It starts with a frantic, stuttering guitar riff that feels like a panic attack. Then Serj Tankian’s voice pierces through: "Attack / All the souls that live in regret / Get the hell out of here." If you were a fan of heavy music in 2005, you remember exactly where you were when Hypnotize dropped. It was the second half of a massive double-album statement, and "Attack" was the opening salvo. But System of a Down lyrics Attack aren't just about noise or aggression. Honestly, they’re a frantic, poetic autopsy of a society collapsing under the weight of its own greed and environmental neglect.
You’ve probably heard people say System of a Down is a "political band." That’s a bit of an understatement. They don't just write songs about politics; they write songs that feel like an activist screaming at you from a street corner while the world burns behind them. "Attack" is the perfect example of this. It’s short. It’s chaotic. It’s barely three minutes long, but it manages to cram in more existential dread and social commentary than most bands manage in an entire career.
The Chaos of System of a Down Lyrics Attack
When you sit down and actually read the System of a Down lyrics Attack, you realize the song is built on a series of contradictions. It’s about movement. It’s about fleeing. But it’s also about the impossibility of escape.
The opening lines set a bleak scene. "Breathing each other's lies" is a pretty grim way to describe human interaction, right? It suggests a world where truth has become so diluted that we’re literally inhaling falsehoods just to survive. Then the chorus hits. It's an explosion. The repetition of "Attack!" isn't necessarily a call to violence against people. It feels more like a call to attack the status quo—to attack the "souls that live in regret" because they’ve given up on changing anything.
Daron Malakian, the band's primary songwriter and guitarist, has a knack for writing riffs that sound like they’re falling down a flight of stairs in the best way possible. In "Attack," the music mirrors the lyrics. It’s frantic. It’s unsettled. There is no "verse-chorus-verse" comfort here. Instead, you get this soaring, melodic bridge where Serj sings about "the flowers are still wet" and "the people you've met." It's a weirdly beautiful moment in the middle of a sonic war zone.
Why do that?
Maybe it’s to remind us what’s at stake. You can't have a protest song if there’s nothing worth saving. By contrasting the "bombs" and "regret" with images of wet flowers and human connection, the band highlights the tragedy of what's being lost in the "attack."
War, Environment, and the 2005 Context
To really get what’s happening in these lyrics, you have to remember the mid-2000s. The Iraq War was in full swing. The climate crisis was starting to enter the mainstream conversation in a big way. System of a Down was at the peak of their powers, and they were using that platform to be incredibly loud about things most people wanted to ignore.
"The dream is over."
That’s a heavy line. It pops up in the middle of the song and basically serves as the thesis statement. The "American Dream" or the dream of a peaceful, sustainable future is being dismantled. When the lyrics mention "bombs," they aren't just metaphorical. The band, particularly with their Armenian heritage, has always been hyper-aware of the physical reality of war and genocide.
But "Attack" feels broader than just a war protest. It feels like an environmental warning too. "The soil, the soil, the soil is the evidence." This line is repeated with increasing intensity. It's a reminder that no matter what lies are told in the media or by politicians, the earth keeps the receipts. The damage we do to the planet is the ultimate proof of our failure as a "civilized" society.
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Honestly, it's kind of terrifying how relevant these lyrics still are. You could release "Attack" today, and it wouldn't feel like a relic of 2005. It would feel like a commentary on the 2020s. That’s the hallmark of great writing—it stays fresh because the problems it addresses haven't gone away. They’ve just changed clothes.
Deciphering the "Regret" in the Lyrics
One of the most interesting parts of the System of a Down lyrics Attack is the focus on "regret."
"Attack all the souls that live in regret / Get the hell out of here"
Why attack people who feel regret? Usually, we think of regret as a somber, quiet emotion. But in the world of SOAD, regret is a form of complacency. If you’re living in regret, you’re looking backward. You’re paralyzed by what you didn't do or what went wrong. The song demands movement. It demands that we stop wallowing in the "what ifs" and start dealing with the "what is."
The "souls that live in regret" are the ones who watched the world slide toward chaos and did nothing. They are the "spectators" of the collapse. By telling them to "get the hell out of here," Serj is basically saying there’s no room for passivity anymore. If you aren't part of the solution (the "attack" on the system), you’re just in the way.
Why the Vocals Matter as Much as the Words
You can't talk about SOAD lyrics without talking about how they are delivered. Serj Tankian is a vocal chameleon. One second he’s growling like a demon, the next he’s operatic, and then he’s suddenly whispering a nursery rhyme.
In "Attack," his delivery of the word "Attack" is almost percussive. It’s not just a word; it’s a rhythmic element. This adds a layer of urgency that you just don't get by reading the lyrics on a page. When he sings "We shall fight," it doesn't sound like a generic battle cry. It sounds desperate. It sounds like someone who knows the odds are stacked against them but has no choice but to keep swinging.
And then there's Daron's backing vocals. His higher-pitched, slightly nasal harmonies add a sense of mania to the track. It creates this "voice in your head" effect. While Serj is the prophet on the mountain, Daron is the frantic energy in the streets. Together, they create a wall of sound that makes the lyrics feel inescapable.
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The Technical Brilliance Behind the Noise
Let’s get nerdy for a second. The structure of "Attack" is actually pretty sophisticated for a nu-metal/alternative metal track. It uses shifting time signatures and abrupt tempo changes to keep the listener off-balance. This isn't just "show-off" musicianship. It’s a deliberate choice to mirror the instability described in the lyrics.
If you’re writing a song about a world falling apart, you can't have a steady, comfortable 4/4 beat. It has to feel like it’s breaking.
The interplay between the bass (Shavo Odadjian) and the drums (John Dolmayan) is what keeps the song from devolving into pure noise. They provide the "soil" (pun intended) that allows the guitars and vocals to go wild. When the lyrics talk about "the evidence," the drums are hitting like a gavel. It’s calculated chaos.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
A lot of people think "Attack" is a pro-war song because of the title. I’ve seen forum posts from years ago where people completely misinterpreted the "attack" as a call for military aggression.
That couldn't be further from the truth.
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If you look at the band's history—songs like "B.Y.O.B." or "Boom!"—it’s clear they are staunchly anti-war. The "Attack" in this song is a spiritual and social one. It’s an attack on the machinery of war, not a call to join it. It’s an attack on the apathy that allows wars to happen.
Another misconception is that the song is just "nonsense." Because SOAD uses a lot of abstract imagery (like the wet flowers or the breathing of lies), some critics at the time dismissed it as "weird for the sake of being weird." But if you spend five minutes looking at the state of the world in 2005, the metaphors aren't that hard to untangle. They’re just more poetic than your average punk rock anthem.
Actionable Insights: How to Listen to SOAD in the 2020s
If you’re diving back into Hypnotize or discovering "Attack" for the first time, don't just let the noise wash over you. There's a lot to dig into.
- Listen with the lyrics open: SOAD’s vocal delivery is amazing, but it can be hard to catch every word. Seeing the contrast between the "bombs" and "flowers" on paper makes the song's message much clearer.
- Contextualize the "Soil": Think about the environmental themes. When the song mentions the soil as evidence, consider how that applies to current discussions around climate change and corporate accountability.
- Notice the melodic shifts: Pay attention to how the song changes from the aggressive verses to the melodic bridge. That "tug-of-war" between beauty and brutality is the core of the band's identity.
- Check out the live versions: "Attack" is a beast live. Seeing the physical energy the band puts into the performance helps you understand the "urgent" nature of the lyrics.
The System of a Down lyrics Attack remain a powerful reminder that music can be more than just entertainment. It can be a mirror. It can be a warning. Most importantly, it can be a catalyst to stop living in regret and start paying attention to the world around us.
To get the most out of this track, compare it to "B.Y.O.B." from the Mezmerize album. While "B.Y.O.B." focuses on the "party" atmosphere of those who profit from war, "Attack" focuses on the aftermath and the physical reality of the damage. Together, they provide a complete picture of the band's mid-2000s philosophy. Turn it up loud—it’s the only way to hear it.