Calm Like A Bomb

by

Rage Against The Machine

Album: The Battle Of Los Angeles      Released: 1999

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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

Some lyric analysis: "Like Baldwin home from Paris" -
James Baldwin was a black American playwright and author who was born in Harlem, New York and first published in the 1940's. He eventually became so disgusted with American racial issues that he moved to Paris for ten years. Moving back to the United States in 1960, he immediately became very active in the civil rights movement. Some of his works include Go Tell it On the Mountain and the play Blues for Mr. Charlie.

"Born of Zapata's guns" -
Emiliano Zapata was the military and ideological leader of the Mexican Revolution of 1909. The goal of the Indian movement which he led was to take the land from the hacienda-based landowners and return it to the peasant farmers from whom it had been stolen. His motto was "tierra y libertad," "land and freedom," and his ideals, actions, and goals are echoed by today's Zapatista movement.

"Widow pig parrot" -
Maureen Faulkner is the widow of the Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. She has campaigned incessantly for the execution of Mumia Abu Jamal and is aligned entirely with the Fraternal Order of Police in Philadelphia and acts as a spokeswoman for them in regards to the Jamal case.

"A whitehooded judge" -
The uniform of the racist Ku Klux Klan organization is historically and currently a tall, white hood and white robe, designed to hide the identity of the Klansmen.

"A country's soul that reads 'post no bills'" -
"Post No Bills" is a phrase spray-painted onto walls in urban areas everywhere to discourage any pasting of banners, posters, and the like. These handbills may be advertisements or the like, but are often political in nature. (thanks, Filip - Vranje, Yugoslavia, for all above)

This plays over the closing credits of the 2003 movie The Matrix Reloaded. If you sit through the credits, you'll see a preview for the third Matrix movie.

The "ignite" tape loop that can be heard over again is the studio testing equipment. (thanks, Scott Baddwin - edmonton, England)

This song sort of defines Rage's observations of the world. Zack practically lists everything he sees, sounding off a general "wake up call" to everyone, as well as urging them into change. This is Rage's vision of the world, as a whole, and in the individual cities: "Pick a point on the globe/Pick a point here at home." (thanks, Tim - Pittsburgh, PA)

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Comments:

@ sheeberson for the main riff he used one single note and pressed wah petal to make it go higher and lower. For the chorus, it's a simple: d--------0--------0 a-0p2-xx----2-xxx----2 The beginning part of it you can look up because I cba to write it all. The chorus, the uses an echo effect and a wah petal again, but with echo very high so the notes can be heard for a while. And the politics of the song- Rob and micheal, you both are first class dumbasses and fail trolls, you obviously have no clue about politics/what your doing.
- Logan, California, MD

- Eric and John, your a genius and i entirely agree with you - I agree with bomber about live version - Kurdt is totally right - Rob and Michael, if you don't like RATM, shut up and don't bitch. who cares about that, people can believe what they want, and they don't have to tell people that others are wrong and what they say is fact. - BTW, Eric --> SF PRIDE WOOT!
- Cameron Montalvo, San Francisco, CA

my favorite rage song... is there somthing about them getting back togeather for a reunion tour on their site????
- erik, brownwood , TX

Michael: You can respect someone and truly feel "of kind" with them without being blind or obedient. And, RATM did a better job than any band I know at putting progressive thought out there, even if they focused a little much on violence for my taste. Eric: Right on. Rob: I can understand where you're coming from, a world where people are still valued by how much they ignore the plight of others. Jason: I can't stand up for the KKK, but is "bigamist" really the main criticism? They marry two wives?
- Calvin, Austin, TX

I love the "Ignite" loop in this song, it sounds so awesome. If Rage ever makes another album I swear I will cry and fall to my knees when I get hold of it, and then listen to it for 5 days straight XD
- pk, sedalia, MO

this is probably the best example of Tom's guitar skill... how do you DO that?
- Sheeberson, Wrightsville Beach, NC

That is your ignorance and naïveté talking Michael. Without proper research and education you have no personal political views, only the views that are dictated to you. That quote was not meant to say you are a guardian of freedom, because I think you are far from that (if not the exact opposite). The quote was meant to help you understand that freedom holds no judgments against the views and ideas of others. I thought it may help you to understand the true meaning of the word freedom and what it is supposed to represent.
- Eric, San Francisco, CA

Michael, a writer once wrote a quote about freedom that I thought might help your Rage on this matter. Again my brother I would like to advise you to educate yourself before you base your opinion on matters such as this one. Don't regard yourself as a guardian of freedom unless you respect and preserve the rights of people you disagree with to free, public, unhampered expression. ~Gerard K. O'Neill
- Eric, San Francisco, CA

Jeez Eric sorry. I never said I was a guardian of justice. I was just complaining how people regard some celebirties as Jesus. Even if i did take the time to reaserch this issue more it wouldn't change my political views.
- Michael, Morris County, NJ

John, people like you disgust me. People who regard bands or some other idol of their's as Jesus Either 1. Take things to seriously or 2. Are brainwashed beyond belief and all of this b*** s*** RATM or whoever else it is there idoliving. RATM taught people? Gave them a better view of the world? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!! Amen to Rob's comment. I got my 2 cents in and anyone who thinks I should go to hell right back at ya.
- Michael, Morris County, NJ

ZDLR is probably one of the most talented song writers ever. He uses a lot of allusion in his works.
- Sam, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite, Ignite
- chris, Santa rosa, CA

Damn rob, are you complaining about Rage? Nobodys forcing you to listen to their music, and to clue you in, all they are doing is offering an alternate point of view on current events and the world as a whole, hardly complaining.
- Kurdt, Concord, NH

all ratm did was give people a better view of the world, all ratm did was imply things about the world and our government, all ratm did was educate the non-educated, all ratm did was spread a message to make people think and ratm did something that many bands didnt, things that other bands like SOAD try to do and fail to. dont make comments like that if you dont know what their true purpose is, dickhead
- John, Glasgow, Scotland

All RATM ever did was complain and whine and complain some more.
- Rob, Castaic, CA

The live version at Olympic stadium is better.
- Bomber of Bucklup En, Austin/Houston, TX

no it doesnt, it STATES that even if there is one judge/cop/authority figure who houses racist idea's that is no better than having all of them...it is one too many......ass
- Dave, New York, NY

"A whitehooded judge" implies that judges in American culture are all part of the Natorious Ku Klux Klan, a bigamist party of people who consider the white race to be the ultimate race and discriminate against other races becuase of thier race, creed, and religion choice.
- Jason, Windsor, NY

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