Walk with me my little child
To the forest of denial
Speak with me my only mind
Walk with me until the time
And make the forest turn to wine
You take the legend for a fall
You saw the product

Why can't you see that you are my child
Why don't you know that you are my mind
Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you
Take this promise to the end of you

Walk with me my little friend
Take this promise to the end
Speak with me my only mind
Walk with me until the end
And make the forest turn to sand
You take the legend for a fall
You saw the product

Why can't you see that you are my child
Why don't you know that you are my mind
Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you
Take this promise to the end of you

Take this promise for a ride
You saw the forest, now come inside
You took the legend for its fall
You saw the product of it all
No televisions in the air
No circumcisions on the chair
You made the weapons for us all
Just look at us now

Why can't you see that you are my child
Why don't you know that you are my mind
Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you
Take this promise to the end of you


Lyrics submitted by F4RiD

Forest Lyrics as written by Daron V. Malakian Serj Tankian

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Forest song meanings
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215 Comments

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  • +12
    General Comment

    I think in this song the speaker is the actual religion of Judaism and it’s speaking to Christianity and Islam. It’s stating that both of those religions are simply different time/cultural interpretations of the same concept. Unfortunately ethnocentrism is so strong that they all hate each other for thinking differently. SOAD sees this and is basically telling them to all calm down and quit trippin’. It’s the same damn thing so quit hating each other. Quit fighting each other. “You took the legend for its fall, you saw the product of it all” is pointing out that after all these hundreds of years these three different monotheistic sects are trying to claim the same God, and with him his legends, and look how it turned out in the end…violencenad hate Now that we see that it didn’t work it’s time for us all to accept and respect all different religions because we’re all reaching the same “promise to the end.”

    bigjonon June 11, 2008   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I think it says that our minds have the capacity to do a lot of good things but also bad things, "you made the weapons for us all" means that we made the weapons and we are not taking the responsability to use them correctly; for self protection. And the "just look at us now" is telling that we have turned out wrong.

    claudinaon December 14, 2001   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Maybe i'm crazy, but I think the song is about an interaction with God trying to explain to Christ that he is not just a man, but that he was created in his image.

    the chorus the reference to miracles (turn to wine, sand) tell everone that I'm you (created in image) take this promise to the end of you ( even if the truth kills you)

    waxxytwoon January 11, 2002   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    For me, this is written from the perspective of god... which is of course... you, and SOAD..

    When we are born we forget that we are actually god. There is only one of us here. The purpose is to rediscover our godliness and the power we have the create new worlds in each and every moment. So.. this is god's cry to all of us that still haven't remembered that we are actually god. There is just ONE being here, split into billions of little parts.

    "Why can't you see that you are my child?"

    Every human on Earth is is part of the one complete whole. We are all children of the same parent - We are all family.

    "Why don't you know that you are my mind"

    We are all the awesome power of god's mind expressing itself in a physical form.

    "Tell everyone in the world that I'm you"

    Once you remember you are god, you have to take it upon yourself to remind others around you that still haven't realised this

    "Take this promise to the end of you"

    Promise to remind others of their godliness until you die.

    nial109624on May 09, 2015   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song reminds me of the novel, THE SCARLET LETTER. In such a case, where the child called to the forest which is the main characters daughter, and in come cases her own flesh and damned future. The forest which is an actual forest means so much more than a few trees and shade. It symbolizes the comfort of freedom from labels and tortures of society. It is however presumed to be evil by all who do not understand it, there-in to be lef to the "forest" some would call it "temptation".....

    LyingEyeson March 05, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i think this song fits the religious view that some people have been saying with lines like:

    "walk with me my little child, to the forest of denial" - God telling Jesus to walk with him (be guided by him) to the 'forest of denial' which could be the people in Israel who were starting to turn away from God.

    "speak with my my only mind, walk with me until the time" - God telling Jesus to talk with him, and be guided by him until the time when he had to be crucified (the time)

    "why cant you see that you are my child, why dont you know that you are my mind" - Jesus possibly denied or questioned God while he was dying on the cross, this is God talking back to him.

    "tell everyone in the world that I'm you, take this promise to the end of you" - God commanding Jesus to tell everyone that he is God's son, and to take this promise to the end of him (his crucifixion)

    it fits the religious theme, but SOAD is more of a political band then a religious one, so who knows what theyre trying to say............

    Bocciballson July 02, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is about Myths as Jesus Christ and the Religions.

    "Why can't you see that you are my child, Why don't you know that you are my mind, Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you, Take this promise to the end of you."

    This part says that Jusus is the son of God, and everything he says or do is part of God's will, and he has to tell it to everyone, and everyone has to follow JC 'till death and "afterlife".

    "Walk with me my little child, To the forest of denial, Speak with me my only mind, Walk with me until the time, And make the forest turn to wine, You take the legend for a fall, You saw the product,"

    This part says "Trust in Me even if major part of the people says I do not exist, and he will attend you only if you say what "He wants to listen" and "Do everything He wants you to do". But some people stop believing in God, or some gives a wrong meaning for the "legend" (Like "money churches"), or kill in the name of God, as some Muslim, and then, you saw what happened with the legend.

    "Take this promise for a ride, You saw the forest, now come inside, You took the legend for its fall, You saw the product of it all, No televisions in the air, No circumcisions on the chair, You made the weapons for us all, Just look at us now,"

    This part says that some people stop believing, or stop going to the church and apply their obligations with God, beeing part of the "forest of denial" (people who says "no" to God), and you begin to say that it is a lie, that god does not exist, and to conflict with people who believe, telling what happens when you are out of the "real world" and lives to God. After that, the "church" is a bit down, people are leaving it, stoping to believe. People says that God have to do good things, and the comandments says "Thou shall not kill", "thou shall not lie", so, why god gave inteligence to make guns and weapons? Now, look what people do for God, some kill, some lie about god for money, some do nothing.

    Rapunzaon November 05, 2010   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    This song is about the mental mask we put up before our real inner selves to appear a certain way both to the outside world and to ourselves.The real inner self (lets call it “mind” from now on) is talking to the mask (little child it created). It tries to show himself to the mask and make the mask realise that the mask is just a product of the real inner self.

    “Walk with me my little child,” = The mind inviting the mask to listen to what he has to say “To the forest of denial,“ = The forest of denial are the barriers the mask created to prevent it from seeing it’s true origin from the mind, that’s why it's the forest of denial Speak with me my only mind, = Again, the mind inviting the mask to speak with it (And make the forest turn to wine,) = (changed the order to make it more understandable) to break down the barriers (trees in the forrest) preventing the mask from seeing the mind, when turned into wine it would be easy to see through the forest Walk with me until the time, = listen to what the mind has You take the legend for a fall, = until the legend (the light in wish the mask thinks of itself) falls You saw the product, = the legend falls because the mask sees that he is the product of the mind

    Why can't you see that you are my child, = the mask doesn’t see he’s just a creation (child) of the mind Why don't you know that you are my mind, = similar message, other phrasing Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you, = the mask convinces everyone (including himself) that it’s the true identity and not just a mask Take this promise to the end of you. = keep telling everyone (and yourself) that you’re not a mask, until the end of you, meaning the end of the mask/the time the mask realises it’s a mask

    Take this promise for a ride, You saw the forest, now come inside, = at this point the mask realised what it is, he saw the forest through the trees (now turned into wine/sand) You took the legend for its fall, = same... You saw the product of it all, = same ... No televisions in the air, = ? No circumcisions on the chair, = ? You made the weapons for us all, = ? Just look at us now,

    HugeZebraon December 07, 2014   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    This whole song is a double entendre of God speaking to man through Jesus and, also to Jesus. It references Jesus time in the forest where he was tempted by Satan. "The forest" is symbolic for our time in this world. Jesus is symbolic for mankind.

    In Christianity, Jesus is referred to as the son of God = God’s child (My child). Mankind is God's creation. Thus, we are all "children" of God. Which is why in this song God, is referencing mankind in the singular form, as his “child” (my child).

    God speaking: Walk with me my little “child” = walk with me Jesus/mankind

    To the “forest of denial” = this world, where we deny God and what we are (part of God’s mind)

    Speak with me my only mind = talk to me Jesus, “My only mind”, “My only Son”, “My only child”, listen to this enlightenment I’m about to share with you

    Walk with me until “the time” = the time of Christ’s death, also references the time after we and are no longer apart of “this world"

    And make the forest turn to wine = when we leave this world and enter heaven, also refers to how Jesus death will turn the world into a better place. Also, “turn to wine” is just another clever example of all the ways he references Jesus

    You take the legend for a fall = The legend is “Jesus Christ”, the fall is “Christ’s death”

    You saw the product = Jesus saw what this existence truly was

    Again, this song is God (in verse 2, Lucifer) talking to Jesus and all of mankind at the same time which brings us to the chorus:

    Why can't you see that you are my child = God talking to all of mankind, “why don’t you realize you are of my being”

    Why don't you know that you are my mind = God is questioning humanity, suggesting we are blind and can't see that our existence is coming from his mind

    Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you = God speaking to man (as well as to Jesus) that we are all part of his mind and being, thus we are a form of God". Which is why Jesus refers to himself as the Son of God

    Take this promise to the end of you = another double entendre of God speaking to man through Jesus 1.) to Jesus... “promise you’ll make this sacrifice Jesus until your (death on the cross)”, 2.) God asking humanity to acknowledge this truth until “the end” of our existence. Essentially, pleading with man to wake up and realize what we are.

    The 2nd chorus I believe, is Lucifer’s walk with Jesus through the “forest” where Lucifer wanted Jesus to bow and acknowledge him as God, in exchange for everything in this world.

    Walk with me “my little frrrriend” <<< this is Lucifer talking to Jesus. Referring to Jesus as a “friend” …not as a child

    Take this promise to the end = The promise being that Jesus would acknowledge Lucifer as God

    Speak with me my only mind = Lucifer trying to convince Jesus he is God

    Walk with me until the end = rule by my side until the end, if you acknowledge me as God

    And make the forest turn to sand = you will destroy this world (the forest) as it is now and rule as it's prince until the end (until the world turns to sand)

    You take the legend for a fall = you become legend “the prince of this world”, for a fall, “falling for temptation”, "falling from Heaven"

    You saw the product = Lucifer saying you saw all that I was willing to give you in exchange for you bowing to me.

    Finally, the last verse is “God” talking to Jesus again, as well as the writer mocking religion.

    Take this promise for a “ride” = the ride is this life

    You saw the forest, now come inside = you experienced this world Jesus now come inside heaven

    You took the legend for its fall = you sacrificed your life and became legend

    You saw the product of it all = you witnessed what the purpose of this existence truly is

    No televisions in the air = now in heaven there’s no televisions (lies) in the air

    No circumcisions on the chair = no need for made up rules (mutilate your body for religion, circumcisions are a Judaic practice)

    You made the weapons for us all = this is where the writer mocks Jesus, saying you gave birth to a religion that causes humanity to commit atrocities in the name of you (Jesus)

    Just look at us now = just look us now Jesus…look at all the Holy Wars that have been waged in your name and your like. This is also a shot at all religions. Which is usually the theme in most of SOAD’s songs.

    Logical1on June 08, 2019   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think its about uncovering something about his childhood that was he was denying, and is now just coming to terms with it.. not sure though, it doesn't seem to explain the full song.

    axenicon December 07, 2001   Link

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