Wake up

"Wake Up" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. It is the seventh track from their self-titled debut album. While never released as a single, it remains a staple of their live shows and is usually played as the last song before the encore. The opening riff of the song is reminiscent of the opening chords of the Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir". The lyrics discuss racism within the American government and the counter-intelligence programs of the FBI; a spoken portion of the song is taken from an actual FBI memo in which J. Edgar Hoover suggests targets for the suppression of the black nationalist movement. The song also makes references to prominent black figures targeted by the government such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., and goes as far as saying that the government arranged their assassinations. "Wake Up" is featured in the closing credits to the 1999 film, 'The Matrix'.

[Intro] Come on Ugh Come on [Verse 1] Although ya try to discredit, ya still never edit The needle, I'll thread it, radically poetic Standin' with the fury that they had in '66 And like E-Double "I'm Mad", still knee deep in the system's shit Hoover, he was a body remover I'll give you a dose but it'll never come close To the rage built up inside of me Fist in the air in the land of hypocrisy Movements come and movements go Leaders speak, movements cease when their heads are flown 'Cause all these punks got bullets in their heads Departments of police, (What!) the judges (What!), the feds Networks at work, keeping people calm You know they went after King when he spoke out on Vietnam He turned the power to the have-nots And then came the shot [Interlude] Yeah Yeah, back in this [Verse 2] With poetry my mind I flex "Flip" like Wilson, vocals never lackin' that finesse What do I got to, what do I got to do to wake you up? To shake you up, to break the structure up? 'Cause blood still flows in the gutter I'm like taking photos, mad boy kicks open the shutter Set the groove, then stick and move like I was Cassius Rep the "Stutter Step" then bomb a left upon the fascists Yeah, several federal men Who pulled schemes on the dream and put it to an end You better beware of retribution with mind war 20/20 visions and murals with metaphors Networks at work, keepin' people calm Ya know they murdered X and tried to blame it on Islam He turned the power to the have-nots And then came the shot [Bridge] What was the price on his head? What was the price on his head!? I think I heard a shot I think I heard a shot I think I heard a shot I think I heard a shot I think I heard a shot I think I heard I think I heard a shot [Interlude] "Black Nationalism... [...] [He] may be a brave contender for this position But should he abandon his supposed 'obedience' To the 'White liberal doctrine' of non-violence And embrace Black Nationalism" Through counter-intelligence, it should be possible To pinpoint potential troublemakers and neutralize them Through counter-intelligence, it should be possible To pinpoint potential troublemakers and neutralize them And neutralize them, and neutralize them And neutralize them, and neutralize them And neutralize them" [Chorus] Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up [Outro] How long? Not long 'Cause what you reap is what you sow