I was today years old when I realized why SOAD's Chop Suey is named that way (and it has a lot do with the word s**c*de)

System of a Down’s (SOAD) song Chop Suey! has a title that surprises many. The group first named the song “s**c*de,” echoing its lyric “I don’t think you trust in my self-righteous suicide,” but worried this direct name would limit radio play.

To avoid this, guitarist Daron Malakian proposed “Chop Suey!” as a pun by splitting “s**c*de” to form “suey”. The phrase also recalls old gangster movies where “make chop suey out of him” meant to finish someone off, linking back to themes of death and judgment.

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The song began life under the name “s**c*de”

When SOAD wrote the chorus “I don’t think you trust in my self-righteous suicide,” they initially titled the track “s**c*de.” Early studio takes even capture Serj Tankian saying, “We’re rolling ‘s**c*de’” just before the band kicks in."

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The band changed the name to avoid getting banned

Worried that a song called “S**c*de” would be refused by radio stations, the group agreed to find a new title that sounded less direct. Guitarist Daron Malakian later explained that Columbia Records,

“forced the band to change it to avoid controversy.”

Malakian described the final choice as a simple pun: “‘s**c*de’ chopped in half becomes ‘suey,’” which made “Chop Suey!” a ready-made replacement. He also noted that in old gangster films, “make chop suey out of him” meant to violently “finish someone off,” tying back to the song’s darker themes.

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The lyrics highlight how people judge death differently

Beyond wordplay, this SOAD's song points out that society places different judgments depending on how someone dies. Malakian observed that a fatal car crash might earn sympathy, but a death by overdose draws blame instead.

According to Louder, he said,

"If someone died in a car accident, you’d say, ‘Oh, poor thing.’ But if they died in a car accident while they were drunk, that would change your whole perception of how they died,"

The line “I cry when angels deserve to die” questions why we rarely show compassion to those who take their own lives.

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A Bible quote was added by chance in the studio

In the SOAD song’s bridge, Serj Tankian sings, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” a phrase from Jesus on the cross. In an interview with Joe Rogan, producer Rick Rubin recalled telling Serj,

“Pick a book off the wall… open it to any page, and tell me the first phrase you see,”

Turned out to be that exact line from the Bible.

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The song faced a brief ban after the September 11 attacks

Released on August 13, 2001, “Chop Suey!” quickly became a hit and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 2002. In the wake of September 11, Clear Channel Communications advised stations not to play songs referencing suicide or violence; “Chop Suey!” was listed among them. Despite this, it remained popular on video channels and among fans.

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The title still provokes thought today

By turning a serious word into a playful phrase, SOAD kept their original message intact while sidestepping outright bans. The pun and its cinematic reference encourage listeners to delve into why we judge others, especially in their final moments. Whenever you hear “Chop Suey!,” it’s a reminder to look past the surface and question our own assumptions about life, death, and compassion.

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