Zack de la Rocha

Zack de la Rocha (1970 - )

American former lead singer of Rage Against the Machine

• "It is important for me, as a popular artist, to make clear to the governments of the United States and Mexico that despite the strategy of fear and intimidation to foreigners, despite their weapons, despite their immigration laws and military reserves, they will never be able to isolate the Zapatista communities from the people in the United States."

• "We were witnesses to that. We saw how the soldiers burned and razed the fields, threw the children out of schools, and turned the schools into barracks... And each time we became more familiar with the Zapatistas form of organization, communal work and cooperation. And I realized that the motives behind the militarization were to break down the community, to keep the people from organizing in an autonomous manner in order to overcome poverty and isolation."

• "I'm in this band to give volume to various struggles throughout the world. To me, the tension in this band is a minimal sacrifice."

• "One of the great things about young people is that they do question, that they do care deeply about justice, and that they have open minds."

• "If today I had a young mind to direct, to start on the journey of life, and I was faced with the duty of choosing between the natural way of my forefathers and that of the... present way of civilization, I would, for its welfare, unhesitatingly set that child's feet in the path of my forefathers. I would raise him to be an Indian!"

• "You can't ignore what some bands have done. I know that from my own experience, from the way my life was changed by F**k Armageddon, This Is Hell by Bad Religion. I know our record will be in a bin next to Lionel Richie--but so are John Coltrane, KRS-1 and Boogie Down Productions, and Public Enemy."

Lyrics

• Your anger is a gift
• See through the news and the views that twist reality
• Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
• See right through the red, white and blue disguise
• A jail cell is freedom from the pain in my home
• If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face
• No escape from the mass mind rape. Play it again jack and then rewind the tape
• Yes I know my enemies. They're the teachers who taught me to fight me
• They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em
• Fuck you I won't do what you tell me
• I'll rip the mike, rip the stage, rip the system. I was born to rage against 'em
• What? The land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy
• You know they went after King when he spoke out on Vietnam. He turned the power to the have-nots. And then came the shot
• Rep the stutter step then bomb a left upon the fascists
• When ignorance reigns, life is lost
• The structure is set ya never change it with a ballot pull
• It's my life for their life so call it a free trade
• NAFTA comin' with the new disaster
• 'Cause I'm cell locked in the doctrines of the right. Enslaved by dogma, talk about my birthrights
• Aw, power to tha people, 'Cause the bosses right to live is mine to die