Sleep Now in The Fire
1999 · Epic 491993 2 · Los Angeles, New York
- Artist
- Rage Against the Machine
- Title
- Sleep Now in The Fire
- Release
- The Battle of Los Angeles
- Year
- 1999
- Label
- Epic # 491993 2
- Format
- Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Los Angeles, New York, USA
- Genre
- Metal · Rap Metal
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation
The song "Sleep Now in the Fire" (Epic Records #669136 2) referenced Agent Orange: "the agents of orange, the priests of Hiroshima, the cost of my desire, sleep now in the fire". Agent Orange was the defoliant / herbicide used by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War, which had long term negative health effects on the Vietnamese and US soldier whom came into contact with the chemical. It is frequently referenced in post-war songs. Also note the reference to the bombing of Hiroshima. Featured on the album The Battle of Los Angeles (Epic Records # EK 69630). The song reached # 62 in Billboard Hot 100 Airplay (US), # 26 in US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and # 43 in UK Singles (The Official Charts Company).1 Rap Metal group Rage Against the Machine formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA, featuring members Zack de la Rocha (vocals), Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass), and Brad Wilk (drums). They released a few Vietnam War-related songs: "Wake Up" (1992), which referenced Martin Luther King Jr.'s opposition to the war, "Vietnow" (1996), which compared current problems with Vietnam, and "Sleep Now in the Fire", which referenced Agent Orange, the defoliant used in the Vietnam War.Sources1Wikipedia: Sleep Now in the Fire↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Rap / Hip Hop Songs
The song "Sleep Now in the Fire" (Epic Records #669136 2) referenced Agent Orange: "the agents of orange, the priests of Hiroshima, the cost of my desire, sleep now in the fire". Agent Orange was the defoliant / herbicide used by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War, which had long term negative health effects on the Vietnamese and US soldier whom came into contact with the chemical. It is frequently referenced in post-war songs. Also note the reference to the bombing of Hiroshima. Featured on the album The Battle of Los Angeles (Epic Records # EK 69630). The song reached # 62 in Billboard Hot 100 Airplay (US), # 26 in US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and # 43 in UK Singles (The Official Charts Company).1Rap Metal group Rage Against the Machine formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA, featuring members Zack de la Rocha (vocals), Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass), and Brad Wilk (drums). They released a few Vietnam War-related songs: "Wake Up" (1992), which referenced Martin Luther King Jr.'s opposition to the war, "Vietnow" (1996), which compared current problems with Vietnam, and "Sleep Now in the Fire", which referenced Agent Orange, the defoliant used in the Vietnam War.Sources1Wikipedia: Sleep Now in the Fire↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Yeah / The world is my expense / The cost of my desire / Jesus blessed me with its future / And I protect it with fire / So raise your fists and march around / Just don't take what you need / I'll jail and bury those committed / And smother the rest in greed / Crawl with me into tomorrow / Or I'll drag you to your grave / I'm deep inside your children / They'll betray you in my name / Hey, hey / Sleep now in the fire / Hey, hey / Sleep now in the fire / The lie is my expense / The scope of my desire / The party blessed me with its future / And I protect it with fire / I am the Niña, the Pinta, the Santa Maria / The noose and the rapist, the fields' overseer / The agents of orange, the priests of Hiroshima / The cost of my desire / Sleep now in the fire / Hey, hey / Sleep now in the fire / Hey, hey, hey / Sleep now in the fire / For it's the end of history / It's caged and frozen still / There is no other pill to take / So swallow the one that makes you ill... Yeah / The world is my expense / The cost of my desire / Jesus blessed me with its future / And I protect it with fire / So raise your fists and march around / Just don't take what you need / I'll jail and bury those committed / And smother the rest in greed / Crawl with me into tomorrow / Or I'll drag you to your grave / I'm deep inside your children / They'll betray you in my name / Hey, hey / Sleep now in the fire / Hey, hey / Sleep now in the fire / The lie is my expense / The scope of my desire / The party…
About the artist
American rap-metal band formed 1991 in Los Angeles, California. [Source: Wikipedia]
Themes
Agent Orange · Atomic · Vietnam Analogy · Hiroshima · WW2