| What The Songs Mean |
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| Bullet In The Head What the song is about: American citizens don't actually realise what's going on in their country, that the US is a very militant country (as if they were nazi's - see yellow ribbon part) in a way it's like Wake Up, but its message is that US citizens are accepting their life, and their nation blindly. That the people are brainless as they follow orders (and compromise and conform), like they were part of a machine and never show resistance as if they were the "living dead". "A yellow ribbon, instead of a swastika" A yellow ribbon is used, in the United States, to signify support for its troops in foreign wars. A yellow ribbon was most recently used to show support of US troops in the Gulf War. A swastika is the symbol of the Nazi Party, now illegal, in Germany, and of Nazism in general. "They load the clip in omnicolor, they fire it at prime time." A color-imaging technique used in television and film, similar toTechnicolor, probably has something to do with U.S. propaganda broadcast on t.v., "prime time" being expensive broadcast time on television where viewing audiences are higher. (I don't really know, but I'm guessing that is what Zack is talking about, also I'm not American.) "Sleeping gas, every home was like Alcatraz" Alcatraz, known as The Rock, was an island prison several thousand feet into San Francisco Bay near San Francisco, California. It was a virtual torture chamber for society's worst criminals. A breakout attempt occurred there May 2nd, 1946, sleeping gas was one of the weapons used to subdue the inmates. It is now a major tourist attraction. In addition, during the 1960's, a band of Native Americans who claimed ownership of the island took it over and held it for over a year. The conflict ended suddenly when the federal government used sleeping gas in a surprise attack. "They say jump, you say how high." That's the kind of thing that drill sergants say to trainee soldiers (WHEN I SAY JUMP, YOU SAY HOW HIGH!!), it is another link to American militarism, it probably has something to do with conformity, meaning that U.S. citizens are following orders like soldiers. |
| Bombtrack What the song is about: This is probably the most anarchic song on the whole album with the chorus "Burn! Burn! Yes You're Gonna Burn!" I don't think this song has a very clear meaning, but it is to do with opression caused by the big businesses and corporations (in the US??), - " And the businesses that burned us all." The theme of the song is definately anarchy as flag burning is mentioned. "I call the bluff, manifest destiny" "Manifest Destiny" was the social theory in the USA in the 19th century which claimed that the USA and its white, Christian citizens were chosen by God. Because of this "choosing" they were entitled to any land they pleased, despite who already owned it (not limited to Native Americans; also including other countries), with the purpose being that they spread their religion of Christianity and their concept of "civilization" to the other, "inferior", people of the world. |
| The text below are my interpritations of songs by Rage Against The Machine. The "What the song is about part," is entirely my view, and I can't guarentee it will be right, so don't go bitching to me about how wrong I am.. If you have any lyrical refrences that I don't have, please e-mail them to me as I want to make this page as detailed as possible so people can have an insight in to what is behind Zack De La Rocha's lyrics, thanks alot. |