Serj Tankian: The Unthinking Majority Meaning

Song Released: 2007

The Unthinking Majority Lyrics

We don't need your democracy
Execute them kindly for me
take them by their filthy nostrils
put them up in doggy hostels

Anti-depressants
Controlling tools of your system
Making life more tolerable (x2)

Anti-depressants
Controlling...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jan 16th 2009 !⃝

   The song The Unthinking Majority by Serj Tankian, addresses a wide number of issues ranging from political to societal. These issues include: the hidden agenda behind the United States’ involvement in the Middle East and the atrocities being committed there, the hypocritical actions of the U.S. government, and the figurative and literal sedatives being implemented in U.S. citizens in order to make them obedient and submissive towards these actions. Thus, transforming them into The Unthinking Majority.
   The first line of the song reads “we don't need your democracy”, referencing to the United States’ alleged attempts to spread democracy in the country of Iraq. The use of the word “democracy” in this line is sarcasm, as the next few lines read: “execute them kindly for me; take them by their filthy nostrils; put them up in doggy hostels”, which contrasts this notion with the more horrific actions being committed. Actions such as Abu Grhaib, which is what is being referred to in the line “put them up in doggy hostels”. The song goes on to address the hypocrisy of the U.S. Talking about spreading democracy with the lines: “we don't need your hypocrisy; execute real democracy”, which imply that the U.S. governments’ message of spreading democracy is one of fallacy, as its infringement the constitution with laws like the Patriot Act, contradict that very message. Through this, the song states that the government is actually “execute[ing] real democracy” rather than spreading it.
   The song then shifts its focus from political issues, to issues focusing around society’s current submissive nature. The song states “post-industrial society, the unthinking majority”, implying that being willfully ignorant has become the norm. It then continues with the lines “anti-depressants, controlling tools of your system, making life more tolerable [x2]”, suggesting that people in modern society, figuratively, or possibly even literally, take spoonfuls of ignorance in order to tolerate everyday life. All while the military is “clearing the way for the oil brigade”.

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   #2 top rated interpretation:
   Slained

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   Sep 18th 2007 !⃝

   Serj believes that the government should "Execute real democracy" due to the lies that are being fed to us, and the wars that are unjust. He refers to "The Unthinking Majority" because most people just go on with their lives, thinking nothing of politics or our government, and let the elections fall to candidates who do not deserve Presidency, or are fit for it. "Anti-Depressants, controlling tools of your system, making life more tolerable, making life more tolerable" could mean a few things. Maybe that the government is issuing Anti-Depressants to patients to make them think everything seem less of what it is in reality? This is most likely his view on Anti-Depressants, and how they affect society. "I believe that you're rotting... clearing the way for the oil brigade" He believes that our country is slowing falling into the abyss, and dying. "Clearing the way for the oil brigade" is obviously meaning that we are in Iraq for oil, and nothing else. Our soldiers in Iraq simply die for oil.
3. anonymous

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   May 11th 2011 !⃝

   Well, I like cheese, and that's what the song is about.
   
   
   Oh, it's really about anti-depressants, stupid.

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