Freedom (Rage Against the Machine song)

Last updated

"Freedom"
Freedomrage.jpg
Single by Rage Against the Machine
from the album Rage Against the Machine
ReleasedAugust 23, 1994
Genre Funk metal · rap metal · alternative metal
Length6:06
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Tim Commerford, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk
Producer(s) Garth "GGGarth" Richardson, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine singles chronology
"Bombtrack"
(1994)
"Freedom"
(1994)
"Year of tha Boomerang"
(1994)

"Freedom" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released as the fourth and final single from their self-titled album in 1994.

Contents

Music video

The video for "Freedom" was directed by Peter Christopherson and produced by Fiz Oliver at Squeak Pictures. It premiered on MTV's 120 Minutes on December 19, 1993. According to CVC Broadcast & Cable Top 50 chart, "Freedom" was the Number 1 promo in January 1994. [1]

Synopsis

The video is focused on the case for Leonard Peltier, who was one of the leaders of the American Indian Movement (AIM). The band is performing live in a small venue throughout the video. During the video, footage from the Peltier case is examined and detailed with shots of Peltier and other members of AIM. There is also a reenactment of what took place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The footage of this reenactment is from Michael Apted's 1992 documentary Incident at Oglala .

During most of the video, quotes from Sitting Bull and general AIM information taken from Peter Matthiessen's 1983 study of the Peltier case, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, scroll along the bottom of the screen. The video ends with a picture of Peltier in prison and the phrase "justice has not been done".

Track listing

  1. "Freedom"
  2. "Freedom" (Live)
  3. "Take the Power Back" (Live)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Peltier</span> Native American activist (born 1944)

Leonard Peltier is a Native American activist and a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who, following a controversial trial, was convicted of two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in a June 26, 1975, shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment and has been imprisoned since 1977. Peltier became eligible for parole in 1993. As of 2022, Peltier is incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Coleman, in Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rage Against the Machine</span> American rock band

Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. The band was known for melding heavy metal and rap music with punk rock and funk influences, as well as their left-wing views. As of 2010, they have sold over 16 million records worldwide. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

<i>Rage Against the Machine</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It was released on November 3, 1992, by Epic Records. The band released their first commercial demo tape of the same name 11 months prior to the album's release. The tape contained earlier recordings of 7 of the 10 songs featured on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Morello</span> American guitarist and singer-songwriter

Thomas Baptist Morello is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello was a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage. Morello was also a touring musician with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Under the moniker the Nightwatchman, Morello released his solo work. Together with Boots Riley, he formed Street Sweeper Social Club. Morello co-founded Axis of Justice, which airs a monthly program on Pacifica Radio station KPFK in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Wilk</span> American drummer

Bradley Joseph Wilk is an American drummer. He is best known as a member of the rock bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage (2016–2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March of the Pigs</span> Nine Inch Nails song

"March of the Pigs" is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from their second studio album, The Downward Spiral (1994). It was released on February 25, 1994 as the album's lead single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Trudell</span> Native American activist, author, and poet (1946–2015)

John Trudell was a Native American author, poet, actor, musician, and political activist. He was the spokesperson for the Indians of All Tribes' takeover of Alcatraz beginning in 1969, broadcasting as Radio Free Alcatraz. During most of the 1970s, he served as the chairman of the American Indian Movement, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

<i>Rage Against the Machine</i> (video) 1997 video by Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine is the official self-titled debut video release by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. The video was released in 1997 and includes footage from various performances as well as video clips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing in the Name</span> 1992 single by Rage Against the Machine

"Killing in the Name" is a song by the American band Rage Against the Machine, and appears on their 1992 self-titled debut album. It features heavy drop-D guitar riffs and lyrics protesting police brutality inspired by the beating of Rodney King and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guerrilla Radio</span> 1999 single by Rage Against the Machine

"Guerrilla Radio" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine and the lead single from their 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles. It became the band's only Billboard Hot 100 song, charting at #69. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for this song. The song was featured in the 2012 mountain biking film Strength in Numbers. “Guerrilla Radio" was also featured on the soundtracks for video games such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Madden NFL 10 and Guitar Hero Live, as well as being a downloadable track for the Rock Band series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulls on Parade</span> 1996 single by Rage Against the Machine

"Bulls on Parade" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It is the second song from their second studio album, Evil Empire (1996). It was released as the album's first single to modern rock radio on February 9, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Mae Aquash</span> First Nations activist (1945–1975)

Annie Mae Aquash was a First Nations activist and Mi'kmaq tribal member from Nova Scotia, Canada. Aquash moved to Boston in the 1960s and joined other First Nations and Indigenous Americans focused on education and resistance, and police brutality against urban Indigenous peoples. She was part of the American Indian Movement, participated in several occupations, and participated in the 1973 Wounded Knee incident at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Nightwatchman</span> Solo project by Tom Morello

The Nightwatchman is the solo project of American musician Tom Morello. Morello began performing as the Nightwatchman in 2003 as an outlet for his political views while he was playing apolitical music with Audioslave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People of the Sun</span> 1996 single by Rage Against the Machine

"People of the Sun" is the second single by American rock band Rage Against the Machine for their 1996 album Evil Empire. Written in 1992, the song is about the Zapatista revolution. Lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha wrote the song after a visit to Chiapas in southern Mexico. "People of the Sun" also has a music video. It was nominated for a Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy in 1998, but it lost to The Smashing Pumpkins' "The End Is the Beginning Is the End".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleep Now in the Fire</span> 1999 single by Rage Against the Machine

"Sleep Now in the Fire" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It was released on November 4, 1999, as the second single from their third studio album, The Battle of Los Angeles (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renegades of Funk</span> 1983 single by Soulsonic Force and Afrika Bambaataa

"Renegades of Funk" is a song written by Afrika Bambaataa, Arthur Baker, John Miller & John Robie and recorded by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. Released in 1983 as a single on the Tommy Boy label, it was also included on the 1986 album Planet Rock: The Album. The song is an eclectic fusion of electronic music and heavy percussion, with politically fused hip hop lyrics that draw a connection between past revolutionaries and bohemians to present-day street artists. It was produced and mixed by Arthur Baker and John Robie. Mastering was by Herb Powers Jr..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombtrack</span> 1993 single by Rage Against the Machine

"Bombtrack" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It is the band’s third single and the opening track on their self-titled debut album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Testify (Rage Against the Machine song)</span> 2000 single by Rage Against the Machine

"Testify" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It is the opening track from their third album The Battle of Los Angeles (1999), and was released as the third single from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political views and activism of Rage Against the Machine</span>

The political views and activism of Rage Against the Machine (RATM) are central to the band's music and public image. Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1991. The band's line-up consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. Critics have noted Rage Against the Machine for its "fiercely political music, which brewed sloganeering left wing rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk, hip-hop, and thrash."

Arlo Looking Cloud is a former Native American activist. He is perhaps best known for his involvement with the murder of fellow American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Aquash.

References

  1. "Bio". Rage Against The Machine Official Site. Retrieved February 18, 2024.

See also