"B.Y.O.B." ("Bring Your Own Bombs") is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in March 2005 as the lead single from their fourth album Mezmerize. Like their earlier song Boom!, it was written in protest against the Iraq War. The song reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's only top 40 hit.

Music video

Directed by Jake Nava, the music video for "B.Y.O.B." shows an army of soldiers marching through the streets, wearing paintball masks with television screens projecting words like "Die", "Truth", "Obey", or "Buy". The band members are playing in the middle of the street. During the chorus, the band is shown playing inside a night club. Midway through the video, co-lead vocalist Daron Malakian is screaming the lyrics when the soldiers storm the night club and force everyone to put on the masks, during which the masks show images of television shows and war. At the end of the video, the band members are shown wearing the masks which are displaying static.

Songwriting legal case

Casey Chaos claimed to have helped write the song in 2002, and Malakian offered to gift him a 2% royalties credit. When Chaos asked for more, the offer was rescinded. Casey Chaos then subsequently sold a 50% interest in the song to Maxwood Music Ltd. However, in 2010 a Manhattan court ruled Malakian and Tankian to be the sole writers of the song.

Accolades

Track listing

Personnel

System of a Down Production Additional personnel

Chart positions

Certifications