Although Rage Against the Machine gets involved with many political activism movements, they are most well known for voicing their opinions of domestic and foreign policies of the current and past governments in the United States of America. Often, band members are seen protesting and participating in activist events around North America where they are constantly advocating their beliefs. The band believes that through their music, or any artistic outlet, they have the power to cross borders and establish real dialogue between people in America.
Although the band is politically and socially involved, critics of the band often claim that they are hypocrital for they state that they are leftist and support leftist causes but at the same time are millionaires who are signed to a record label that is in accordance with Sony Records. In a response to critiques on the band, band member Morello offered a response:
“When you live in a capitalist society, the currency of the dissemination of information goes through capitalistic channels. Would Noam Chomsky object to his works being sold at Barnes & Nobel? No, because that’s where people buy there books. We’re not interested in preaching to just the converted. It’s great to play abandoned squats run by anarchists, but it’s also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from Granada Hills to Stuttgart.”
- Morello
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_Against_the_Machine#Political_views_and_activism)
Following the critique that the band received, in 2007 after performing the song, “Wake Up”, band member De la Roche made a speech quoting Noam Chomsky, regarding the Nuremburg Trials and the actions that followed.
“A good friend of ours once said that if the same laws were applied to U.S. presidents as were applied to the Nazis after World War Two […] every single one of them, every last rich one of them from Truman on, would have been hung to death and shot – and this current administration is no exception. They should be hung, and tried, and shot. As any war criminal should be.”
- De la Roche quoting Noam Chomsky(2007)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_Against_the_Machine#Political_views_and_activism)
After this statement was made in 2007, the band started to receive more criticism than ever. A reporter from Fox News got a hold of a clip from the band’s speech and it was played across the United States of America, with the headline, “Rock group Rage Against the Machine says Bush administration should be shot”. At the time that this was aired on Fox News, the guest speaker was Ann Coulter, a conservative commentator who stated, “They’re losers, their fans are losers, and there’s a lot of violence coming from the left wing.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_Against_the_Machine#Political_views_and_activism) This statement only caused more political activism from Rage Against the Machine and led them to become more involved with the issues that they already cared so much about.
In 1997, the band made headlines when during the Presidential Inauguration of Bill Clinton, Rage Against the Machine hosted a radio show called “Radio Free Los Angeles”. The show was comprised of interviews and segments including the likes of: Michael Moore, Emily Hodgson, Noam Chomsky and Leonard Peltier. This radio show was in response to the low voter turn out and, “for the majority of Americans—and young people especially—who rightly felt left out of the 'democratic process.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rage_Against_the_Machine#Political_views_and_activism)
Rage Against the Machine not only works to change the American political system but states their beliefs in almost all of the songs that they write. One of the most discussed political songs by Rage Against the Machine is the song “Wake Up”. The lyrics in this song discuss racism within the American government, and government programs that counter what the government tells the public. The song also brings up some famous African-American citizens who have been targeted by the government.
It is clear to see from the lyrics presented below, that this band has a clear message they are trying to get across with their music:
Wake Up – Rage Against The Machine
Come on!
Uggh!
Come on, although ya try to discredit
Ya still never read it
The needle, I'll thread it
Radically poetic
Standin' with the fury that they had in '66
And like E-Double I'm mad
Still knee-deep in the system's shit
Hoover, he was a body remover
I'll give ya a dose
But it can never come close
To the rage built up inside of me
Fist in the air, in the land of hypocrisy
Movements come and movements go
Leaders speak, movements cease
When their heads are flown
'Cause all these punks
Got bullets in their heads
Departments of police, the judges, the feds
Networks at work, keepin' people calm
You know they went after King
When he spoke out on Vietnam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot
Yeah!
Yeah, back in this...
Wit' poetry, my mind I flex
Flip like Wilson, vocals never lackin' dat finesse
Whadda I got to, whadda I got to do to wake ya up
To shake ya up, to break the structure up
'Cause blood still flows in the gutter
I'm like takin' photos
Mad boy kicks open the shutter
Set the groove
Then stick and move like I was Cassius
Rep the stutter step
Then bomb a left upon the fascists
Yea, the several federal men
Who pulled schemes on the dream
And put it to an end
Ya better beware
Of retribution with mind war
20/20 visions and murals with metaphors
Networks at work, keepin' people calm
Ya know they murdered X
And tried to blame it on Islam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot
Uggh!
What was the price on his head?
What was the price on his head!
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard, I think I heard a shot
'He may be a real contender for this position should he
abandon his supposed obediance to white liberal doctrine
of non-violence...and embrace black nationalism'
'Through counter-intelligence it should be possible to
pinpoint potential trouble-makers... and neutralize them.
Through counter-intelligence it should be possible to
pinpoint potential trouble-makers... and neutralize them
and neutralize them, and neutralize them, and neutralize them'
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
How long? Not long, cause what you reap is what you sow
(http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Wake-Up-lyrics-Rage-Against-The-Machine/5DEEF6DADE2463E9482568A50012BF98)
Whether you like Rage Against the Machine’s musical style, or not; the messages are radical and like any ‘celebrities’ out there, they have been given an opportunity to get a message across to the masses of American citizens. I respect any band that takes the time to sing about politics and not sex, drugs, life of the wealthy etc, etc.
To check out more about Rage Against the Machine, their music and their political activism, follow these links:
Rage Against the Machine Official Website
Wikipedia - Rage Against the Machine
http://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2008/01/the-politics-of.html
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