Spiders (System of a Down song)

"Spiders"
Single by System of a Down
from the album System of a Down
ReleasedFebruary 10, 1999
Recorded
  • November 1997 – March 1998
Studio
  • Sound City Studios, Van Nuys
  • Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research Studios, Hollywood
Genre
Length3:35
LabelAmerican
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
System of a Down singles chronology
"Sugar"
(1998) 		"Spiders"
(1999) 		"Chop Suey!"
(2001)
Music video
“Spiders” on YouTube

"Spiders" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down from their self-titled debut album.

The song was on the soundtrack for the movie Scream 3, and was even briefly featured in the film itself. It was also used in the video game Rock Band 4.

Music

"Spiders", like many of System of a Down's songs, is written in the key of C minor. The song relies heavily on the Cm, B♭, and E♭ chords, as well as Fm, Gm, A♭, B, and D♭. "Spiders" uses 4/4 time at a slow tempo, and employs drum-rolls and syncopation in the verses. The music can be described as haunting, ominous, dark, frightening, and depressing with its dark melody and echoing vocal overdubs. Serj Tankian's vocals, while low and melodic in the verses, become more energetic and dissonant in the refrains. The song's minor-key intro serves as a musical motif for the rest of the song; it repeats throughout the song in its normal and raised third forms. After the second refrain, Daron Malakian delivers a solo bridge that creates harmonic tension with its B and D♭ (non-key) chords. The song ends with a soft vocal version of the intro motif.

Music video

A music video was directed by Charlie Deaux. Recently, a second version of the video has surfaced on video sharing websites such as YouTube, featuring a more coherent timeline and more footage of the band compared to the other actors.[citation needed]

As of June 2023, the song has 119 million views on YouTube.

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Spiders"Serj TankianDaron Malakian3:35

Chart positions

Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[3] 38
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[4] 25

References

  1. ^ Essi Berelian (10 August 2016). "The Top 10 Essential Nu Metal Albums". Teamrock.com.
  2. ^ Blum, Jordan. "10 Facts About System of a Down's Debut Only Superfans Would Know". Loudwire. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  3. ^ "System of a Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  4. ^ "System of a Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.

External links