A metal song by suicide, but put in a religious perspective -- my analysis on "Chop Suey!"

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The song Chop Suey! has been called “demonic” or “inappropriate” by most, but the song tackles how suicide is treated in some sides of the Christian religion. It also includes bible verses from Luke 23:46 – aka when jesus was dying, he said “father, into your hands: i commend my spirit” and one from psalms 22:1 (“why have you forsaken me?”)

In my eyes, the lyric: “i don’t think you trust in my, self-righteous suicide, i cry, when angels deserve to die” is about the singer losing himself to suicide, but not being able to enter heaven because he destroyed what god created. it also makes me believe that “father, into your hands, i commend my spirit — father, into your hands, why have you forsaken me?” as the singer dying. the lyrics beforehand, being his plan – then the next section, being the moment he dies. and to be forsaken is to be forgotten and/or left behind, so maybe it holds place on the stricter side of Christianity where if you commit sin, you’ll never be redeemed. and since suicide is right before death, there will be no repenting because you’ll already see the face of god by the time it’s all over.

The song is “Chop Suey!” by System of a Down, on the Toxicity album. the band mainly covers peace, surviving the lebanon war and the Armenian genocide, and real-world issues like capitalism and police brutality. i thought i’d share this because i thought maybe a few people would like it.

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You’re 15 and I’m a lot older than you. Let me share something that I have discovered. Our minds are like our digestive system. Here’s how:

If you eat garbage food over an extended period of time, it will affect your health. Your body has no choice but to digest whatever you put into it. It’s the same with your mind. Whatever you choose to see, to look at and to listen to, your mind has no choice but to process it. Over time it affects your mental well being, your outlook and who you become.

I watched a short bit of this song on YouTube. It’s not ok. It’s more than not ok. I won’t get into it but the song disturbed me. It doesn’t matter what the lyrics are, the band is not ok. Have you tried listening to Gospel music. There’s much to choose from and it will feed your mind good things. Garbage in, garbage out as they say.

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yeah, i have. just not the biggest fan.

i only listen to that song because i am a survivor. and I’m glad i kept living. and if that disturbed you, i’m scared to even say my music taste now.

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@Mr.max1192025

­ ­ ­ As a music lover myself, I listen to many different genres of music. Growing up in Music City (Nashville, TN) may have had something to do with it, though I would like to think I just have an all encompassing and varied taste. If it sounds good, I like it. Cross-genre and cross-generation is fine by me. Classical, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Doo-Wop, Pop, Country, Rap, R&B, Blues, Soul, Funk, you name it. Yes, even Metal.

­ ­ ­ You are just as likely to find me listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as you are to find me blaring the music of James Brown and Elvis (both Presley and Costelo), the recently departed Ozzy Osbourn, Marilyn Manson, In This Moment, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, YungBlud, Nirvana, Nickelback, Seether, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Stone Temple Pilots, Three Dog Night, Randy Travis, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, The B-52’s, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Penguins, The Chi-lites and many, many obscure bands most have never heard of or may have forgot. (STARS, Babylon AD, Type O’ Negative et.al.)

­ ­ ­ Since I was a child of about five, I have adored music. The thing is, I couldn’t tell you the words to many of them. I tune out the words and listen to the sounds. How I feel dictates what I listen to. For me, it’s the tempo, meter, beat etc. all forming an over all product. The end result is the enjoyment of the music, without the message.

­ ­ Some critcs would argue against listening to many types of music for many type of reasons. Really though, it boils down to spirtual maturity and spriritual strength for me. I know the words and messages of many songs are not what is good for me, and some songs I do abstain from. Yet I’m able to deal with what does get through. I don’t buy the ‘garbage-in-garbage-out’ metaphore that applies to programming machines, which humans with free will are not.

­ ­ ­ For fans of the T.V. show M * A * S * H, if you have not seen the movie you may not know the instrumental theme song is titled “Suicide is Painless” and satirically tells the listener to “take or leave it if you please”. Does that ruin the show for you? Not for me.

If what you read, played, watched and listened to truly dictated who you are, mass media would have us all Hell bound, murderous, cheating, corrupt, war-mongers by now. Just the same, listening to Christian music is not going to get you to Heaven. No Mr.max, what gets you to Heaven is Jesus Christ. And when I get there, I hope there’s music. :guitar:

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AMEN!!! this is what i wanted to say but i did not want to sound disrespectful. honestly, i don’t think god will discriminate on literal music taste? I mean yeah, maybe music that talks about actual devil worshipping is disrespectful, but not all people who listen to that type of music are like that.

these were my top bands back in 2023, i had over 6 hours of listening time on parents by yungblud and heart-shaped box by nirvana.

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I’m a big fan of metal. I listen to System of a Down, Korn, and plenty of others that are probably not considered ok. Listening to a song doesn’t automatically make someone a bad Christian. But, songs like this one (especially when listening with younger ears) do cheapen Scripture in your mind, and that’s a problem. At the very least, you should understand that this song is pretty intentionally chaotic and emotional, and it definitely misuses Scripture.

If you find it pulling you away from God or making light of serious things like Christ’s suffering, that’s worth taking seriously.

Music can shape your heart over time. So you might ask yourself, “Is this helping me love God more deeply?” If the answer is no, then maybe it’s time to set it down.

If you want some purely Christian metal bands, those do exist. Here are some:

In the emo/pop punk genere, you can try these:

I might be dating myself with some of those, like MXPX and Relient K :laughing::rofl:

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OH! How could I forget? Underoath used to be an outwardly Christian band. They’re new stuff is not, but still amazing. Their first album, “They’re Only Chasing Safety” was PERFECTION. That whole album is still in my Spotify mix.

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Ok ok. Some of mine. I know this may shock some. Disturbed, Peter Gabriel, Skillet, Ozzy, of course, ACDC, Sully Erna, Deep Purple, Cream, of course, Floyd. Some Country, Some classical. Just to name some. Yes, I love music. Hey, God created that too.

Peter

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Excellent taste! I’m not a big country fan. It’s probably the only genre I don’t care much for.

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I can’t help but ask this now, but… Does it give you an “achy breaky heart”? :laughing:

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JennyLynn, Have you ever read about where the band Korn got their name?

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Philippians 4:8

Authorized (King James) Version

**8 **Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

The battlefield is in the mind…..It is similar to a computer: If you put in good things, you will things on good things. But on the othere hand it is also garbage in- garbage out.

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Peter C …..No God did not create any of that…. but wayward sinful souls !!

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I feel like I saw them do an interview on that. It was literally Jonathan Davis being ridiculous with his agent or something. They said, you need a name and a logo, and he was like, let’s call us Korn with a K…dude was like, you can’t call yourselves that..And then Jonathan Davis found a crayon and just wrote it out, and that became the logo.

Haha, I’m sure I’m paraphrasing the actual events.

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No that is NOT how Korn got heir name….This how and thank God it go into the graphic discusting details…Origin of the “Corn” Joke:

  • In Bakersfield, the band members heard a graphic story from a party involving a sexual act that resulted in a corn kernel being found on someone’s tongue.

  • This became an inside joke, with the word “corn” used to gross each other out.

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That is an absurd urban legend about KoЯn, with as much truth to it as the one about Marilyn Manson’s rib removal. Neither one has any merit. Remember the commandment to bear no false witness. I think this would include spreading gossip.

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You mean this type of “gossiping?” @Joe-Also

“I’ll just do it short. Me and some of my friends in Bakersfield back in the day were at this party. And there was two gay guys talking about how they loved f—hing each other,” Davis says.

The singer continued, “And one dude was talking that he was f—hing his lover and the guy s–t all over his face, he had a corn kernel on his tongue.”

Steve-O grins upon hearing this information, “OK, got it.”

Next, Davis says, “So that’s how it came about. So people that knew this story, they were there. We’d just go: corn. And they’d be like shut up dude, ahh, g-----n, no, no, no, no, no. And that’s how the name came about.”

“Nuff said”
This is disgusting man.

1Ti 5:24 Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.

Evident (prodēloi). “Openly plain,” “plain before all.” Old word, in N.T. only here and Heb_7:24.
Going before unto judgment (proagousai eis krisin). See 1Ti_1:18 for proagō. The sins are so plain that they receive instant condemnation.
And some men also they follow after (tisin de kai epakolouthousin). Associative instrumental case tisin with epakolouthousin for which verb see 1Ti_5:10, “dog their steps” (Parry) like 1Pe_2:21, not clearly manifest at first, but come out plainly at last. How true that is of secret sins.
RWP.

J.

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You are for one quoting Steve-O whos career is based on “shock/gross factor”, and who has as much credibillity as Howard Stern. And you may as well pasted me an article from The Onion for all the veracity of Distractify. Not everything viral is true.

Second, the band was originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu and David Silveria, who were all members of the band L.A.P.D. Jonathan Davis didn’t start doing vocals until later.

That interview on Distractify (an aptly named website) was done well after books by Fieldy/aka Reginald Arvizu, and Welch were publised explaining the bands origns. Of note, the books are from two members of the band who came to God, unlike Davis.

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he has the right to not turn to god and not be criticized over it, because of religious freedom. plus i’m pretty sure someone who’s been molested by their babysitter would have a hard time seeing that as a part of “gods plan”, soo……. lets not force religion, now!!

disgusting that you spread these rumors and say this information to a 15 year old boy, even though i dont kink shame – (since i literally lost my green card to another man on my 15th birthday…), i didn’t need to know this. but on the other hand, its funny. theyre close friends. me and my friends joke about the time we found a dead turtle and called him Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda. i even picked it up. buddies be buddies sometimes, and sometimes, we make gross jokes.

well.. god created creativity, so here we are.

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Have never heard that. :open_mouth: