People of the Sun
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| “People Of The Sun” | |||||
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| Single by Rage Against the Machine from the album Evil Empire |
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| Released | 1996 | ||||
| Format | CD, 7", 12" | ||||
| Genre | Funk metal | ||||
| Length | 2 min 30 s | ||||
| Producer | Brendan O'Brien, Rage Against the Machine | ||||
| Rage Against the Machine singles chronology | |||||
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"People of the Sun" was a single released by the American band Rage Against the Machine. The song was about the Zapatista revolution, and was featured on the LP Evil Empire, the CD & DVD Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, the DVD Rage Against the Machine and the People of Sun (EP). People of the Sun also had its own music video. De la Rocha wrote the song after a visit to the Chiapas in Southern Mexico, there was rumor of a break-up because he had focused so much time supporting aboriginal uprisings in Mexico.
The song has a wide variety of references, most notably the destruction of the Aztec empire by the Spanish and the Zoot Suit Riots of Los Angeles in 1943.
The song also showcases a classic example of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's creativity, as he plays the entire song by rubbing an Allen wrench against the A-string and E-string of his guitar.[citation needed]
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[edit] Origin
The band were known to perform this song live as early as 1992, the only difference being Zack's lyrics. A studio version was also recorded and has circulated on the internet. The original lyrics contained verses from their song "Fistful of Steel".
[edit] Music video
The video opens with shots of a dead Latino girl; her arm starts bleeding and the blood shows the words "Trickle down." Statistics illustrating the plight of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation are shown from a film projector being run in a morgue where the bodies of dead Latinos are stored. Military footage of US arms arriving in Mexico and the Zapatistas themselves are interspersed with this and shots of the band playing in front of a brick wall in about a 10 by 10 space. The version seen on MTV is the edited version; scenes of a Mexican worker being buried alive and trampled, and dead teenagers in the morgue, have been removed and replaced with military footage. The black and white documentary-style scenes of the laborer and the vaqueros are most likely from the movie "Que Viva Mexico" by Sergei Eisenstein, from the 1930s.
[edit] Track listing Single
- "People of the Sun"
- "Zapata's Blood (Live)"
- "Without a Face"
[edit] Track listing EP
- People of The Sun - 2:30
- Without a Face (live)- 4:07
- Intro (Black Steel in the House of Chaos) (live)- 3:37
- Zapata's Blood (live) - 3:47
B-side
- Bulls on Parade - 3:48
- Hadda Be Playing on the Jukebox (live)- 8:09
Intro, Zapata's Blood, and Without a Face recored live at the Pink Pop, May 27th 1996
Hadda Be Playing on the Jukebox recored live at Milan Dragway, Detroit July 9th 1993
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (H. Shocklee/C. Ridenhour/E. Sadler/W. Drayton)
All other songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine.
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Axis of Justice Tom Morello and Serj Tankian's Activist Website "Axis Of Justice"
- Vietnow.org Rage Against The Machine news resource and forum
- People of the Sun at Allmusic
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