I wrote this paper for a writing class I took my freshman year (almost 3 years ago). Thought some of you might find it interesting.
To set the tone for the whole video, it begins by depicting both George W. Bush and Al Gore meshed together as a single alien. They then split into their two separate forms that we are all familiar with and then the video proceeds to show clips from speeches during their campaigns. These clips show the two (at the time) presidential candidates supporting several of the same political positions. The song then progresses into the first verse and continues to show clips, this time mostly of the politicians dancing and having a good time. As the song moves into its chorus, the video changes pace and shows different public figures holding their right hand up as if to testify in a court of law. People that were largely known to be in the middle of massive scandals, such as Monica Lewinsky, appear in the midst of seemingly wholesome figures, like the Pope, with every single one in stance to testify. Whether they’ve actually done anything wrong is up for debate, but the video still manages to provoke thoughts here and question whether those in power really deserve that which is bestowed upon them.
The video takes yet another route and depicts rising gas prices, stock values, and social injustice throughout the second verse of the song. This most certainly exists to arouse suspicion around the actual motives of both Bush and Gore. As the song moves into its bridge, again, clips flash of speeches from Bush and Gore, where the two candidates support several of the same ideals. They then merge back into their single alien-esque being and take off in a UFO. The song begins its outro, and Ralph Nader comes onto the screen and delivers possibly his most famous phrase, “If you’re not turned on to politics, politics will turn on you.” This sounds a little bit more harsh than it actually is, but the director of this music video most definitely used this to convey a strong message. It basically boils down to meaning we need to be engaged in politics ourselves; otherwise we’re bound to be disappointed with what is going on around us.
There are two silent slides with one short message to end the video. These two slides do more to clarify what the video is about than any other single part of it. They state that, during that particular election year, “it is estimated that the majority of Americans – nearly one hundred million people – will not vote simply for lack of a real choice on the ballot.” This summarizes the thought process behind the writing of the song and the video in one simple line. Zack de la Rocha (the lead singer and lyricist for Rage Against the Machine) was obviously disgruntled with both presidential candidates and their lack of individuality. It is worth noting that de la Rocha has a long history of writing politically-charged songs, and often ones that blatantly oppose those currently in power.
It is essential to also look at the actual lyrics of the song in order to further understand what de la Rocha wanted to say. The first verse seems almost sarcastic, but in a convincing fashion. It reads, “… Mister anchor assure me that Baghdad is burning. Your voice, it is so soothing, that cunning mantra of killing. I need you, my witness, to dress this up so bloodless, to numb me and purge me now of thoughts of blaming you…” There is slightly more to it, but these are the most definitive lines. This demonstrates a common act of the media, which seemingly covers up bad happenings and displays a biased report for the public to see. De la Rocha was obviously displeased with the coverage of the Desert Storm operations in the early 1990s, but these same lyrics have a meaning that can also apply to virtually any political activities just as easily. The second verse calls out a slightly different set of problems. “… My slaving, sweating, the skin right off my bones, on a bed of fire I’m choking on the smoke that fills my home. The wrecking ball is rushing, witness your blushing. The pipeline is gushing, while here we lie in tombs…” This seems to refer to the soldiers who died during the war that was apparently fought to gain oil reserves, all while we (as Americans) work hard day-in and day-out only to have (gas) prices inflate to the point that it is “choking” us. This point is furthered in the bridge of the song with the lyrics “Mass graves for the pump and the price is set” which is, in a way, chanted several times over. There is still one other section of lyrics worth mentioning. Towards the end of the song, there is a break of sorts that really emphasizes the lyrical substance during this part. The lyrics read, “Who controls the past now controls the future. Who controls the present now controls the past. Who controls the past now controls the future. Who controls the present now?”. This is perhaps the most philosophical part of any of Rage Against the Machine’s songs, as it presents the listener with a thought-provoking dilemma that is applicable not only at the time it was written, but in practically any point in history and even the future. There is no real way to simplify it, and it does not really need to be. After reading or listening through it several times, it clearly becomes a powerful object of rhetoric.
Do the lyrics of the song relate to what is happening in the video? It doesn’t entirely seem that way. While the video mainly focuses on the upcoming presidential election in 2000, the actual song centers itself around the media coverage of the Persian Gulf War. The American government steadily supplied a stream of propaganda to the media, influencing it however it deemed fit. The government also embraced comparisons of Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler. This comparison also led to the creation and spread of several horrific war stories, including the infamous Kuwaiti baby-killing story. The government in Kuwait, in turn, noticed the influence that the American media had and joined forces with a reputable public relations firm, which hired a young girl to testify before Congress and confirm the truth of the baby story. This may very well be the situation de la Rocha had in mind when he wrote the lyrics to the chorus of the song.
“…Historical analysis shows the corruption and duplicity of the government’s media campaign in support of the war, and the dismissal of the actual human and fiscal costs of the conflict." Writer Stacy Coyne looked through several popular magazines from the war period such as Time and Newsweek. The only stories she was able to find about the war were descriptions of new military technology, the villainy of Saddam, stories of families who had lost a loved one in the war, and criticism on how the American media itself was depicting the war. Although it did take this look at itself, Coyne states that the press continued to be “blinded by national imperatives and did not allow for unbiased reporting whatsoever.” It continued to focus on the loss of single families, rather than actually show how many soldiers had lost their lives in total, and pictures of death and violence were almost non-existent for the public to see. There is a clear reference to this within the song with the words “dress this up so bloodless.” “Testify” was released in 1999, so de la Rocha had plenty of time to see just how corrupt the media coverage was after the war. When learning of this substantial falsity, the concept for this song must have been triggered in his head. It is easy to see the relationship between this situation and the lyrics.
As we move closer towards the conclusion of this analysis, perhaps a quick discussion of the types of appeals made throughout the song and video would be fitting. The video itself was largely logos-driven. It depicted factual representations of candidates and, overall, seemed to be based on reason. The song, however, made more use of ethos and pathos appeals. Zack de la Rocha’s conviction in both songwriting and deliverance give power to the message he speaks of. It is almost fair to say that one can feel the passion in his voice. It is easy to hear emotions such as anger and distrust coming from the vocals. His conviction is what makes this song stand out as one of the most powerful politically-charged songs in modern music.
Rage Against the Machine defined what it meant to produce music on an intellectual level as well as an emotional one. De la Rocha did not write of love, heartbreak, or brushing his teeth with a bottle of “Jack.” He wrote things relevant to society. He wrote things that had deep meaning on a broad spectrum, and he wrote to try to change the world for the better. Lack of that in today’s society is a sad thing. Music is often overlooked as an influential form of communication. Sure, people do recognize it as a means of conveyance, but the majority does not realize the extent and power it has due to the lack of substance in the mainstream. It will be interesting to see how the industry changes over the years, as it is an ever-evolving one, but for now, we’ll just have to be content with what bands like Rage Against the Machine left us with.
