Below are the lyrics to Rage Against The Machine's "Sleep Now In The Fire" (listen for free on Lala). Use the links to find supplementary information you can synthesize and use to create a handout for your students. The background information on some of what is mentioned in the lyrics will enhance a critical reading of the song (like a close reading of a poem).

What to discuss

• How fire is used as a metaphor.
  • Discuss fire's protective and destructive nature.
• "So raise your fists/And march around" alludes to protesting.
  • What does "Just don't take what you need" imply about the speaker's view on protesting and rights?
• How the song draws on the cliché "you've made your bed, now lie in it."
  • Sleeping in the fire.
• The role of desire.
  • What kind of desire?
  • How does background of the events/pieces of history mentioned help you know what kind of desire?
• "The noose and the rapist" in the context of both slavery and lynching.
• Why is history frozen?
  • The speaker, who is the villain, says this.
    • Is the statement reliable, or is this done to imply that this is just another of the speaker's misrepresentations?
  • Do you (students) think this is true; are we beyond change?
• What does the pill stand for?
• How does the use of history (as allusion or as metaphor) add to the song?
• How does the song's genre add to the song?
  • Imagine if this were a country or pop or "contemporary" song.
• How does the music add to the meaning or feeling of the song (does it) ?
• Does the music influence how you interpret the song?
• What is this song about...
  • Greed (nooses and rape as metaphor and not representative of history, the greedy are Columbus's ships)?
  • Government?
  • Politicians (specific people)?
  • Imperialism the world over?
  • Power structure (rich vs. poor)?
  • Other ideas?
• After each student decides what he or she thinks the song means:
  • Have students discuss (aloud or as a written assignment) if they agree with the song's message.

After Analysis

Consider having students rewrite the song to match their views or writing a song (or poem) in response to this one. Consider having students write a review of the song that discusses and supports their reading of the song and includes their opinion about the message. Consider using either of these as a form of assessment (to complete the assignment, students will have to thoughtfully analyze a song and develop an opinion about its meaning and their own views about that meaning, then further synthesize their own thoughts into a creative and lucid response that reflects their reading/analysis of the song).

Lyrics

YEAAAAH

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 Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The field's overseer
The Agent 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
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 made you ill

The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The field's overseer
The Agent of Orange
The priests of Hiroshima

The cost of my desire
Sleep now in the fire

YEAAAAH

Sleep now in the fire

Sleep now in the fire

Sleep now in the fire

Sleep now in the fire