory down
The causes of my servitude
Can be traced to the tyranny of
Money, all for money
Make your money, hide your money
Stuff your money, hump your money
Save your money, all for money
My final surrender
Away from inclusion
I now await the triumphant
Left baggage, train station
The causes of ineptitude
Can be traced to my mandatory down
The causes of my servitude
Can be traced to the tyranny of a down
The causes of ineptitude
Can be traced to my mandatory down
The causes of my servitude
Can be traced to the tyranny of
Money, all for money
Make your money, stuff your money
Change your money, fuck your money
All for money, money, money, money, money, money, fuck your money
Fuck fuck your money
Serj Tankian, erstwhile frontman of System of a Down, has never been one to shy away from voicing the heavy-hitting, and often, uncomfortable truths of society. His song ‘Money’ from the solo album ‘Elect the Dead’ plunges into the cesspool of capitalism’s greed, the trauma it inflicts upon humanity, and the degradation of the soul under the heel of economic tyranny.
With his signature vocal intensity and stylings, Tankian delivers a barrage of lyrical depth encoded with a massive undertone of critique, twined with ample doses of poetic license. ‘Money’ does not simply scratch the surface but aims to punch a hole right through it, forcing a conversation about the price we pay for our relentless pursuit of currency.
The Currency Carousel: Being Dispossessed in a Material World
Tankian’s lyrics in ‘Money’ paint a vivid image of a carousel ridden not by children in high spirits, but by ‘dancing bears of eroticism,’ an allusion to how we’re entertained and distracted by desire. Yet amidst this preoccupation with possession and money, we become ‘dispossessed’ from our genuine attractions and passions. There’s a glaring irony here, as society tells us material wealth is the ultimate acquisition, yet it leaves us emptied of true joy.
This dispossession extends to a loss of autonomy, where ‘disposition’ can be read as the sacrificial lamb on the altar of wealth, with ‘peoples’ appetite’ being systematically re-engineered to serve the capital machine. It’s a poignant portrayal of how consumerism shapes desires not to fulfill the individual, but to maintain the flush flow of commerce.
Suffocating in Green: The Dysfunction of Greed
Tankian’s mention of ‘self-absorbed delusion’ charges headfirst into the narcissistic self-deception that accompanies blind ambition and greed. The ‘inclusion of dysfunction’ suggests an almost paradoxical acceptance—or perhaps a forced embrace—of the brokenness within the capitalistic framework. It’s an invitation, with barbed wires, into a party where the soul is bound to be lost among the revelers of wealth.
Within this system, we’re sold the narrative that accumulating wealth is the triumph we should seek. Yet Serj juxtaposes this false victory with ‘lost baggage,’ highlighting the disconnect between the spiritual and materialistic, perhaps suggesting we’ve lost parts of ourselves in places as transient as train stations—ephemeral and impersonal.
Tracing the Roots of Our Own Chains
The recurring motif of ’causes of ineptitude’ and ‘servitude’ suggests a recurring self-analysis, where Tankian explores the reasons behind our shackles. The ‘mandatory down’ implies a societal imposition, a force that pushes one into a lower status, a state of submission. He traces this compulsion not to any individualistic failings but back to the ‘tyranny’ of a monetary system, almost feudal in its impositions.
In a relentless cycle of cause and effect, ‘Money’ conveys a scenario where the ’causes of my servitude’ are deeply interwoven with the fabric of monetary dominance. It illustrates a bleak portrait of humanity in chains, forging the very links of their captivity through a pursuit of paper and coin.
A Chorus of Capitalism’s Cold Heart
The chorus of the song serves as a relentless reminder of society’s mantra, with phrases such as ‘Make your money, hide your money, stuff your money’ hammering in the sole purpose assigned to life within the capitalistic paradigm. These actions encapsulate a vicious lifecycle, where the accumulation of wealth dictates not just the financial, but the existential ledger of one’s life.
Furthermore, the profanity laced towards money positions it as an entity to intercourse with, reflecting how deeply embedded it is within the psyche. This vulgar personification of wealth might also signify its overwhelming power to prostitute all aspects of human existence, reducing value to a pile of bills.
The Hidden Message: Delusions of Wealth and Wistful Liberations
Beyond the overt critique of capitalism, ‘Money’ harbors a deeper, more sinister revelation: that the paradigms of wealth we’re addicted to are nothing but grand delusions. The ‘final surrender’ and parting from ‘inclusion’ may signify an individual’s disentanglement from the socioeconomic game, hinting at the futility of trying to find a place within a corrosively competitive environment.
One could interpret the reference to ‘left baggage’ as the residue of self that one parts with in the relentless chase after wealth, or conversely, as the remnants of greed one must abandon to find freedom. The repetition of the word ‘triumphant,’ dripping with irony, underscores a revolutionary undercurrent, suggesting that true victory lies in defiance of the very system that seeks to define it.
