Now this is how you start an album, especially one titled Steal This Album. It’s like a jab at modern-day consumerism, especially with a chorus that houses this message:

Need therapy, therapy, advertising causes need

The marketing mantra of “create a need” is blamed for Serj’s obsession with the contents of his fridge. Rather than drag us along for the ride, he lays the situation out and invites us to steal their album to shield us from contributing to this phenomenon.

“Chic ‘N’ Stu” is also a shortened way of saying “Chicken Stew.” It’s also paying homage to Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz, sports announcers, the former who coined the term “Ball game’s in the refrigerator.”

This song was in the works since at least early 1999, being played live for the first time in April that year at a show in Japan. This early version of Chic ‘N’ Stu instrumentally remains identical, although Daron’s additional vocals have not been fully realized by that point. It can be heard here.