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.
Maria
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics
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Touches tha surface of sand
On northern land
As human contraband
Some rico from Jalisco
Passed her name to tha boss
She stuffed ten to a truckbed
She clutches her cross
And it rips through her lungs
She's off fast to tha pasture
Like cattle she'll cross
Degree 106
Sweat and vomit are thrown
And she prays and suffocates
Upon tha memories of home
Of Yanqui guns for blood debts on tha loans
Of smoldering fields rape rubble and bones
Of graves hidden trapped up in visions of war
Of nothing no one nobody no more
These are her mountains and skies and
She radiates
Through history's rivers of blood
She regenerates
And like tha sun disappears only to reappear
She's eternally here
Her time is near
Never conquered but here
To tear away at tha mask
And now she got a quota
Tha needle and thread crucifixion
Sold and shipped across tha new line
Of Mason Dixon
Rippin' through denim
Tha point an inch from her vein
Tha foreman approach
His steps now pound in her brain
His presence it terrifies
And eclipses her days
No minutes to rest
No moment to pray
And with a whisper
He whips her
Her soul chained to his will
"My job is to kill if you forget to take your pill"
Her arms jerks
Tha sisters gather round her and scream
As if in a dream
Eyes on tha crimson stream
Numb as her wrists spit shots of blood to tha floor
I am nothing, no one, nobody, no more
These are her mountains and skies and
She radiates
And through history's rivers of blood
She regenerates
And like tha sun disappears only to reappear
Maria she's eternally here
Her time is near
Never conquered but here
To tear away at tha mask
Away at tha mask
To tear away at tha mask
No minutes to rest
No moment to pray
No minutes to rest
No moment to pray
No minutes to rest
It eclipses her day
Just a moment to pray
Ugh!
To tear away at tha mask, ugh
Away at tha mask
To tear away at tha mask
To tear away at tha mask
The lyrics to "Maria" by Rage Against the Machine tell the story of a woman named Maria who is a victim of human trafficking as she tries to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. The song highlights the systemic oppression that exists, with the exploitation of cheap labor and the continued suffering of those who are entangled in the cycle of debt and poverty. The lyrics focus on the struggle of the underclass and how they are treated as disposable, with the image of Maria representing the suffering of many in her situation.
The lyrics show the danger, sweat, and pain that Maria experiences as she crosses the border with other human contraband. During her journey, she holds onto her faith and memories of home as she is confronted with the reality of Yanqui guns and the horrors of war. The lyrics also highlight the gruesome working conditions in factories, where Maria is forced to work long hours without rest and is treated like a machine.
Overall, "Maria" serves as a reminder of the harsh realities that many people face when trying to escape poverty or oppression. It highlights the universality of this struggle, regardless of race or nationality, and calls attention to the need for change and a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Tha sun ablaze as Maria's foot
Touches tha surface of sand
On northern land
As human contraband
Maria has arrived in a new land, smuggled in as an illegal immigrant, and she steps out into the bright sun on the sandy beach of the northern land.
Some rico from Jalisco
Passed her name to tha boss
She stuffed ten to a truckbed
She clutches her cross
A man from Jalisco, Mexico, passed Maria's name to a human trafficker, who crammed her and nine other people into the back of a truck. Maria is scared and holds her cross tightly.
Here comes tha exhaust
And it rips through her lungs
She's off fast to tha pasture
Like cattle she'll cross
The truck's exhaust fumes fill Maria's lungs, and she is quickly unloaded in a remote location to be led as if she were a cow to pasture to hide her from immigration authorities.
Degree 106
Sweat and vomit are thrown
And she prays and suffocates
Upon tha memories of home
It is an unbearable 106 degrees, and Maria is sweating and vomiting. She is suffocating from the heat and the realization of the memories of her home, which she may never see again.
Of Yanqui guns for blood debts on tha loans
Of smoldering fields rape rubble and bones
Of graves hidden trapped up in visions of war
Of nothing no one nobody no more
Maria thinks of the Yanqui guns who have come to collect debts and the smoldering fields of war that left rubble and bones. She also remembers the graves of those trapped in war and how it left her with nothing and no one.
These are her mountains and skies and
She radiates
Through history's rivers of blood
She regenerates
And like tha sun disappears only to reappear
She's eternally here
Her time is near
Never conquered but here
Despite her hardships, Maria is proud of where she's come from and radiates with the strength of her ancestors. She survives through the history of her people's struggles and regenerates. Maria is always here, her time may be near, but she will never be conquered.
And now she got a quota
Tha needle and thread crucifixion
Sold and shipped across tha new line
Of Mason Dixon
Rippin' through denim
Tha point an inch from her vein
Tha foreman approach
His steps now pound in her brain
Maria has found work but is under a quota system that controls her. She sews clothes which are sold across the new Mason Dixon Line. The needle is piercing her skin disturbingly close to her vein. Her foreman's approaching footsteps make her nervous.
His presence it terrifies
And eclipses her days
No minutes to rest
No moment to pray
And with a whisper
He whips her
Her soul chained to his will
'My job is to kill if you forget to take your pill'
Maria's foreman terrifies her, and she has no peace or rest, nor any chance to pray. The man whips her with command and the threat of death if she fails to take her birth control. Maria's spirit is chained to his will.
Her arms jerks
Tha sisters gather round her and scream
As if in a dream
Eyes on tha crimson stream
Numb as her wrists spit shots of blood to tha floor
I am nothing, no one, nobody, no more
Maria jerks her arm as she is being whipped, and the other women scream in horror. They watch, as if in a nightmare, as blood flows from Maria's wrists. Numb from the pain, Maria sees herself as nothing, no one, nobody anymore.
No minutes to rest
No moment to pray
No minutes to rest
It eclipses her day
Just a moment to pray
Maria's life is harsh, and she has no time to rest or pray, but she finds a brief moment to try and connect with her faith.
To tear away at tha mask, ugh
Away at tha mask
To tear away at tha mask
To tear away at tha mask
The song is an anthem about tearing down the masks people often wear to hide their pain, struggles or hardships. By tearing away the mask, they feel the power to resist oppression and stand up for themselves.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Brad J. Wilk, Thomas B. Morello, Timothy Commerford, Zack M. De La Rocha
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind