“Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine

These days, we commonly hear of ‘woke’ culture. Well the word woke is actually the past tense of wake. What that word means in such context, such as used in this song, is a person coming out of a mental slumber so to speak, analyzing and understanding the world for what it truly is as opposed to what is being presented to him or her. 

Some readers may also understand such a concept, in a science-fiction sort of way, as being what movies like the Matrix are founded upon, which is why this song has played a recurring role in that series.

“Wake Up is originally a Rage Against the Machine tune, with RATM being an American band known for taking a, shall we say revolutionary stance against mainstream society. Well as far as modern history goes, it can be theoretically said that the closest American society has come to a revolution was during the 1960s, when the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements were at their effective peak. 

As such it is that era which the vocalist harps back to the most, referencing figures such as Cassius Clay, Malcolm X and even more prominently Martin Luther King. So yes, in regards to opposing the system, this song does have a special emphasis on what we will call the US-based Black liberation movement. 

In that regard, it seems a special point the narrator is trying to make is that for instance MLK was in fact a peacemaker. Yet because he was a powerful figure who spoke out against the machine, “several federal men” proceeded to take him out nonetheless. 

The warning contained in this historical lesson is not only that the system deals ruthlessly with such individuals, but also that the powers-that-be do indeed prefer conformity to wokeness.

Secondary Theme of “Wake Up”

The secondary subtheme of this track features the vocalist presenting himself as a prophet, if you will, along the lines of MLK, Cassius Clay and others. In that regard, the lyrics are also a bit braggadocious, sorta reminiscent of a rap in the way he bigs up his own lyrical wherewithal. In fact E-Double of EPMD fame is even namedropped in that regard in the first verse.

Takeaway

At the end of the day, even though Martin Luther King Jr. can be considered the central subject of this piece, calling “Wake Up” a protest song would be a stretch. Or rather, let’s say it’s not a call for any type of mass action per se. Instead, the lyrics read as if the onus is more on the individual to wake him or herself up from the slumber of docility, in a manner of speaking. 

The basis behind this argument, as presented, once again using MLK as an example, is that the powers that be are so hell-bent on maintaining the status quo that anyone who threatens it is ‘neutralized’. Or viewed from a different perspective, if we truly live in a free and open society, then the government would not vest so many resources and even shiestiness into silencing people like MLK, Malcolm X and others who introduce counter ideas.

Facts about “Wake Up”

“Wake Up” is a song that was originally dropped by Rage Against the Machine in 1992. 

A very popular version of this song was done by Brass Against, a rock band from New York that specializes in covering more popular acts (like RATM, Tool and Audioslave) instead of writing their own original songs, though are still known for being very serious about their craft. 

In fact this song made headlines in December of 2021 when it was featured during the end credits of The Matrix Resurrections. This is actually the fourth installment of the ever-popular Matrix series.

Prior to that, in November of 2021, Brass Against’s “Wake Up” also indirectly made headlines. While the band was performing the song in Daytona Beach, Florida, lead singer Sophia Urista decided to p-e on a (willing) fan’s face.

The authorship of “Wake Up” is credited to the four musicians who make up Rage Against the Machine. These musicians are:

• Tim Commerford
• Tom Morello
• Zack de la Rocha
• Brad Wilk

The following civil rights’ icons are namedropped in this song:

• Martin Luther “King” Jr. (1929-1968)
• “Cassius” Clay (aka Muhammed Ali, 1942-2016)
• Malcolm “X” (1925-1965)

So are the following notable people:

• rapper Erick “E-Double” Sermon
• comedian “Flip… Wilson” (1933-1998)
• the personification of 1960s’ era US government shiestiness, J. Edgar “Hoover” (1895-1972)