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Rage Against the Machine are famous for their revolutionary activism and left-wing political views which form the foundations of the band. Using music as a vehicle for social activism, their lyrical themes have often critiqued the domestic and foreign policies of current and former US governments. Speaking on the significance of music as the primary medium for revolution, frontman Zack de la Rocha emphasized that:
”music has the power to cross borders, to break military sieges and to establish real dialogue.”
De la Rocha argues that the current political, social and cultural systems within the United States are immoral in today’s society. With this in mind, “Take the Power Back” serves as a message to empower individuals to reclaim power from the government so it can be returned to the people. However, this must be achieved through self-education – lies are bred at the hands of capitalist media and schooling is heavily Eurocentric so we must educate ourselves on our own cultures and those of minorities.
During the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Rage Against the Machine held a free concert in protest of the two-party system. De la Rocha told the crowd:
“Brothers and sisters, all electoral freedoms in this country are over so long as it’s controlled by corporations. Brothers and sisters, we are not going to allow these streets to be taken over by the Democrats or the Republicans. Because it’s all of us who have built this city, and we can tear it down unless they give us what we need.“
“Take the Power Back” later appeared on a cryptic webpage as the slogan for the supergroup Prophets of Rage.
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