Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band from Los Angeles, Califo… Read Full Bio ↴Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. Their songs express revolutionary left-wing political views. As of 2010, they had sold over 16 million records worldwide. In 2023, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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.

In My Eyes
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You tell me you like the taste
You just need an excuse
You tell me it calms your nerves
You just think it looks cool

You tell me you want to be different
You just change for the same
You tell me it's only natural

You just need the proof
Did you fucking get it?

It's in my eyes

And it doesn't look that way to me
In my eyes
And it doesn't look that way to me
In my eyes

You tell me that nothing matters
You're just fucking scared
You tell me that I'm better
You just hate yourself

You tell me that you like her
You just wish you did
You tell me that I make no difference
Well at least I'm fucking trying
What the fuck have you done?

It's in my eyes

And it doesn't look that way to me
In my eyes

And it doesn't look that way to me
In my eyes

Overall Meaning

In "In My Eyes," Rage Against the Machine critiques the hypocrisy and insecurity of people who use drugs, conform to societal pressure, and talk down on themselves or others. The first stanza targets drug users who claim that they enjoy the taste and relaxation of drugs when they really use them as an excuse to cope with their issues or to fit in with certain crowds. The second stanza targets people who claim to want to be different but end up conforming to the same expectations and standards that they claim to reject. The third stanza targets people who believe that nothing matters and that they are inferior to others. The singer calls out these people for projecting their own fears and self-hatred onto others and for not taking any action to change their situation.

The repeated phrase "It's in my eyes" suggests that the singer sees through these empty claims and false facades, and recognizes the true motives and insecurities of these individuals. The song implies that real change and progress can only come from recognizing and addressing these issues, rather than covering them up with drugs or conforming to societal norms.

Line by Line Meaning

You tell me you like the taste
You claim that you enjoy it

You just need an excuse
You are just looking for a reason to do it

You tell me it calms your nerves
You say it helps you relax

You just think it looks cool
You are only doing it to appear trendy

You tell me you want to be different
You claim that you desire uniqueness

You just change for the same
You are actually conforming to a norm

You tell me it's only natural
You justify it as being instinctual

You just need the proof
You require evidence to support it

Did you fucking get it?
Did you truly understand what I'm saying?

It's in my eyes
I clearly see through your lies

And it doesn't look that way to me
I have a different perspective on this