Rage Against the Machine released its eponymous debut album in 1992 to commercial and critical success, leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza festival. Their second album, Evil Empire, was released in 1996. Their third, The Battle of Los Angeles, followed in 1999, and in 2003, it was ranked number 426 on the same list. During their initial nine-year run, they became one of the most popular and influential bands in music history. They were also ranked No. 33 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
In 2000, Rage Against the Machine released the cover album Renegades and disbanded because of growing creative differences. Members formed the rock supergroup Audioslave with Chris Cornell, the former frontman of Soundgarden. The same year, Rage Against the Machine announced a reunion and performed together for the first time in seven years at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2007. Until 2011, the band continued to perform at more live venues and festivals around the world. In 2016, Morello, Commerford and Wilk formed a new band, Prophets of Rage, with B-Real, Chuck D, and DJ Lord. Rage Against the Machine were nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility in 2017 and 2018, although both bids failed. The band had a large influence on the nu metal genre which came to prominence during the second half of the 1990s. In 2003, their self-titled album was ranked number 368 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
At the start of 2024, Wilk confirmed that the group had permanently broken up.
Freedom
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pump, pump, woo
Come on, uh
Solo, I'm a soloist on a solo list
All live, never on a floppy disk
Inca, Inca, bottle of ink
Paintings of rebellion drawn up by the thoughts I think
Yeah, come on
The militant poet in once again, check it
It's set up like a deck of cards
They're sendin' us to early graves for all the diamonds
They'll use a pair of clubs to beat the spades
With poetry, I paint the pictures that hit
More like the murals that fit
Don't turn away, get in front of it
Brotha, did ya forget ya name?
Did ya lose it on the wall playin Tic-Tac-Toe?
Yo, check the diagonal, three brothers gone, come on
Doesn't that make it three in a row?
(Anger is a gift)
Come on, uh
Drop that, uh
Come on
Yeah, uh
Brotha, did ya forget ya name?
Did ya lose it on the wall playin' Tic-Tac-Toe?
Yo, check the diagonal, three million gone, come on
'Cause you know they're counting backwards to zero
Environment, the environment exceeding
On the level of our unconsciousness
For example, what does the billboard say?
"Come and play, come and play, forget about the movement"
(Anger is a gift)
Yeah, uh
Ah, bring that shit in
Uh, hey
Freedom, yeah
Freedom, yeah, right
Freedom, yeah
Freedom, yeah
Freedom, yeah, right
Freedom, yeah
Freedom, yeah, right
In these lyrics, Rage Against the Machine's frontman, Zack de la Rocha, asserts his individuality and creativity by declaring himself a soloist who creates his art live, without relying on technology or digital recordings. He compares his art to rebellious paintings drawn with ink, which represent the thoughts and ideas that he wants to share with the world.
The second verse then shifts the focus to the systemic oppression and violence faced by marginalized communities, particularly black people. The deck of cards metaphor illustrates how society is rigged against them, whether it's through policies that send them to early graves or the use of violence to maintain power over them. Zack argues that his poetry can create a more powerful image than any mural, urging his audience to pay attention and get involved in the struggle against injustice.
The third verse critiques mainstream culture's messages, using the example of a billboard that encourages people to join a mindless movement rather than questioning the status quo. The repeated refrain of "anger is a gift" underscores the band's belief that righteous indignation can motivate people to create change.
Line by Line Meaning
Solo, I'm a soloist on a solo list
I am alone and unique, not a part of any group or list
All live, never on a floppy disk
I am present and real, not something that can be stored on an outdated or obsolete medium
Inka, inka, bottle of ink
A reference to the Aztec god of creation and ink, suggesting that the singer is creating something new and powerful
Paintings of rebellion
Using art to challenge authority and resist oppression
Drawn up by the thoughts I think
The rebellion comes from the singer's own ideas and beliefs
It's set up like a deck of cards
The system is rigged and designed to benefit the few at the expense of the many
They're sending us to early graves
The people in power are willing to sacrifice the lives of the oppressed for their own gain
For all the diamonds
The riches and treasures of the world belong to the powerful few
They'll use a pair of clubs to beat the spades
The powerful will use violence and force to oppress the powerless
With poetry I paint the pictures that hit
The singer is using words and art to create a powerful message that resonates with people
More than the murals that fit
The singer's message goes beyond superficial art and decorations that don't challenge the system
Don't turn away
People must confront and face the issues of oppression and injustice
Get in front of it
People must take action and resist the system to create real change
Brotha did ya forget my name
The singer is calling out to someone who has forgotten their identity and their role in the struggle for freedom
Did ya lose it on the wall
The struggle for freedom is a constant battle that can drain and wear people down
Playing tic-tac-toe
This is a reference to the game played by the US military computer WOPR in the movie WarGames, suggesting that the struggle for freedom is a life-or-death game
Yo, check the diagonal
This is a call to pay attention to the bigger picture and the hidden forces at play
Three brothers gone
This refers to three Black Panther Party members who were killed by the police in Chicago in 1969
Come on, doesn't that make it three in a row
This is a play on words, suggesting that the police are guilty of a pattern of violence against Black people
Anger is a gift
Anger can be a powerful motivator for change, and should not be suppressed or ignored
Three million gone
This refers to the estimated number of people who died in the Vietnam War
Cause ya know they're counting backwards to zero
This suggests that the government and military are willing to sacrifice millions of lives for their own gain
The environment is exceeding on the level of our unconsciousness
The damage being done to the environment is beyond what people are aware of or willing to acknowledge
For example, what does the billboard say
This is a rhetorical question that challenges people to question the messages they see and hear in advertising and popular culture
Come and play, come and play
This is a mocking reference to the way corporations try to entice people to consume and participate in destructive systems
Forget about the movement
This is a cynical suggestion that people have given up on trying to change things, and have instead become complacent and accepting of the status quo
Freedom, freedom, yea right
This is a sarcastic comment on the idea that true freedom exists in our society, which is built on oppression and inequality
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brad J Wilk, Timothy Commerford, Tom Morello, Zack M De La Rocha
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kdcema57
Solo, I'm a soloist, on a solo list
All live, never on a floppy disk
Inka, inka, bottle of ink
Paintings of rebellion, drawn up by the thoughts I think!
[Refrain]
Yeah! C'mon!
The militant poet in once again, check it
[Verse 2]
It's set up like a deck of cards
They're sendin' us to early graves for all the diamonds
They'll use a pair of clubs to beat the spades
With poetry I paint the pictures that hit
More like the murals that fit
Don't turn away
Get in front of it
Brotha, did ya forget cha name?
Did ya lose it on the wall playin Tic-Tac-Toe?
Yo, check the diagonal
Three brothers gone, c'mon
Doesn't that make it three in a row?
(Anger is a gift)
[Refrain]
C'mon!
Ugh!
[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge]
Drop that!
Ugh!
C'mon!
Yeah!
Ugh!
[Verse 3]
Brotha, did ya forget ya name?
Did ya lose it on the wall playin' Tic-Tac-Toe?
Yo, check the diagonal
Three million gone, c'mon
'Cause you know they're counting backwards to zero
Environment
The environment exceeding
On the level of our unconsciousness
For example, what does the billboard say?:
"Come and play
Come and play
Forget about the movement!"
@theanunakian64
Anger is a gift.
@Shiznaft1
Anger gets shit done...
@005AGIMA
FK YEAH!
@jackfox4541
i fukng love that part
@NotoriousNeff
live by this quote.
@joeteague4058
He Sure Puts The Rage In The Machine
@xyko74
The older I get, the more I appreciate this band.
@whateverittakes1673
+xyko74 Yea Zack and Tom were smart motherfuckers and if you learn who they are as in who all the members of the band's families are going back a generation or two or even three it's almost unreal how politically and socially connected these guys are to just be four guys from some suburban wasteland in LA or Chicago or whatever.
@vic1101ful
Hopefully they get into the Hall this year.
@kgbkid1
True!!