Know Your Enemy by Rage Against the Machine

Album: Rage Against The Machine (1992)

License This Song

artistfacts

songimage

Songfacts®:

Tool's singer, Maynard James Keenan, sings the part at the 2:40 mark that goes: "I've got no patience now, so sick of complacence now, I've got no patience now, so sick of complacence now, sick of sick of sick of sick of you."

Keenan almost became the lead singer of Rage Against The Machine. After his band Lock Up split in 1990 he jammed with Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, but he decided to form Tool instead of fronting their new band, which recruited Zack de la Rocha as frontman and became RATM. When this song was released on Rage's self-titled debut album in 1992, Tool was just starting to build a following. Their first album wasn't released until 1993.

Keenan has performed live with RATM, including an appearance at Coachella in 1999.
The lyrics stress how if we can identify those who are out to make us conform and follow blindly, we are more effective in creating change. Schools are notorious for this, and Zack De La Rocha identifies his teachers as his enemies because they told him to fight his own humanity.
That's a real photo on the album cover. It's Thich Quang Duc, an elderly Buddhist monk, immolating himself on a main intersection in Saigon, Vietnam on June 11, 1963 to protest the rule of Ngo Dinh Diem, the American-backed leader of Vietnam who was waging an anti-Buddhist campaign in southern Vietnam. This action was witnessed and filmed by many members of the American media and led to the end of the Diem rule in Vietnam. This photo won the 1963 Pulitzer Prize.
"Know Your Enemy" was one of the songs Rage played on September 3, 2008 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota in response to the Republican National Convention, which was going on in nearby St. Paul. The band took the stage dressed like terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, in protest of the Bush administration's practice of detaining suspects with murky cause. After the show, fans clashed with police, resulting in over 100 arrests. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France

Comments: 13

Jorge from Bronx, NyRock n Roll has been labeled Rebellious,and Heavy Metal Anti Christ,but who cares,they speak the truth,that's the bottomline!
Jared from Nampa, IdBoth pickups are run through the killswitch on Tom's guitar. He has a volume for each pickup and an overall tone. The switch is ON/OFF/ON.
Wouter from Hilversum, NetherlandsActually, Tom has a special 'button' for it on his guitar, a so called killswitch. You can also get the effect by 'muting' one pickup like Nick said.
Sean from Melbourne, AustraliaVery nice solo , love it! great song!
Nick from , Scotlandfor the intro Tom puts one pickup on 10 and the other on 0, and uses the pickup selector like as a kill switch. He then changes pickup quickly to give the cool effect
Valerie from Brooklyn , Nyi knew that that the lead singer had a part in this song! ^_^ i seriously love this song.
Anon. from Twin Cities, MnFYI, in the US, Rage Against the Machine is referred to both as Rage and RATM. Go search wikipedia, both bands (RATM and the German band Rage) are listed under "Rage".
Dave from Cardiff, WalesDave NY - You've seen RAGE play this live? I doubt it, it's not their style. Rage were a critically acclaimed rock band of the 1980s who scored a transatlantic hit in 1992 with a electo version of Bryan Adams' "Run To You". Nothing to do with Rage Against the Machine, who are normally referred to by the abbreviation RATM in the UK so as not to cause confusion with the band Rage.
Oskar from Bilbao, SpainRock n Roll should be like this: a cry against the SYSTEM!
Dave from New York, Nyi've seen rage play this live with MJK singin his part...so fruckin weird haha...he stands there with his hands folded the whole song and he doesnt move...then he just sings his part and goes back to standing there...so wierdddd...how good you not jump around lie crazy being on stage with Zack? I'd drop dead before i just stood there
Anthony from Sydney, AustraliaA great song about knowing who is youe friend and enemy I.E polotitions = enemy
Khalifa from Reading, Englandthumpin bass, makes you wanna mosh.
Gideon from Wells, EnglandThis song just shows how good rages bass player was just listen to the bass! it rocks! you might have to pardon the odd swear word but this song deserves to be played very loud!!