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"Prison Song" is a condemnation of the American prison system, complete with statistics and factoids to back up their claims. In the '80s, the US prison population expanded at a startling rate because of a crackdown on drug offenders and mandatory minimum sentences.
- Overview
- Lyrics:
"Prison Song" is the first track on System of a Down's 2001 album Toxicity. The song was released as an unofficial airplay-only single, and a promotional live video of the song was released.
Written by Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian, the lyrics are about the United States prison industrial complex, the world's largest. The song expresses the belief that the government is partially responsible for the spread of the use of illegal drugs and thus somewhat responsible for the fact that more than half of the inmates in American federal prisons are there for drug-related offenses. Though the song is mostly sung by the lead vocalist, Tankian, a few lines preceding the chorus are sung by Malakian, who mocks, "I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch right here in Hollywood". The "...right here in Hollywood" verse has been changed in concerts depending where it is performed, such as Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Some lines that stand out are: "All research and successful drug policies show that treatment should be increased/ And law enforcement decreased/ while abolishing mandatory minimum sentences," "Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world/ Drugs are now your global policy now you police the globe... drug money is used to rig elections/ And train brutal corporate sponsored dictators/ Around the world" "Minor drug offenders fill your prisons/You don't even flinch, all our taxes paying for your wars against the new non-rich..."
This is one of the few songs on Toxicity to utilize Serj's infamous death growl and when played live, strobe lights usually come on during the death growl bits.
There was a CD with the demo version of the song released by System of a Down called Beno's Copy.
[Intro: Serj Tankian]
[Verse 1: Serj Tankian]
Following the rights movements, you clamped down with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids
Following the rights movements, you clamped down with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids
Sep 4, 2001 · “Prison Song” is a criticism of the prison-industrial complex, the war on drugs, and the incredibly high rate of incarceration in America compared to other modern nations.
David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville.
Instead of given facts about the benefits of safe drug use, we're told they're all bad and will end up in prison if we do them. I like the first verse: "following the rights movements you clamped down with your iron fists."
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May 24, 2016 · Discover the REAL story of Folsom Prison Blues, the anthem which would become one of Johnny Cash’s most beloved and well-known songs.
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Jill, is an uneployed 37 year old woman who has been in and out of prisons her whole life for a viraity of violent crimes, who just killed 3 people for looking at her cock-eyed. Jill can get a lawyer to plead down her sentence to 4 or 5 years, mabye lower.
