Bassist Shavo Odadjian Reveals Which System of a Down Song Has the Most 'WTF' Lyrics

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian is known for writing deeply personal and/or political lyrics that – at times – can be quite perplexing. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, bassist/backing vocalist Shavo Odadjian revealed which System of a Down song has the most “what the fuck?” lyrics.

What Odadjian Said

In the latest issue of Metal Hammer, Odadjian is asked by System of a Down fan Ariel Colton if any Tankian lyrics made Odadjian say, “WTF?” Almost immediately, he gives his answer: “Bounce” (from the band’s 2001 breakthrough LP, Toxicity).

Odadjian reflects:

I wrote that song musically and Serj wrote the vocals, and it was called “PJs”. Instead of “Jump! Pogo pogo pogo pogo...!”, it was like, “Da! Pisha pisha pisha pisha...!” I was like, “What the fuck are you saying, bro?!” Actually, every album has shit where I say, “What the fuck is he talking about?!” Ha ha ha! But that’s part of the beauty of Serj. He does that but there’s always something there for everyone to read into.

The seventh song on Toxicity, the characteristically abrasive “Bounce” is famously about group sex. To Odadjian’s point, the track's metaphorical mentions of pogo sticks (“Unannounced twister games / All players with no names / They lined up double quick / But just one pogo stick / Everyone gets to play / Runaway, expose' / It was so exotic / But just one pogo stick”) are eyebrow-raising, to say the least.

Metal Hammer also point out that several years ago, Tankian “described his approach to [writing] lyrics” on his Patreon page.

“I usually start with the music first, and then I'll look for inspirations,” Tankian stated (per Metal Hammer). “What is this music saying to me? What is it talking about? Is it talking about a bird? Is it talking about the Earth? Is it talking about a love? Is it talking about politics?...Once you've figured that out, then you have your theme. Your theme's important because it gives you focus.”

More About “Bounce” + Toxicity

Given its adult nature, it’s surprising to learn that “Bounce” was actually used in a trailer for 2015 animated kids movie The Secret Life of Pets. Per setlist.fm, it’s currently System of a Down’s 12th most frequently played song in concert, with 275 performances (including the most recent one on May 14, 2025 in Brazil).

Looking at Toxicity in its entirety, it released on Sept. 4, 2001 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. With standout singles such as “Aerials,” “Toxicity” and “Chop Suey!” it’s no wonder why, and in addition to advancing the quartet’s stylistic variety and musicianship, it saw them fleshing out their sociopolitical songwriting (amidst continuing their risqué humor).

Today, Toxicity remains System of a Down’s signature LP.

System of a Down in 2025

Earlier this year, System of a Down vowed to “drastically” alter their setlists for various stadium concerts, and so far, they absolutely have. Specifically, and as Loudwire reported back in April, some recent shows found them barreling through extensive setlists that featured songs from virtually every studio record which hadn’t played in over 10 years (such as “Arto,” “Marmalade,” “Streamline,” “Mind” and “Attack”).

Around the same time, Odadjian set the record straight regarding what actually happened between himself and ex-Mastodon guitarist/singer Brent Hinds after the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Per Loudwire, the night in question ended with “Hinds in the hospital with a broken nose, two black eyes and a brain hemorrhage,” and initial reports (or at least rumors) stated that Odadjian was partially – or totally – responsible for the damage.

“I never knocked out Brent Hinds,” Odadjian clarified. “That’s something that Brent was told by I-don’t-know-who.” On the contrary, Odadjian claimed, an inebriated and overly intense Hinds threw a punch of Odadjian’s friend – rapper Reverend William Burk – after which Burk landed a “self-defense” punch that resulted in Hinds falling to the ground and being “knocked out.”

In the years since the incident, Hinds and other members of Mastodon similarly agreed that Odadjian wasn't responsible for Hinds' injuries.