Download Hypnotize

Hypnotize
By: System of a Down
Lyrics
Why don't you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square
Was fashion the reason why they were there
They disguised it, hypnotized it
Television made you buy it
I'm just sitting in my car
And waiting for my...
Lyrics (cont.)
She's scared that I will take her away from there
dreams and her country left with no one there
Mesmerize the simple minded
Propaganda leaves us blinded
Lyrics (cont.)
I'm just sitting in my car
And waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car
And waiting for my girl
(x2)
Mood
Theme
Works Cited
•
•
•
•
•
Gale, Thomson. "System of a Down." Newsmakers 2006: Issue 4. Biography Resource
Center. Web. 14 May 2010. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/
BioRC?vrsn=149&OP=contains&locID=glen79388&srchtp=name&ca=1&c=1&AI=U17187936&NA=S
ystem+of+a+Down&ste=12&tbst=prp&tab=1&docNum=K1618004395&bConts=41>.
Gale Group. "System of a Down." Contemporary Musicians 2002: Volume 36.
Biography Resource Center. Web. 14 May 2010.
<http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC>.
"Hypnotize by System of a Down." SongFacts.com. Artisfacts, 2005. Web. 14 May
2010. <http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5355>.
"1989, Massacre in Tiananmen Square." BBC On This Day. BBC, n.d. Web. 25 May
2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/4/
newsid_2496000/2496277.stm>.
"System of a Down biography." 8notes. GNU license, 2005. Web. 18 May 2010.
<www.8notes.com>.
System of a Down Biography
• System of a Down formed in 1993. They are still,
to this day, a heavy metal/rock band. Their first
moment of legitimate worldwide stardom was at
the release of their album, Toxicity. It was
released in 2001 and eventually went multiplatinum. Some of their most popular hits include
Chop Suey and B.Y.O.B. They receive hundreds of
offers each week to play in events. However, the
band is currently on an indefinite hiatus (gale).
Back
Tiananmen Square
• In 1989, several hundred people were brutally
shot by the Chinese government during a political
protest. It began as a protest of students’ who’s
goal was democratic reform within the
government. The government drove through the
streets, shooting as many protesters as possible.
Estimated casualties have been shown anywhere
as little as 217 people or as large as 500 people
(1989, Massacre in Tiananmen Square).
Back
“…hypnotized it...”
• This lyric is simply stating the band’s belief that
the government tried to “hypnotize” the people
by use of propaganda or force. The people were
not literally being hypnotize, but the purpose of
propaganda is not to directly affect a person’s
belief, but to make them subconsciously start to
agree with the advertisement. This is what the
word “hypnotize” means in this song (“hypnotize
by system).
Back
Television
• Around 1989, the time of the Tiananmen Square
incident, the government was using any means
possible to try and convince the people that they
were right. They believed that the government
did not need democratic reform. However, this
tactic obviously did not work well enough,
because the government still had to unleash the
tanks on Tiananmen Square and kill protesters
(1989, Massacre in Tiananmen Square).
Back
“..no one there”
• In the lyrics it quotes “country left with no
one there”. This is referring to the fact
that there were no protesters left after the
government killed everybody. It does not
literally mean “country” but instead is
using country to refer to Tiananman
Square and the protesters that were
brutally murdered.
Back
Propaganda
• Propaganda is defined as the spreading of ideas,
information, or rumor for the purpose of helping
or injuring an institution, cause, or person. In the
song, it is said “propaganda leaves us blinded”.
When he says this, he is not only referring to the
Tiananmen Square incident, but to people in
general. He believes that propaganda can twist
our beliefs into something we never would have
thought we would believe.
Back
“..simple minded..”
• This part of the lyrics is stating how the
government would use advertising,
persuasion, and propaganda to twist
the people’s beliefs, particularly the
more “simple minded” people, or the
less intelligent ones.
Back
Rhyme Scheme
• Rhyme Scheme is defined as the pattern of
rhyming lines in a poem or song. The rhyme
scheme for “Hypnotize” goes as follows:
A
A
E
A
B
B
C
A
D
D
E
F
E
F
Back
Anaphora
• An anaphora is described as the repetition of
a word or phrase at the start of successive
clauses. It is utilized in the chorus of
“Hypnotize” by repeating the lines “I’m just
sitting in my car and waiting for my girl”. This
was used because it helps to convey a
message and create strong rhythm within the
song’s lyrics.
Back
“Was…”(rhetorical)
• Asking the listener/reader questions in
the beginning of the song creates a
rhetorical base for the song that makes
the listener think about the actual
message within the song, not just listen
to the music.
Back
Mood
• The general mood of this song is sad and
dreary. The background beat to the song stays
slow the entire song, although the singer
begins to scream at some points. Mood is
defined as a characteristic state of feeling. In
the song, the dreary mood makes the listener
understand that the song is conveying an
important and sad message through the lyrics
and beat.
Back
Theme
• The theme of this song involves propaganda
and advertisement, particularly propaganda
through war and protest situations.
Propaganda played a large influence on the
incident at Tiananmen Square and plays a
large influence on many worldly issues. It will
twist peoples thoughts without them even
knowing. That is the exact message that this
song is attempting to convey.
Back