Settle for Nothing
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics
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Hatred passed on, passed on and passed on
A world of violent rage
But it's one that I can recognize
Having never seen the color of my father's eyes
Yes, I dwell in hell, but it's a hell that I can grip
I tried to grip my family
But I slipped
To escape from the pain in an existence mundane
I gotta nine, a sign, a set and now I gotta name
Read my writing on the wall
No-one's here to catch me when I fall
Death is on my side, suicide!
A jail cell is freedom from the pain in my home
Hatred passed on, passed on and passed on
A world of violent rage
But it's one that I can recognize
Having never seen the color of my father's eyes
Yes, I dwell in hell, but it's a hell that I can grip
I tried to grip my family
But I slipped
To escape from the pain in an existence mundane
I gotta nine, a sign, a set and now I gotta name
Read my writing on the wall
No-one's here to catch me when I fall
Caught between my culture and the system, genocide!
Read my writing on the wall
No-one's here to catch me when I fall
If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face
Yeah!
If we don't take action now
We settle for nothing later
Settle for nothing now
And we'll settle for nothing later
If we don't take action now
We settle for nothing later
We'll settle for nothing now
And we'll settle for nothing later
If we don't take action now
We'll settle for nothing later
We settle for nothing now
And we'll settle for nothing later
If we don't take action now
We settle for nothing later
We'll settle for nothing now
And we'll settle for nothing later
The lyrics of the song Settle for Nothing by Rage Against the Machine are about the frustration and anger that comes with being trapped in a cycle of violence, poverty, and hopelessness. The first verse talks about how the singer finds freedom and solace in a jail cell, away from the pain and hatred that has been passed down through generations. They are so used to violence that they can recognize it, but they have never seen the color of their father's eyes. The second verse talks about how the singer, in an attempt to escape the mundane existence and pain of their life, has resorted to carrying a gun and a name. The line "death is on my side, suicide" suggests that the singer is willing to risk their life to escape their current reality.
The third verse talks about how the singer feels caught between their culture and the system, and how it feels like they are being subjected to genocide. The line "if ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face" is a powerful statement about how privileged people are often ignorant of the struggles of those living in poverty and how it's not something to be envied. The final verse is a call to action, saying that if we don't take action now to change our situation, then we will settle for nothing later.
The song is a protest against the systems and structures that perpetuate poverty and violence, and a call to action for change.
Line by Line Meaning
A jail cell is freedom from the pain in my home
Being in jail is better to escape the pain and suffering in my home life.
Hatred passed on, passed on and passed on
The cycle of hate and violence is continuously passed down through generations.
A world of violent rage
The world is full of violence and anger.
But it's one that I can recognize
The violence is familiar to me and I can relate to it.
Having never seen the color of my father's eyes
I have never had a close relationship with my father and don't even know what he looks like.
Yes, I dwell in hell, but it's a hell that I can grip
I am living in a difficult situation, but it's one that I can handle.
I tried to grip my family, but I slipped
I tried to hold onto my family, but I couldn't keep them together.
To escape from the pain in an existence mundane, I gotta nine, a sign, a set and now I gotta name
To escape from my boring and painful life, I need a gun and a gang to join.
Read my writing on the wall. No-one's here to catch me when I fall. Death is on my side, suicide!
I am alone and no one is there to help me. Death and suicide are always on my mind.
Caught between my culture and the system, genocide!
I am stuck between my cultural identity and the oppressive system around me, which feels like genocide to me.
If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face. Yeah!
If being ignorant is considered happiness, then I don't want any part of it.
If we don't take action now, we settle for nothing later. Settle for nothing now and we'll settle for nothing later
If we don't start taking action now, we will never achieve anything in the future.
If we don't take action now, we'll settle for nothing later. We settle for nothing now and we'll settle for nothing later
If we don't take action now, we will never be satisfied with the present or the future.
If we don't take action now, we settle for nothing later. We'll settle for nothing now and we'll settle for nothing later
If we don't start making changes now, we will never have anything that truly satisfies us, both now and in the future.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Timothy Commerford, Thomas B. Morello, Zack M. De La Rocha, Brad J. Wilk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind