"Question!" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down, released in July 2005 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Mezmerize (2005).
| "Question!" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by System of a Down | ||||
| from the album Mezmerize | ||||
| Released | July 12, 2005 | |||
| Studio | The Mansion and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research (Los Angeles) | |||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Serj Tankian | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| System of a Down singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Maxi single | ||||
 Cover of the maxi single of "Question!". | ||||
| DVD single | ||||
 Cover of the DVD single of "Question!". | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Question!" on YouTube | ||||
Release
editAfter the release of "B.Y.O.B.", the band were deciding what song to release as a single. They eventually chose "Question!" after finding out radio stations had already been playing the track.[1]
Music video
editShavo Odadjian produced the video (and co-directed it alongside Howard Greenhalgh) after allegedly having an image of the video in a nightmare, which consisted of a boy offering a girl berries, unaware that the berries were poisonous.[2] It is claimed that before the dream he did not intend to produce the video and did not want any special treatment over other possible producers for being in the band, thus submitting the idea anonymously.[3]
The video was shot in the now-closed Los Angeles Theatre, which opened in 1931. Tankian described the place, "It's an amazing old theater that is due for renovation. I'm glad they haven't renovated it yet, because it has the right character for what we were looking for. It has a fairy tale vibe."[3]
The video opens with a boy with gray hair, clothes, and skin shooting a red bird with a slingshot, which coincides with the start of the song. It then switches to a scene of the band members on a theater stage performing music for a play, similar to an orchestra playing under the pit. Based on a theme of life, death, and reincarnation, the play revolves around two lovers, a man in a dark suit and a woman in a red dress, who are shown both as children and as adults. As the music reaches its climax, the woman collapses after eating a red berry and the man screams in grief. The video closes with an intense scene of a woman giving birth followed by a shot of a newborn baby wrapped in red cloth. The color red is central to the video, linking the bird, the girl, the woman, and the baby in a cycle of rebirth.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Question!" (Album version) | Tankian | Tankian | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Sugar" (Explicit live version) | Tankian | Malakian, Odadjian | 3:54 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Question!" (Album version) | Tankian | Tankian | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Forest" (Explicit live version) | Tankian | Malakian | 5:11 |
| 3. | "Prison Song" (Explicit live version) | Tankian, Malakian | Malakian | 3:27 |
| 4. | "Question!" (Live video) | Tankian | Tankian | 3:25 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Question!" (Concept video) | Tankian | Tankian, Malakian | 3:48 |
| 2. | "B.Y.O.B." (Concept video) | Tankian, Malakian | Malakian | 4:17 |
| 3. | "Sugar" (Explicit live version) | Tankian | Malakian, Odadjian | 3:54 |
| 4. | "B.Y.O.B." (Explicit live from Astoria) | Malakian, Tankian | Malakian | 4:19 |
Personnel
editSystem of a Down
- Serj Tankian – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Daron Malakian – guitar, backing vocals
- Shavo Odadjian – bass
- John Dolmayan – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- Marc Mann – string arrangements
Production
- Rick Rubin – production
- Andy Wallace – mixing
- David Schiffman – engineering
- Jason Lader – editing
- Dana Neilsen – editing
- Phillip Broussard – engineering assistance
- John O'Mahony – Pro Tools engineering
- Steve Sisco – mixing assistance
- Joe Peluso – mixing assistance
- Vartan Malakian – artwork
- Brandy Flower – graphic design
Charts
edit| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)[4] | 29 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[5] | 7 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[6] | 47 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 41 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[8] | 2 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[9] | 9 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[10] | 7 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Moss, Corey (June 27, 2005). "No More 'Questions': System Of A Down Name New Single". MTV News. MTV. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ "For The Record: Quick News On Foo Fighters/ Weezer Tour, System Of A Down, Common And D'Angelo & More". MTV News. MTV. July 18, 2005. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ a b System of a Down Pose "Question!" Rolling Stone
- ^ "RR Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). p. 63. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "Chart Track: Week 40, 2002". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "System of a Down Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "System of a Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "System of a Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
- ^ "American single certifications – System of a Down – Question!". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 4, 2022.