What does American Dream Denial mean?

System of a Down: American Dream Denial Meaning

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Album cover for American Dream Denial album cover

American Dream Denial Lyrics

we fought your wars with all our hearts
you sent us back in body parts
you took our wills with the truth you stole
we offer prayers for your long lost soul
your remainder is an unjustifiable egotistical power struggle
at the expense of the...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    mademan9447
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    Sep 21st 2006 !⃝

    This song is somewhere along the lines of greatest protest song ever. In what other song does system come out and say "we don't give a fuck about your world"??

    The part: "we fought you wars with all our hearts. You sent us back in body parts"
    I believe this is in reference to how the american people go to fight the wars for the governement and end up being killed or injured.

    "we offer prayers for you long lost soul"
    the president is a lost soul who we can only pray for.

    The chorse is pretty strait forward...They really just don't care.

    "there is no flag that is large enough, to hide the same of our mean in cuffs"

    now this ca mean that on the outside america looks prideful and powerful when in reality we are just trying to hide the fact that we have massivly overcrowded prison systems. It can also mean the "men in cuffs" are our political icons that have brought shame to us.

    The part after refers to all of the false propaganda on the t.V. And internet and different places.

  2. anonymous
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    Mar 4th 2023 !⃝

    i think its about my dad leaving his last words were there is no flag wide enough to hide a man in cuffs

  3. anonymous
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    Apr 15th 2015 !⃝

    ADD refers to the oligarchy, globalism and they desire to control everything by brainwashing with an hypnotic "american fake dream" idea, by masking the truth and manipulate people opinion with liberal and capitalism propaganda to maintain their statues. We don't born with an american dream, we born with our sens and every human is capable to create and be free, the real humanity aspiration, not being a slave or a whore of the system only attract by advertising, products, entertain news, reality tv etc...that transform our brain with egobrain only capable of destruction, division, hate...

  4. Zobrie
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    Mar 19th 2012 !⃝

    I believe that this song is about how prideful and powerful America looks from the outside, but it is a hell to live in it.
    The fact that they point out the American Dream in the title explains a point: Everybody is hypnotized by the American Dream and wants to get richer, no matter what, instead of helping each other and guiding everyone else to a better path and to have a better government who isn't obsessed with the American Dream.

  5. cal
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    Jul 20th 2011 !⃝

    I think its about the racism back then basically the white people caring so much about this so called american dream and the coloured people basically we dont give a fuck about your so called dream.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  6. anonymous
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    Mar 1st 2011 !⃝

    The song is about how soldiers risk so much...
    (we fought your wars with all our hearts)

    ...And get so little in return
    (you sent us back in body parts)

    The handcuffs metaphor(simile?) symbolizes how there is nothing we can do about war as the people in the nation, hence being "trapped" or "imprisoned".

    The chorus is self-explanitory. It says they dont give a f*ck about why are we fighting these wars...
    (all your global profits and all you're to oppose)

    ...But that they need to end.

  7. anonymous
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    Mar 25th 2009 !⃝

    Okay, I don't think this song refers to any specific war, but it obviously talks about war "we fought your war with all our hearts you sent us back in body parts" its saying that we fight the wars, while political leaders won't even set foot on battle grounds. I think its also saying that the american dream we all try to live in is an impossible dream. we don't realize that all the material things we all work for mean nothing "global profits/jeweled pearls" theyre saying that they don't give a fuck about our fake world full of over bearing advertising and propaganda brainwashing us into believing what they want us to believe "changed the channel and you changed their minds"
    We know what the government wants us to know, and take it for the truth.

  8. Zigley
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    Jun 16th 2008 !⃝

    In the line "We fight your wars with all our hearts you send us back in body parts" it means that the Americans are always die-hard about all their wars and only end up being killed overseas and shipped back in body parts. "We don't give a fuck about your world with all your global profits and all your jeweled pearls" means that all the wars are about money. All of the American wars can break down to economy.

  9. jollyroger
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    May 11th 2008 !⃝

    Funny of those of you say it's about iraq which started in 02-feb and this song came out in 1998..
    its about opposition to our western way of existence.

    "we don't give a damn about your world
    with all your global profits and all you're to oppose"

    such things as defaming and stripping those in prisons
    casting them down in society when our governments technically us go out and commit the same crimes in massive amounts,

    "there is no flag that is large enough
    to hide the shame of a man in cuffs"

    we flattened ourself all the while deceiving those who are good and loyal.
    "we fought your wars with all our hearts
    you sent us back in body parts
    you took our wills with the truth you stole
    we offer prayers for yo... "

    and the bottom line is its "right now"! (98)

    shame on the men in cuffs
    close the blinds "

    the way we think. Soad stands against all of it.
    knowing and screaming that america is brainwashed and those who follow the "american dream" are in denial.
    good people who are being deceived that's the cost.

  10. anonymous
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    May 19th 2007 !⃝

    I feel this song is obvious. It's a protest song about war.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. me_and_no1_else
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    May 8th 2007 !⃝

    I don't know much about this song and what it was written bout and all that. I do know it kicks ass.
    I also know that it DOES focus on war.
    But I think it also talks of globalisation and the media (and propaganda concerning wars)... You have all spoken about the war stuff so I'll leave that out of this because I'm sure you've all covered it.

    --"you took our wills with the truth you stole" -
    I think this means all the untold truths in the media, we don't get the whole story, and so whatever we believe, and do is based on only parts of the truth.. our complete lies.. Hence our will is stolen

    --"we don't give a (damn/fuck) about your world with all your global profits and all your jeweled pearls" -
    well... kinda speaks for itself doesn't it? global profits, jeweled pearls... well sound great don't they? and who gives a fuck, because they DON'T MATTER!!

    --"you changed the channels and you changed our minds"-
    what, like you never noticed how the news varies despite the story being about the same thing when you change channels? sometimes not, but sometimes it's more than noticeable...

    ..there's a couple other lines too but I can't think of them now so.. yyyeah...

  12. anonymous
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    Feb 24th 2007 !⃝

    i think just b/c it says men in cuffs doesn't have to mean people in prison, I think that it mens prisoners of the war. back in body parts and other verses I think means that we as americans are expected to respect the president and the government, when we show total loyalty and respect by going to war for what, just to be killed. and everyone is everyone is expected to live the american dream, you know a house in the suburbs, a suv, and some kids. when that is usually not the case and how america looks perfect but in reality is fucked up goverment wise. So the song states how we deny the american dream, thus naming the song AMERICAN DREAM DENIAL.

  13. Nothingistrue
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    Jan 22nd 2007 !⃝

    'OK.. I'm not all that into interpretations.. I'm more about expressing my opinion.. So I will do that =]

    ok... If you know system of a down , you will know that all four members are armenian, and "we don't give a ---- about your world" obviously points toward the armenian-turk genocide ( in which most armenians were killed. "we fought your war with all our hearts; you sent us back in body parts" I know genocides wouldnt really me considered "wars" (because one group of people are being killed because of ethnicity, race,etc.)so obviously during the genocide the armenians "tried" to fight back.. "An unjustifiable, egotistical, power struggle" I think means an unbalance of powers or lack of communication, which started the genocide. "With all your global profits, and all your jeweled pearls", means that most people care about immaterial things.' submitted by anon.

    System are actually mainly from Lebanon. Serj and John are from Lebanon, and Daron is from the USA. Only Shavo comes from Armenia. And no, the song is definitely about war. Damn war.

  14. anonymous
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    Jan 14th 2007 !⃝

    I think this song is definitely about how the american government sends out troops that are poor but they won't even go to the battle ground. It is also about how other countries and our american government flex the american dream and deny what our american ancestors saw for us. With songs like this SOAD defends our american rights and dreams by criticizing the government that criticize our rights freedoms, loyalties and our dreams.

  15. anonymous
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    Dec 1st 2006 !⃝

    The song is about Nam' or pretty much any war

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  16. anonymous
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    Nov 19th 2006 !⃝

    OK.. I'm not all that into interpretations.. I'm more about expressing my opinion.. So I will do that =]

    ok... If you know system of a down , you will know that all four members are armenian, and "we don't give a ---- about your world" obviously points toward the armenian-turk genocide ( in which most armenians were killed. "we fought your war with all our hearts; you sent us back in body parts" I know genocides wouldnt really me considered "wars" (because one group of people are being killed because of ethnicity, race,etc.)so obviously during the genocide the armenians "tried" to fight back.. "An unjustifiable, egotistical, power struggle" I think means an unbalance of powers or lack of communication, which started the genocide. "With all your global profits, and all your jeweled pearls", means that most people care about immaterial things.

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