Know Your Enemy

Album: Rage Against The Machine (1992)
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  • Huh
    Yeah, we're comin' back in with another bomb track
    Think ya know what it's all about, huh
    Ayo, so check this out, yeah

    Know your enemy
    Come on

    Born with insight and a raised fist
    A witness to the slit wrist, as we move into '92
    Still in a room without a view
    Ya got to know, ya got to know
    That when I say go, go, go
    Amp up and amplify, defy
    I'm a brother with a furious mind
    Action must be taken
    We don't need the key, we'll break in

    Something must be done
    About vengeance, a badge and a gun
    'Cause I'll rip the mic, rip the stage, rip the system
    I was born to rage against 'em
    Fist in ya face in the place
    And I'll drop the style clearly
    Know your enemy
    Know your enemy
    Yeah

    Ayo, get with this, uh
    Word is born
    Fight the war, fuck the norm
    Now I got no patience
    So sick of complacence
    With the D the E the F the I the A the N the C the E
    Mind of a revolutionary
    So clear the lane
    The finger to the land of the chains
    What? "The land of the free"?
    Whoever told you that is your enemy

    Now something must be done
    About vengeance, a badge and a gun
    Cause I'll rip the mic, rip the stage, rip the system
    I was born to rage against 'em
    Now action must be taken
    We don't need the key, we'll break in

    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
    Time has come to pay
    Know your enemy

    Come on
    Yes, I know my enemies
    They're the teachers who taught me to fight me
    Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission
    Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite
    All of which are American dreams

    All of which are American dreams
    All of which are American dreams
    All of which are American dreams
    All of which are American dreams
    All of which are American dreams
    All of which are American dreams
    All of which are American dreams Writer/s: Brad J. Wilk, Thomas B. Morello, Timothy Commerford, Zack M. De La Rocha
    Publisher: Wixen Music Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

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!!
see more comments

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