In this song, System of a Down denounces the reason behind every war: power struggles, using the Christian Inquisition and modern warfare on the Middle East as examples. The song was released in 1998 on System’s debut album.
This song is actually more specific to the CIA funding troops in Nicaragua...
[Verse 1: Serj Tankian]
Dark is the light, the man you fight with all your prayers, incantations
Running away, a trivial day of judgment and deliverance
To whom was sold this bounty soul, a gentile or a priest?
Who victored over the Seljuks when the holy land was taken?
[Chorus: Serj Tankian]
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
[Verse 2: Serj Tankian]
Was it the riches of the land, powers of bright darkness
That lead the nobles to the East to fight the heathens
[Chorus: Serj Tankian]
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
[Post-Chorus]
Now, we will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
Now, we will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
[Bridge: Serj Tankian]
We must call upon our bright darkness
Beliefs, they're the bullets of the wicked
One was written on the sword
For you must enter a room to destroy it, destroy it, destroy it
No International security, no call of the righteous man
Needs a reason to kill a man, history teaches us so
The reason he must attain must be approved by his God
His child, partisan brother of war
[Pre-Chorus]
Of war, we don't speak anymore
Of war, we don't speak anymore
Of war, we don't speak anymore
Of war, we don't speak anymore
[Chorus]
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
[Outro]
Now, we will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
Now, we will fight the heathens, we will fight the heathens
War? was written by Daron Malakian & Serj Tankian.
War? was produced by System Of A Down & Rick Rubin.
System Of A Down released War? on Tue Jun 30 1998.
Serj wrote this on the booklet of the disc, before the lyrics to this song:
We first fought the heathens in the name of religion, then Communism, and now in the name of drugs and terrorism. Our excuses for global domination always change.