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.
War Within a Breath
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cripples us leaves us maimed
Silent and tamed
And with our flesh and bones
He builds his homes
Southern fist
Rise through tha jungle mist
Clenched to smash power so cancerous
A rising sun loomin' over Los Angeles
Yes for raza livin in la la
Is like gaza on to tha dawn of intifada
Reach for tha lessons tha masked pass on
And seize tha metropolis
It's you that it's built on
Everything can change on a new years day
Everything can change on a new years day
Everything can change on a new years day
And everything changed on a new years day, come on
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land!
Their existence is a crime
Their seat their robe their tie
Their land deeds
Their hired guns
They're tha crime
Shots heard underground round tha rapture
Tha world's eye captured
At last in a Mexican pasture
Tha masked screaming land or death
Within a breath
A war from tha depth of time
Who shot four puppet governors in a line
Who shook all tha world bankers
Who think they can rhyme
Shot tha landlords who knew it was mine
Yes, it's a war from tha depth of time
Everything can change on a new years day
Everything can change on a new years day
Everything can change on a new years day
And everything can change on a new years day, come on
Oh, hear the masked scream
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
It's land or death
Yeah!
Oh, come on, come on, yes, yes, yes
It's war within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
War within a breath
It's land or death
The lyrics to Rage Against the Machine's "War Within a Breath" are a powerful critique of the systems of power that govern America, and the injustice and oppression they inflict upon the marginalized and oppressed. The song is a call to arms, a plea for resistance, and an indictment of those in power who maintain their privilege at the expense of others. The first few lines of the song take the form of a powerful indictment of officials who abuse their power and use their positions to quell dissent and crush resistance. The use of the metaphor of building their homes from the flesh and bones of the people they oppress is a vivid and visceral image that perfectly captures the brutality and callousness of their actions.
The song then moves into a more specific critique of the power structures in America, and calls for a revolution against those who seek to maintain their privilege at the expense of others. The imagery of a jungle mist and a rising sun looming over Los Angeles is powerful and evocative, and the comparison of the situation for the oppressed in LA to that of Gaza and the intifada highlights the deep injustices that exist in the US. The call to seize the metropolis and take control of the structures of power that govern society is a call to action that resonates with the anger and frustration that many people feel.
The chorus of the song, "war within a breath, it's land or death" is a powerful statement of defiance that encapsulates the fighting spirit of the song. The repeated refrain of "everything can change on a new years day" is a hopeful and optimistic message that underscores the transformative potential of revolution.
Line by Line Meaning
Every official that comes in
Every person in authority who comes into power
Cripples us leaves us maimed
Weakens and harms us
Silent and tamed
Forced to be quiet and obedient
And with our flesh and bones
Using our bodies
He builds his homes
Building structures with the labor and sacrifice of the people
Southern fist
Symbol of resistance and rebellion from the South
Rise through tha jungle mist
Emerging from obscurity and fighting against oppressive power
Clenched to smash power so cancerous
Gripped and ready to defeat dangerous and harmful authority
A black flag and a red star
Symbols of anti-fascist and socialist movements
A rising sun loomin' over Los Angeles
A new, powerful movement emerging in Los Angeles
Yes for raza livin in la la
Yes, living for the people of Mexican descent in Los Angeles
Is like gaza on to tha dawn of intifada
Similar to the situation in Gaza, leading to a new uprising
Reach for tha lessons tha masked pass on
Learn from the teachings of those who are obscured and hidden
And seize tha metropolis
Take control of the city
It's you that it's built on
Built on the labor and sacrifice of the people
War within a breath
Immediate and intense conflict
It's land or death
The fight for land and freedom is the only option
Their existence is a crime
Their very presence is oppressive and harmful
Their seat their robe their tie
Symbols of power and authority that oppress and exploit the people
Their land deeds
Their claims to ownership of the land
Their hired guns
Their enforcers and instruments of violence
They're tha crime
They are the perpetrators of injustice
Shots heard underground round tha rapture
Resistance is forming and building underground
Tha world's eye captured
The world is watching
At last in a Mexican pasture
Finally, a movement rises in a Mexican community
Tha masked screaming land or death
The voice of rebellion, calling for the fight for land and freedom
Within a breath
Urgent and immediate
A war from tha depth of time
A struggle that has been building and brewing for generations
Who shot four puppet governors in a line
Remembering and celebrating those who fought against authority and oppression
Who shook all tha world bankers
The power of rebellion and the ability to disrupt those in power
Who think they can rhyme
Those in power who think they can control and manipulate the people
Shot tha landlords who knew it was mine
Defeating those who oppress and exploit the labor and resources of the people
Everything can change on a new years day
Hope for change and transformation
And everything changed on a new years day, come on
The need to fight for change and not rely on symbolic gestures alone
Oh, hear the masked scream
The cry of the oppressed people fighting against authority
It's war within a breath
Immediate and intense struggle against oppression
It's land or death
The fight for land and freedom is a matter of life and death
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: BRAD J. WILK, THOMAS B. MORELLO, TIMOTHY COMMERFORD, ZACK M. DE LA ROCHA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MIKE HESS
Every official that comes in
Cripples us leaves us maimed
Silent and tamed
And with our flesh and bones
He builds his homes
Southern fist
Rise through tha jungle mist
Clenched to smash power so cancerous
A black flag and a red star
A rising sun loomin’ over Los Angeles
‘Cause for Raza livin in La La
Is like Gaza on to tha dawn of Intifada
Reach for tha lessons tha masked pass on
And seize tha metropolis
It’s you that it’s built on
Everything can change on a new years day
As everything changed on new years day
Everything can change on a new years day
As everything changed on new years day
War within a breath
It’s land or death
Their existence is a crime
Their seat their robe their tie
Their land deeds
Their hired guns
They’re tha crime
Shots heard underground round tha rapture
Tha world’s eye captured
At last in a Mexican pasture
Tha masked screaming land or death
Within a breath
A war from tha depth of time
Who shot four puppet governors in a line
Who shook all tha world bankers
Who think they can rhyme
Shot tha landlords who knew it was mine
Yes a war from tha depth of time
Everything can change on a new years day
As everything changed on new years day
Everything can change on a new years day
As everything changed on new years day
War within a breath
It’s land or death
TRITAN SUCKS 1000
Underrated Rage Song 🤘 One Of The Best Though 🤘🎸
Scorphyn
Indeed!!!
User not found
Song not Wong 🤦🏼♂️
Witchy 1
🎶🎁🎶💜💙💛💚❤🎶🎁🎶
esteban gallego
Eso!!! Regresen parceros! A esta época le hace falta más de esto
Carsten H
We need you guys back. More than ever.
Jorge Guzman
That intro... That flow... Flawless. I CANT WAIT TO HEAR THIS ONE LIVE AND TEAR IT UP!!!!
chalupa
94, the year i got my drivers license i listened to rage for the first time and became a fan for life. These videos bring back so many memories. Thanks for the great music!!🔥👌👊🥇🥇🥇
Alexander Hernandez
TIERRA O MUERTE!
War within a breath!
It's land or death!
This song was written after the Zapatista uprising that happened on January 1, 1994 in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. It was a 12 days revelation led by the armed group "Zapatista National Liberation Army", which achieved international diffusion due to its demands for justice and vindication of the indigenous people of Mexico. Very few people know that it was repressed by former President Carlos Salinas with the Mexican army killing innocent people.
EXCELENT SONG WITH GOOD LYRICS AND MUSIC!
Nick Name
Zack el mejor rapero lejos, su habilidad es buenísima, pero su energía es legendaria...