Tentative Lyrics
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight
While you are talking all detached, so tell us
[Pre-Chorus: Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Where you going? To the bottom?
Do you hear us? We are rotting
[Chorus: Serj Tankian, Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now
[Verse 2: Serj Tankian, Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Ceremonies have killed religions, for they provide
The masked comforts to delusionals, they're all in fright
The true believer's head was bathed and in sunlight
While you are walking all detached, so tell us
[Pre-Chorus: Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Where you going? To the bottom?
Do you hear us? We are rotting
[Chorus: Serj Tankian, Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now
Not even God, no one saved us
No one's gonna save us
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall? Ah, ah
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect them to go when the bombs fall? Ah
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
[Verse 3: Serj Tankian, Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight
While you are talking all detached
Detached, detached, detached, detached
[Chorus: Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now
Not even God, no one saved us, no one saved us
No one saved us, no one's gonna save us now
[Outro: Serj Tankian & Daron Malakian]
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
About
“Tentative” is a war stance, in which Serj and Daron sing from the perspective of bombing victims—innocent and vulnerable people, crying out to those in charge to save them.
Serj Tankian experienced bomb attacks when he lived in Lebanon as a kid. This served as an inspiration for him to write this and many other System of a Down songs about war.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
I remember stuff like school and the streets and just specif visual memories of Lebanon, but I also remember the last few months where the schools were closed down and we couldn’t leave the house because there were bombs going off everywhere and you can hear bombs falling in the sky. It’s a memory that doesn’t leave you ever. If you’ve ever experienced that whether you’re in Eastern Europe or anywhere you’ve been in the world. If you ever hear a bomb fall, it’s something you will never ever forget and I think it makes you less likely to ever allow your own government for whatever reason to drop bombs on another nation or people.
- 1.Attack
- 2.Dreaming
- 4.Hypnotize
- 6.Tentative
- 7.U-Fig
- 11.Lonely Day
- 12.Soldier Side
