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.
Wind Below
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics
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Tha vocal tone has got 'em sweatin' their own apocalypse
Yes, rebel of tha grains stand masterless
Tha masked ones cap one
NAFTA comin' with tha new disaster
And yes we in wit tha wind an tha plan de Ayala kin
Are comin' back around again
Tha slave driver saliva, one night power turns
So here they come one by one them killers of the new frontier
Occupy, causin' fear, come on
Wit the wind below
We in wit the wind below
Wit the wind below
Flip this capital eclipse
Them bury life wit IMF shifts, and poison lips
Yo they talk it, while slicin' our veins yo so mark it
From the FINCAS overseers, to them vultures playin' markets
She ain't got nothin' but weapon and shawl
She is Chol, Tzotzil, Tojolobal, Tzeltal
The tools are her tools, Ejidos and ovaries
She once suffocated, now through a barrel she breathes
She is the wind below
The wind below
She is the wind below
And all the shareholders gonna flex, and try ta annex the truth
While the new trust is gonna flex, and cast their image in you
Yeah all the shareholders gonna flex, and try ta annex the truth
And while the new trust tries ta flex, and cast their image in you
And GE is gonna flex and try and annex the truth
And NBC is gonna flex and cast their image in you
And Disney bought the fantasies and piles of eyes
And ABC's new thrill rides of trials and lies
And while the gut eaters strain to pull the mud from their mouths
They force our ears to go deaf to the screams in the south
Yeah!
But we in wit the wind below!
But we in wit the wind below!
But we in wit the wind below!
In "Wind Below," Rage Against the Machine confronts the many forces that devastate the people of Mexico and their land. The song is a politically charged indictment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which opens the floodgates to the exploitation of workers, the environment, and the Mexican culture. The lyrics call for rebellion against NAFTA and global capitalism, and demand solidarity among people who are subject to the same kind of oppression.
The first verse of the song talks about how the vocal tone has got the people in power sweating their own apocalypse. The reference to apocalypse may suggest that the way the people of Mexico and their culture are being ravaged by capitalist forces is leading to the apocalypse of Mexican identity. The verse goes on to talk about how despite the aggression and intentions of the oppressors, the rebel forces will be coming back around again to fight against them. The "slave driver saliva" is a reference to the malicious intentions of those who are at the head of the corporate chain, who are driving the slave's labor. The second verse switches focus to the female protagonist, who is the voice of resistance for the people of Mexico. The song highlights the struggles of Mexico's female rural workers and their fight to regain agency over their lives through the symbolic reference of tools like Ejidos and Ovaries.
Line by Line Meaning
Flip this capital eclipse
Overturn the system where the powerful control everything.
Tha vocal tone has got 'em sweatin' their own apocalypse
The truth being spoken through music is making those in power afraid of their inevitable downfall.
Yes, rebel of tha grains stand masterless
People who revolt have their independence and won't be controlled by anyone.
Tha masked ones cap one
The revolutionaries wear masks to hide their identities and protect themselves from those who want to harm them.
NAFTA comin' with tha new disaster
The North American Free Trade Agreement is bringing about a new wave of destruction and harmful policies.
And yes we in wit tha wind an tha plan de Ayala kin
We are aligned with the indigenous people who resist oppression through the Plan de Ayala.
Are comin' back around again
The oppressed people are rising again to fight for their rights and freedom.
Tha slave driver saliva, one night power turns
The oppressors will eventually lose their power and suffer backlash for their actions.
Them devils mouths dry, now Mexico burns
The oppressors will suffer the consequences for their actions in Mexico.
So here they come one by one them killers of the new frontier
The oppressors are trying to capture and destroy those who try to resist them.
Occupy, causin' fear, come on
The resistance movement is occupying land and causing fear among the oppressors.
Wit the wind below
The wind of change is coming and signaling the end of the oppressors' regime.
Them bury life wit IMF shifts, and poison lips
The International Monetary Fund is causing death by introducing harmful policies and promoting propaganda.
Yo they talk it, while slicin' our veins yo so mark it
The oppressors use words to manipulate and control, while simultaneously hurting us.
From the FINCAS overseers, to them vultures playin' markets
The landowners and market players are exploiting those who can't fight back.
She ain't got nothin' but weapon and shawl
The indigenous woman has little to fight back with, but she is still resisting oppression with what she has.
She is Chol, Tzotzil, Tojolobal, Tzeltal
She is part of the indigenous community in Mexico that is fighting back against oppression.
The tools are her tools, Ejidos and ovaries
She uses what she has, including collective land ownership and a woman's ability to reproduce, to resist and fight back.
She once suffocated, now through a barrel she breathes
She was once suffocated and oppressed, unable to breathe freely. Now she has a chance to fight back and live without constraint.
She is the wind below
The indigenous woman is a force of change that is pushing the wind of change forward.
And all the shareholders gonna flex, and try ta annex the truth
Those who hold wealth and power will do anything to maintain their grip on the world, even if it means hiding or distorting the truth.
While the new trust is gonna flex, and cast their image in you
The new media entities are trying to manipulate public perception and further the agenda of their wealthy owners.
And GE is gonna flex and try and annex the truth
General Electric, a multinational corporation, is trying to control the narrative and subvert the truth.
And NBC is gonna flex and cast their image in you
NBC is using its influence to project a certain image onto the public and further the agenda of those in power.
And Disney bought the fantasies and piles of eyes
Disney is buying up control of media and entertainment, creating a fantasy world that distracts from reality.
And ABC's new thrill rides of trials and lies
ABC is creating a narrative that is thrilling but full of falsehoods and deception.
And while the gut eaters strain to pull the mud from their mouths
Those in power are trying to backtrack and fix the wrongs they have committed, but they are struggling and finding it difficult.
They force our ears to go deaf to the screams in the south
Those in power are trying to silence the cries of those who are being oppressed in the southern hemisphere.
But we in wit the wind below!
The revolutionaries are aligned with the forces of change that are working against oppression and towards a just world.
But we in wit the wind below!
The revolutionaries are aligned with the forces of change that are working against oppression and towards a just world.
But we in wit the wind below!
The revolutionaries are aligned with the forces of change that are working against oppression and towards a just world.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: TIMOTHY COMMERFORD, THOMAS B. MORELLO, ZACK M. DE LA ROCHA, BRAD J. WILK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind