Sleep Now in the Fire

Rage Against the Machine

About Sleep Now in the Fire

"Sleep Now in the Fire" is the fifth track from the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles by the band Rage Against the Machine. It was released as a single in 1999. The song contains lyrics about greed, such as the conquest of Native Americans, Christopher Columbus' voyage by Niña, the Pinta, and Santa Maria and U. S. slavery in the 19th century as well as criticism of actions taken by the U. S. government in wartime, including the bombing of Hiroshima and the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. Guitarist Tom Morello's solo is also notable as he simply uses feedback from the amp, along with using his whammy bar to adjust the pitch of the feedback. By flicking his toggle switch on and off, he is able to create the high-pitched solo. At the end of the song, a short sample of Korean artist Uhm Jung-hwa's 1998 song "Poison" can be heard - it was accidentally captured from a local Korean radio station broadcast through Morello's amplifier. This song is featured in the EA skateboarding video game Skate 2, and in the 2003 movie Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. 


Year:
2015
431 
#2

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The world is my expense
The cost of my desire
Jesus blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
So raise your fists
And march around
Don't dare take what you need
I'll jail and bury those committed
And smother the rest in greed
Crawl with me into tomorrow
Or I'll drag you to your grave
I'm deep inside your children
They'll betray you in my name

Sleep now in the fire

The lie is my expense
The scope of my desire
The Party blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
I am the Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
And the fields overseer
The agents of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire

Sleep now in the fire

For it's the end of history
It's caged and frozen still
There is no other pill to take
So swallow the one
That made you ill
The Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The fields overseer
The agents of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire

Sleep now in the fire

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Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk. They draw inspiration from early heavy metal instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as Afrika Bambaataa,Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys and Dutch crossover band Urban Dance Squad. Rage Against the Machine is best known for its leftist political views, which are expressed in many of its songs. As of 2010, they have sold over 16 million records worldwide. more »

7 fans

Written by: BRAD J. WILK, THOMAS B. MORELLO, TIMOTHY COMMERFORD, ZACK M. DE LA ROCHA

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


14 facts about this song

Release
"Sleep Now in the Fire" is a song by the American rock band, Rage Against the Machine, from their 1999 album "The Battle of Los Angeles."
Music Video Director
The music video for this song was directed by renowned documentary filmmaker, Michael Moore.
Video Controversy
The shooting of the video caused the doors of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to be closed. The band and Michael Moore were ejected from the area during the filming due to the stir they created.
Band Arrest
Some band members were arrested during the shoot because they attempted to enter the NYSE, causing trading to shut down for the day.
Guitarist Techniques
In performing this song, guitarist Tom Morello utilizes the DigiTech WH-1 Whammy pedal to achieve the renowned solo. The main riff of the song can be seen as a variation of the main riff from Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath."
Political Lyrics
Lyrically, the song is highly political, touching on themes of greed, capitalism, and American imperialism.
Song Recognition
The song peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's fourth highest charting single in the UK.
Video Award
Despite the controversy surrounding its creation, the music video won the Best Rock Video from the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
Video Appearance
Renowned actor Garrett Wang, known for his role as Harry Kim on Star Trek: Voyager, makes a cameo appearance in the music video.
Album Success
The album, "The Battle of Los Angeles," from which "Sleep Now in the Fire" is a part, debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in the year 1999. The album was highly acclaimed and is considered one of the best releases from Rage Against the Machine.
Live Performances
In live performances, "Sleep Now in the Fire" often segues seamlessly into the next song, "War Within a Breath," due to both songs being in the same key and having the same tempo.
Recent Use
The song was featured in the 2016 biographical film "Michael Moore in TrumpLand" and in a trailer for the 2019 video game "Gears 5."
Band's Politics
The song is considered a representation of the band’s revolutionary politics, a characteristic that distinguishes Rage Against the Machine from many other bands of the same genre.
Influence
The song remains one of the band's most popular, and is frequently used in media to represent anti-establishment sentiments.

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