“Barbarisms by Barbaras with pointed heels” The Bush family have been involved in several wars, both in direct military service and in their roles as political leaders. Barbara served as the First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993.

Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, making her one of only two women in American history to have been both a wife and a mother to U.S. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.īarbara Bush was also the mother of George W. However, we all know that “Barbara” is a common female first name used in America and many other parts of the world.Īnd since this song is heavily criticizing politicians and their love for wars, it could be very possible that “Barbaras” could be referring to Barbara Bush (1925–2018), the wife of George H. Over time, “barbarian” has been used in different cultures to refer to an outsider or foreigner, often with a negative connotation. The word “barbarian” comes from the Greek “bárbaros,” used to refer to someone who was not Greek, especially those perceived as uncivilized or primitive. However, the terms “Barbaras” and “barbarians” don’t have a direct connection in terms of their origin or meaning. Some have argued that “Barbaras” refers to certain group of barbarians from the olden days.

However, what we don’t know is who “Barbaras” are. In the first verse, we find the narrator talking about “barbarism” being perpetrated by “Barbaras with pointed heels”. “La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, ooh-oohĮverybody’s going to the party, have a real good timeĭancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine” And beyond that, it is also one of those types which paint a less-than-favorable picture of the politicians and other bigwigs who lead us into such conflicts. So most simply put, this is an anti-war song. There are other lyrics which are highly-metaphorical and thus not as easy to decipher. But the idea this whole tirade is designed to point to is that, to reiterate, it is that selfsame aristocracy which leads us to war based on their own ambitions. And “the poor” soldiers whose blood and bravery allows these leaders to engage in such initiatives are not appreciated by them but instead are treated like pawns. The vocalist argues, if the presidents are the ones who start the wars, then why don’t they also fight them? Instead, they send “the poor” off into the desert or some other battlefield to get their wigs pushed back. And the fact that the narrator mentions “the poor” in this regard instead of citizens in general further implies that the aforementioned “president” is meant to serve as a personification of the aristocracy in general, as in the military-industrial complex, if you will.

Put more simply, this is a conscious band. As such, what the title of this song is meant to allude to is the concept of our leaders, most simply put, being akin to warmongers. And as implied in the song, it is us laymen who have to deal with the most dire consequences of these decisions. So Serj Tankian and co., actually being based in California, could easily neglect their Armenian ancestry if they so desired. But instead they are known to embrace it and acknowledge the experiences of their people via their music. in between Europe and the Middle East and close to Russia) and as such has a very tumultuous history.įor instance, during World War I the nation bore witness to what is known as the Armenian genocide, which was in large part an anti-Christian initiative. And in more recent times Armenia has been going at it with its eastern neighbor, Azerbaijan. And before proceeding with this analysis let it be known, as noted later in this post, that System of a Down’s true origin can be traced back to Armenia. Armenia is a country nestled in Western Asia (i.e.

Chop suey song meaning system of a down