Brad's success as the drummer of Rage Against the Machine came from the failure of a different band; he once auditioned for a band called Lock Up, who released one album (titled Somethin' Bitchin' This Way Comes) through Geffen records in 1989 and broke up when the album received little media attention upon release. Former Lock Up guitarist Tom Morello was looking to pick up where Lock Up left off and start a new band, and called up Brad to see if he was interested in playing the drums. A short while after, the duo met Zack de la Rocha, a rapper, and through de la Rocha met bassist Tim Commerford (a childhood friend of Zack's) and Rage Against the Machine was born.
When Zack De La Rocha left Rage Against the Machine in late 2000, Brad and the two remaining members, Tom Morello and Tim Commerford, opted to stay together to form a new rock band. Producer Rick Rubin suggested they have a jam session with former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. The meeting was an immediate success and they subsequently formed a band called Civilian, which was later renamed Audioslave. Brad Wilk has been the drummer of Audioslave since its formation in 2001.
Sleep Now in the Fire
Brad Wilk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world is my expense
It's the cost of my desire
Jesus blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
So raise your fists and march around
Ill jail and bury those committed
And smother the rest in greed
Crawl with me into tomorrow
Or I'll drag you to your grave
I'm deep inside your children
They'll betray you in my name
Hey, hey, sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey, sleep now in the fire
The lie is my expense
The scope of my desire
The party blessed me with it's future
And I protect it with fire
I am the Niña, the Pinta, the Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist, the fields overseer
The agents of orange, the Priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire, sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey, sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey, sleep now in the fire
For it's the end of history
It's caged and frozen still
There is no other pill to take
So swallow the one that made you ill
The Niña, the Pinta, the Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist, the fields overseer
The agents of orange, the Priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire to sleep now in the fire
Yeah
Sleep now in the fire
Sleep now in the fire
Sleep now in the fire
Sleep now in the fire
The lyrics of this song depict a powerful message about the corruption and greed of the world. The opening lines, "The world is my expense, it's the cost of my desire" represent the idea that the world's resources are being used to fulfill the selfish desires of those in power. The mention of Jesus and blessings in the second line may symbolize how the powerful use religion to justify their actions. The line "And I protect it with fire" suggests that the powerful will go to extreme lengths to maintain their control and protect their wealth.
The chorus, "Sleep now in the fire" is a warning that the state of the world is ultimately self-destructive, and those in power will be the ones responsible for it. The following lines "The lie is my expense, the scope of my desire, the party blessed me with its future" refers to politicians and those in power who use deceptive tactics to maintain their control over the masses. The line "They'll betray you in my name" symbolizes how the next generation is being molded by those in power to continue their long-standing legacy of greed and corruption.
The third verse emphasizes the idea of history repeating itself through the mention of past atrocities such as the agents of orange (referring to the Vietnam War) and the Priests of Hiroshima. The line "There is no other pill to take, so swallow the one that made you ill" gives the impression that people are being forced to accept the current state of the world, even if it is harmful to them.
Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of the world's injustices and the destructive consequences of greed and corruption.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is my expense
The world is costly and I am willing to pay for it
It's the cost of my desire
My desire is expensive, but I am willing to pay whatever it takes
Jesus blessed me with its future
I have been divinely blessed with a prosperous future
And I protect it with fire
I am willing to defend my future at any cost
So raise your fists and march around
Stand up for your beliefs and take action
Just don't take what you need
Do not take more than you require at the expense of others
Ill jail and bury those committed
I will punish those who disobey
And smother the rest in greed
I will exploit others for my own gain
Crawl with me into tomorrow
Follow me blindly into the future
Or I'll drag you to your grave
If you do not follow me, I will destroy you
I'm deep inside your children
I have influenced and corrupted the youth
They'll betray you in my name
The youth will turn on their families and follow me instead
The lie is my expense
My lies are expensive, but necessary for my vision
The scope of my desire
My desire is expansive and all-encompassing
The party blessed me with it's future
The political party I support has ensured my success
And I protect it with fire
I am willing to defend my success at any cost
I am the Niña, the Pinta, the Santa Maria
I am the conqueror, the explorer, the missionary
The noose and the rapist, the fields overseer
I am also the executioner, the rapist, and the oppressor
The agents of orange, the Priests of Hiroshima
I am capable of incredible destruction and atrocity
The cost of my desire, sleep now in the fire
My actions have led to destruction and those who oppose me will suffer
For it's the end of history
This is the end, there is no going back
It's caged and frozen still
The future is predetermined and unchanging
There is no other pill to take
There are no other solutions or ways out
So swallow the one that made you ill
Accept your fate and the consequences of your actions
Sleep now in the fire
Succumb to my power and control
Sleep now in the fire
Accept your fate and give in to my power
Sleep now in the fire
Your only option is to follow me and meet your ultimate end
Sleep now in the fire
You are powerless against me and I will ultimately win
Contributed by Aria T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.