29

W’Art?!

“Lost in Hollywood”

(a song by System Of A Down, album: Mezmerize, 2005) "So that’s how I think of Hollywood. People who don’t live here see it as a fantasy land. But I see people giving up their morals, giving up their lives, giving up everything for this town. All the girls who came here to be actresses and ended up as porn stars; all the girls who came here to be models and ended up strippers…"

Daron Malakian understands Hollywood’s dirty reality pretty well. Before he became a co-founder and guitarist of System Of A Down – one of the most recognizable rock/ metal bands – he had lived near Santa Monica Boulevard with his parents. As a child he witnessed all that’s wrong with Hollywood, even though his parents tried to protect him. From the playground of his school he would watch prostitutes, homeless, drug addicts and drunks walking down the streets. Growing up, he witnessed countless stories of broken dreams: ambitious musicians with their talents being taken advantage of, young actresses beautiful dreams, being promised fame, but ending up on a being forced to become porn stars to survive, street corner. hopeful young artists becoming drug addicts. He saw people coming to L.A. full of hope and Having eye-witnessed those experiences, in his adult life as a successful musician, Malakian decided to write a song about

the way Hollywood really was. The lyrics of the „Lost in Hollywood” ballad depict this cruel world of competitive music/movie industry, where people exploit others on a daily basis. Showbusiness manipulates people, makes them cynical, breaks them.

"Lost in Hollywood" is an over 5 minutes long grim ballad. The lyrical subject is trying to warn a girl, who came to Hollywood in order to fulfill her dream of being famous. He tells her that she will be treated as an object, manipulated and exploited. He shows her a city full of lies, deception, selfishness, dirt and crime.

I consider this song a musical masterpiece. I love that it is full of emotional, protracted howls performed by Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian. Their sonorous, clear voices give me shivers every time I listen to this song. A subtle guitar track is just a background for beautiful vocals; quietly growing drum rhythm is building tension. It creates a very specific mood of hopelessness, feeling of injustice and sad rage.

I think this song deserves a bigger recognition. It sends a very clear message: it exposes a dark side of any artistic industry, which is based on human talent exploitation to get enormous money for big business companies. This song serves as a warning for young artists, but also as a reminder for us, not to trust the colourful images of carefree "fantasy land" Hollywood that we see in TV and newspapers.

Lyrics I'll wait here, you're crazy Those vicious streets are filled with strays You should've never gone to Hollywood They find you, two time you Say you're the best they've ever seen You should've never trusted Hollywood

I wrote you and told you You were the biggest fish out here You should've never gone to Hollywood They take you and make you They looked at you in disgusting ways You should've never trusted Hollywood

I was standing on the wall, feeling ten feet tall All you maggots smoking fags on Santa Monica Boulevard This is my front page, this is my new age All you bitches put your hands in the air And wave 'em like you just don't care All you maggots smoking fags out there on Sunset Boulevard All you bitches put your hands in the air And wave 'em like you just don't care

Phony people come to pray, ah, ah, ah Look at all of them beg to stay Phony people come to pray, ah The lines in the letter said, "We have gone to Hackensack" Look at all of them beg to stay Phony people come to pray

All you maggots smoking fags on Santa Monica Boulevard All you maggots smoking fags out there on Sunset Boulevard All you maggots smoking fags out there on Hollywood Boulevard You should've never trusted Hollywood You should've never gone to Hollywood All you bitches put your hands in the air And wave 'em like you just don't care