"Question!" is a song by Armenian American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in July 2005 as the second single of their fourth album Mezmerize.
"Question!" | ||||
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Single by System of a Down | ||||
from the album Mezmerize | ||||
Released | July 12, 2005 | |||
Recorded |
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Length | 3:20 | |||
Label |
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Songwriter(s) | Serj Tankian | |||
Producer(s) |
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System of a Down singles chronology | ||||
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Maxi single | ||||
![]() Cover of the maxi single of "Question!". | ||||
DVD single | ||||
![]() Cover of the DVD single of "Question!". | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Question!" on YouTube | ||||
Shavo Odadjian produced the video (and co-directed it alongside Howard Greenhalgh) after allegedly having an image of the video in a nightmare. It is claimed that before the dream he had no intentions of producing the video and did not want any special treatment over other possible producers for being in the band, thus submitting the idea anonymously.[1]
The video was shot in the now-closed Los Angeles Theater, which opened in 1931. "It's an amazing old theater that is due for renovation," Tankian said of the place. "I'm glad they haven't renovated it yet, because it has the right character for what we were looking for. It has a fairy tale vibe."[1]
The opening scene is of a boy with gray hair, clothes, and skin shooting a red bird with a slingshot, which coincides with the start of the song. At this point the video switches to a scene of the band members on a theater stage, performing music for a play; similar to an orchestra playing under the pit. The play is based on a theme of life, death, and reincarnation, revolving around two lovers, a man in a dark suit and a woman in a red dress, who are shown both as children and adults. As the music reaches its climax, the woman collapses after eating a red berry and the man screams in grief. The video closes with an intense scene of a woman giving birth followed by a shot of a newborn baby wrapped in red cloth. The color red is central to the video, tying together the bird, the girl, the woman, and the baby in a cycle of rebirth.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
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1. | "Question!" (album version) | S. Tankian | S. Tankian | 3:21 |
2. | "Sugar" (explicit live version) | S. Tankian |
| 3:54 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
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1. | "Question!" (album version) | S. Tankian | S. Tankian | 3:21 |
2. | "Forest" (explicit live version) | S. Tankian | D. Malakian | 5:11 |
3. | "Prison Song" (explicit live version) |
| D. Malakian | 3:27 |
4. | "Question!" (live video) | S. Tankian | S. Tankian | 3:25 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
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1. | "Question!" (concept video) | S. Tankian |
| 3:48 |
2. | "B.Y.O.B." (concept video) |
| D. Malakian | 4:17 |
3. | "Sugar" (explicit live version) | S. Tankian |
| 3:54 |
4. | "B.Y.O.B." (explicit live from Astoria) |
| D. Malakian | 4:19 |
Chart (2005) | Peak position |
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Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)[2] | 29 |
Hungary (Single Top 40)[3] | 7 |
Ireland (IRMA)[4] | 47 |
UK Singles (OCC)[5] | 41 |
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[6] | 2 |
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[7] | 9 |
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[8] | 7 |
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Studio albums | |
Singles |
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Promo singles | |
Tours |
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Related |
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