Down Rodeo
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics


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Yeah I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one

So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun

Bangin' this bolo tight on this solo flight can't fight alone
Funk tha track my verbs fly like tha family stone
Tha pen devils set that stage for tha war at home
Locked wit out a wage ya standin' in tha drop zone
The clockers born starin' at an empty plate
Momma's torn hands cover her sunken face
We hungry but them belly full
The structure is set ya neva change it with a ballot pull
In tha ruins there's a network for tha toxic rock
School yard ta precinct, suburb ta project block
Bosses broke south for new flesh and a factory floor
The remains left chained to the powder war

Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
So make a move and plead the fifth 'cause ya can't plead the first
Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one

Yes I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one

So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun

Bare witness to tha sickest shot while suckas get romantic
They ain't gonna send us campin' like they did my man Fred Hampton
Still we lampin' still clockin' dirt for our sweat
A ballots dead so a bullet's what I get
A thousand years they had tha tools
We should be takin' 'em
Fuck tha G-ride I want the machines that are makin' em
Our target straight wit a room full of armed pawn to
Off tha kings out tha west side at dawn

Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
Make a move and plead the fifth 'cause ya can't plead the first
Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one

Yeah I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one

Yeah I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun

The rungs torn from the ladder can't reach the tumour
One god, one market, one truth, one consumer

Just a quiet peaceful dance!
Just a quiet peaceful dance!
Just a quiet peaceful dance!
Just a quiet peaceful dance!




Just a quiet peaceful dance for the things we'll never have
Just a quiet peaceful dance for the things we don't have

Overall Meaning

In "Down Rodeo," Rage Against the Machine speaks out against institutionalized racism and wealth inequalities that have persisted for generations, particularly in the United States. The song addresses the marginalization of brown-skinned people, particularly individuals whose families have migrated to the United States in search of better opportunities. The opening lines of the song, "Yeah, I'm rolling down Rodeo with a shotgun/ These people ain't seen a brown-skinned man since their grandparents bought one," show the historical and cultural gap that minorities face in predominantly white societies.


The verse also highlights the challenges of surviving in a capitalist society where corporate greed and political malaise deprive individuals of gaining their basic needs like access to education, housing, and food. The lines "The structure is set; ya never change it with a ballot pull/ In the ruins, there's a network for the toxic rock/ Schoolyard ta precinct, suburb ta project block" paint a clear picture of how built-in societal inequalities work against marginalized people seeking upward mobility.


The chorus of the song emphasizes that in such an unfair system, there is no time for complacency: "Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse/ So make a move and plead the fifth 'cause ya can't plead the first." The lines denounce the current state of the social system and instead promote the idea of standing up in the face of adversity and taking matters into one's own hands.


Line by Line Meaning

Yeah I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
I am driving down Rodeo with a shotgun


These people ain't seen a brown skin man Since their grandparents bought one
It has been a long time since they've seen a brown-skinned man, except for when they bought another human being during slavery


So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
I am driving down Rodeo with a shotgun


Bangin' this bolo tight on this solo flight can't fight alone
I am feeling tense and fearful, and cannot fight this battle alone


Funk tha track my verbs fly like tha family stone
My rhymes are flowing with funk like the music of Sly & the Family Stone


Tha pen devils set that stage for tha war at home
The people in power who write laws have created a war within our own country


Locked wit out a wage ya standin' in tha drop zone
If you are unable to find work, you are at the mercy of fate


The clockers born starin' at an empty plate
People who live in poverty are always hungry and malnourished


Momma's torn hands cover her sunken face
Mothers always work hard to provide for their children, even if it destroys their own health and beauty


We hungry but them belly full
The wealthy hoard resources and luxuries, while the poor suffer from poverty and hunger


The structure is set ya neva change it with a ballot pull
The existing social structure cannot be changed through voting alone


In tha ruins there's a network for tha toxic rock
Even in poverty-stricken areas, there is still a demand for drugs and other negative influences


School yard ta precinct, suburb ta project block
From schools to police stations, suburban neighborhoods to inner-city projects - the same problems persist


Bosses broke south for new flesh and a factory floor
Rich people have moved their factories overseas in search of cheaper labor


The remains left chained to the powder war
The people who remain are stuck in a never-ending battle with drugs, addiction, and violence


Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
We must use every moment we have to fight for our rights and freedoms, because we never know what the future brings


So make a move and plead the fifth 'cause ya can't plead the first
We must protect ourselves and our actions from being used against us, because we cannot always rely on the justice system to be fair


Yes I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
I am still driving down Rodeo with a shotgun


Bare witness to tha sickest shot while suckas get romantic
People become romantic about war and violence, which is sick and twisted


They ain't gonna send us campin' like they did my man Fred Hampton
We will not let the government kill our leaders and silence our voices like they did to Fred Hampton


Still we lampin' still clockin' dirt for our sweat
We are still working hard and putting in long hours, just to make ends meet


A ballots dead so a bullet's what I get
Voting is not enough to protect our rights and freedoms, so we might have to fight and die for them


A thousand years they had tha tools We should be takin' 'em
The people in power have had their tools of oppression for centuries, but we should be taking them for ourselves and using them for the greater good


Fuck tha G-ride I want the machines that are makin' em
I don't care about fancy cars or expensive lifestyles, I want the machines and factories that create them


Our target straight wit a room full of armed pawn to
Our mission is clear, even though we are facing many obstacles and enemies


Off tha kings out tha west side at dawn
We must take down the powerful and corrupt people who live on the west side, by any means necessary


The rungs torn from the ladder can't reach the tumour
The existing social structure is broken and cannot solve the deep-rooted problems within our society


One god, one market, one truth, one consumer
The powers that be want us to conform and believe in only one thing - capitalism, consumerism, and conformity


Just a quiet peaceful dance!
We don't always have to fight and be violent - sometimes, peaceful protest and artistic expression can be just as powerful


Just a quiet peaceful dance for the things we'll never have
We might not ever attain true equality and justice, but we can still dance and celebrate our resilience and survival


Just a quiet peaceful dance for the things we don't have
We can still find joy and meaning in life, even if we don't have everything we want or need




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Timothy Commerford, Thomas B. Morello, Zack M. De La Rocha, Brad J. Wilk

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Soli_Deo_Gloria_.

No, less selfishness and more altruism, much, much more...

What is the chief end of man ?

Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.


There is a reason why there is something rather than nothing and it is predicated on the uncaused, non contingent, first cause of all contingency...


God


Seek Christ Jesus the Redeemer


The cosmological argument
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CulBuMCLg0


The contingency argument
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPCzEP0oD7I


The teleological argument
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EE76nwimuT0&t=9s


The ontological argument
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xBmAKCvWl74


The moral argument
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OxiAikEk2vU



@ninjasutsugaming6480

Yeah I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
Bangin' this bolo tight on this solo flight can't fight alone
Funk tha track my verbs fly like tha family stone
Tha pen devils set that stage for tha war at home
Locked wit out a wage ya standin' in tha drop zone
The clockers born starin' at an empty plate
Momma's torn hands cover her sunken face
We hungry but them belly full
The structure is set ya neva change it with a ballot pull
In tha ruins there's a network for tha toxic rock
School yard ta precinct, suburb ta project block
Bosses broke south for new flesh and a factory floor
The remains left chained to the powder war
Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
So make a move and plead the fifth 'cause ya can't plead the first
Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one
Yes I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
Bare witness to tha sickest shot while suckas get romantic
They ain't gonna send us campin' like they did my man Fred Hampton
Still we lampin' still clockin' dirt for our sweat
A ballots dead so a bullet's what I get
A thousand years they had tha tools
We should be takin' 'em
Fuck tha G-ride I want the machines that are makin' em
Our target straight wit a room full of armed pawn to
Off tha kings out tha west side at dawn
Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
Make a move and plead the fifth 'cause ya can't plead the first
Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse
So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one
Yeah I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown skin man
Since their grandparents bought one
Yeah I'm rollin' down Rodeo wit a shotgun
The rungs torn from the ladder can't reach the tumour
One god, one market, one truth, one consumer
Just a quiet peaceful dance!
Just a quiet peaceful dance!
Just a quiet peaceful dance!
Just a quiet peaceful dance!
Just a quiet peaceful dance for the things we'll never have
Just a quiet peaceful dance for the things we don't have



All comments from YouTube:

@TisaShame

“So now I’m rolling down Rodeo with a shotgun. These people ain’t seen a brown skinned man since their grandparents bought one” is one of the hardest hitting upper cuts that a song has ever opened with. Absolutely amazing band.

@crissyfox553

Leaves you stunned and awed with a profound sense of respect.

@theodoredavidmooney5703

That is a fantastic lyrical line within a banging track for sure...

@phillipmain9144

Love it

@theodoredavidmooney5703

Huge lyrics... Massive... Exciting...

@Nihilism110

FAX

88 More Replies...

@lancem3443

Tim Commerford is one of the most underrated bassists of all time.

@suzuyajuuzou8235

Dawg I honestly argue this every time I talk bass. You gotta be a bass player, only real ones recognize 🙏❤️😘

@danyomega1472

He's my favorite bassist of all time

@justsomeyeti5814

Criminally underrated grasp of groove

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