Spiders (System of a Down song)

"Spiders"
"Spiders"
Single by System of a Down
from the album System of a Down and Scream 3: The Album
Released	February 10, 1999
Recorded	November 1997 – March 1998;
Studio	Sound City Studios, Van Nuys; Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research Studios, Hollywood;
Genre	Nu metal; alternative metal;
Length	3:35
Label	American
Songwriter(s)	Serj Tankian; Daron Malakian;
Producer(s)	Rick Rubin; System of a Down;
System of a Down singles chronology
Music video
	“Spiders” on YouTube

"Spiders" is a song by the American heavy metal band System of a Down released as the second single 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.

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Spiders"	Serj Tankian	Daron Malakian	3:35

Chart positions

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

Certifications

Certifications for "Sugar"
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[5]	Gold	15,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Essi Berelian (10 August 2016). "The Top 10 Essential Nu Metal Albums". Teamrock.com.
^ Blum, Jordan. "10 Facts About System of a Down's Debut Only Superfans Would Know". Loudwire. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
^ "System of a Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
^ "System of a Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
^ "New Zealand single certifications – System of a Down – Spiders". Radioscope. Retrieved December 30, 2024. Type Spiders in the "Search:" field.

External links

Song lyrics

[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.

[sc_Billboardalternativesongs_System_of_a_Down-3] "System of a Down Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.

[sc_Billboardmainstreamrock_System_of_a_Down-4] "System of a Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.

[New_ZealandSystem_of_a_DownSpiderssingleCertRef-5] "New Zealand single certifications – System of a Down – Spiders". Radioscope. Retrieved December 30, 2024. Type Spiders in the "Search:" field.

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