The cover photograph of an elderly lady seen from the back, carrying a boombox radio and walking down a mountain was taken by the Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide in the Sonoran Desert in 1979. The original photograph is called "Mujer Ángel" and has also appeared in the black-and-white photography book Canto a la Realidad: Fotografia Latinoamericana, 1860-1993 as compiled by Erika Billeter.
The song's lyrics concern right-wing AM radio shows, hosted by people such as Rush Limbaugh, Oliver North and Michael Reagan. The verse riffs bear a resemblance to "The Wanton Song" by Led Zeppelin, whom Tom Morello has cited as a major influence.
"Vietnow" also contains numerous references to Christianity. Among these are "shut down the devil's sound", "undressed and blessed by the Lord", "evil angel's lists", "is all the world jails and churches" and "your saviour's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene". Part of this is presumably due to the Christian right, and the abundance of right-wing radio show hosts.
The lyrics "is all the world jails and churches", are perhaps influenced by the works of American novelist James Baldwin. Baldwin's 1953 novel Go Tell It on the Mountain includes the character Roy Grimes arguing with his mother and commenting, “You think that's all that's in the world is jails and churches?” At least one of James Baldwin's books is contained on Rage Against the Machine's Evil Empire liner notes.
The line "comin down like bats from Stacey Koon" is a reference to Sgt. Stacey Koon, one of the 4 LAPD policemen videotaped beating black motorist Rodney King in 1992. He and Laurence Powell were the only two convicted of the four.
Vietnow made its live debut during the 1996 Big Day Out festival in Australia.
During live performances, Bassist Tim Commerford is known for adding in the vocals: "comin down like bats from Stacey Koon" and "aw shit, I got a head rush!"
Released-10th October 1997
Format-CD, 7", 12"
Genre-Rap metal
Length-4 min 39 s
Producer-artist Brendan O'Brien
Vietnow
Rage Against the Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, turn it off
Turn it off, turn on tha radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, your saviour's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene
Merge on tha networks, slangin' nerve gas
While tha paraniod try ta stuff tha void
Let's capture this AM mayhem
Undressed, and blessed by tha Lord
Tha power pendulum swings by tha umbilical cord
Shock around tha clock, from noon 'til noon
Men grabbin' they mics, and stuff 'em into tha womb
Terror's tha product ya push
Well I'm a truth addict, oh shit I gotta headrush
Sheep tremble an here come tha votes
Thrown from tha throat, new cages an scapegoats
Undressed and blessed by tha Lord
Tha same devil that ran around Managua wit a sword
Check out tha new style that Ollie found
I tune in wit a bullet ta shut down tha devil sound
Shut down tha devil sound
Tha program of Vietnow
Shut down tha devil sound
Turn on the radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, turn it off
Turn it off, turn on the radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, your saviour's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene
Flex tha cerebellum, fire, uh!
Somebody gotta shell 'em
These evil angels lists, hittin' tha AM playlist
Paid ta say this
That one inhuman, illegal, single woman
Tha one wit out a room
The transmissions wippin' our backs
Yeah, comin' down like bats from Stacy Coon
Terror's tha product ya push
Well I'm a truth addict, oh shit I gotta headrush
Tha sheep tremble an here come tha votes
Thrown from tha throat, new cages and scapegoats
One caution tha mics a detonator unwound
Ta shut down tha devil sound
Shut down tha devil sound
Check tha heads bow in vietnow
Shut down tha devil sound
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Radio, nah fuck it, turn it off
Fear is your only god on tha radio
Nah fuck it, turn it off
Turn it off, turn on tha radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on tha radio
Nah fuck it, your savior's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
The song Vietnow by Rage Against the Machine addresses the propaganda power of the media and how it can control people's beliefs and actions. The song encourages listeners to turn off the radio and reject the fear being instilled by the media. The lyrics criticize how the media promotes fear as a means of controlling people and how it prevails over individuality and free-thinking.
The song continues to critique the media’s control over public perception, stating that it is “paid to say this” and that they produce terror as a product that is pushed upon the masses. The lyrics also refer to cages and scapegoats as devices used by media to control people's behavior. The verses mention the powers of the government and the state, highlighting their use of violence and manipulation to bend individuals to their will.
In summary, Vietnow is a powerful critique of the propaganda power of the media, as well as the dangers of blind faith in political and religious institutions.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn on tha radio, nah fuck it turn it off
The radio is just pumping out messages of fear, so let's turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
The radio is a tool used to instill fear in people
Nah fuck it, turn it off
We don't want to listen to the radio anymore because we know it's just spreading propaganda and fear
Turn it off, turn on tha radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Despite the constant temptation to turn the radio back on, we know it's best to keep away from its messages of fear
Fear is your only god on the radio
The radio is no longer a medium that promotes free speech, but rather it promotes fear, thus controlling the thoughts of the masses
Nah fuck it, your saviour's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene
The singer does not have faith in the radio or mainstream society's values of religion; they believe that these forces are oppressive and need to be overthrown
Merge on tha networks, slangin' nerve gas
The use of media networks to spread harmful, toxic messages
Up jump tha boogie then bang, let 'em hang
The harmful messages being spread are like a party that people are joining but will ultimately lead to their destruction
While tha paraniod try ta stuff tha void
While people are trying to fill the void inside of them with something, they are instead being filled with paranoid thoughts and messages of fear from the media
Let's capture this AM mayhem
We need to recognize and expose the harmful messages being spread through the radio and media
Undressed, and blessed by tha Lord
People have been brainwashed by religion and society to believe that they are uncovered and blessed by a higher power
Tha power pendulum swings by tha umbilical cord
The people are being controlled like puppets by the media and government through their dependence on them
Shock around tha clock, from noon 'til noon
The harmful messages never stop being broadcasted through the radio and media
Men grabbin' they mics, and stuff 'em into tha womb
People are being brainwashed and controlled from birth by the messages they receive from media sources such as the radio
Terror's tha product ya push
The media and government are promoting fear among the public as a means of controlling them
Well I'm a truth addict, oh shit I gotta headrush
The singer is dedicated to discovering and spreading the truth, even if it means going against popular beliefs
Sheep tremble an here come tha votes
People are easily manipulated by the media to fit a certain agenda, whether it be through politics or religion
Thrown from tha throat, new cages an scapegoats
The media and government are always shifting the blame for their actions onto something else in order to maintain their control over the public
Check out tha new style that Ollie found
People are always trying to find a new way to escape from the harmful messages that are being promoted by the media
I tune in wit a bullet ta shut down tha devil sound
The singer believes that the only way to fight against the oppressive messages being spread by the media is through violent means
Tha program of Vietnow
Vietnow refers to the equivalent of Brainwashing in Vietnam War, this is what governments are doing to people through media.
Flex tha cerebellum, fire, uh!
The singer is encouraging people to think for themselves and resist the harmful messages being promoted by the media
Somebody gotta shell 'em
Someone has to put an end to the harmful messages being promoted by the media and government
These evil angels lists, hittin' tha AM playlist
The harmful messages are being targeted towards a specific group of people through the radio and media
Paid ta say this
The people who are spreading these harmful messages through the media are getting paid to do so
That one inhuman, illegal, single woman
The media and society have singled out a certain demographic of people as evil and inhuman
Tha one wit out a room
The people being targeted by the harmful messages are often marginalized and forgotten by society
The transmissions wippin' our backs
The messages being promoted by the media are causing a lot of pain and suffering among the people
Yeah, comin' down like bats from Stacy Coon
The harmful messages are like a plague sweeping through society, spreading pain and destruction wherever they go
One caution tha mics a detonator unwound
The messages being spread by the media are like a ticking time bomb that will eventually go off if not stopped
Ta shut down tha devil sound
The singer wants to put an end to the harmful messages being promoted by the media
Check tha heads bow in vietnow
People are starting to become aware of the harmful messages being promoted by the media and are beginning to fight against them
Is all tha world jails and churches?
The singer is questioning whether our society is based entirely on oppressive institutions such as prisons and organized religion
Fear is your only god on tha radio
The constant messages of fear being promoted by the media have turned it into a God-like figure that people blindly follow
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Fear has become the ruling force in people's lives, making them easy to control by those in power
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Brad J Wilk, Timothy Commerford, Tom Morello, Zack M De La Rocha
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DavidDTorkelson
(lyrics)
Turn on tha radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, turn it off
Turn it off, turn on tha radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, your saviour's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene
Merge on tha networks, slangin' nerve gas
Up jump tha boogie then bang, let 'em hang
While tha paraniod try ta stuff tha void
Let's capture this AM mayhem
Undressed, and blessed by tha Lord
Tha power pendulum swings by tha umbilical cord
Shock around tha clock, from noon 'til noon
Men grabbin' they mics, and stuff 'em into tha womb
Terror's tha product ya push
Well I'm a truth addict, oh shit I gotta headrush
Sheep tremble an here come tha votes
Thrown from tha throat, new cages an scapegoats
Undressed and blessed by tha Lord
Tha same devil that ran around Managua wit a sword
Check out tha new style that Ollie found
I tune in wit a bullet ta shut down tha devil sound
Shut down tha devil sound
Tha program of Vietnow
Shut down tha devil sound
Turn on the radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, turn it off
Turn it off, turn on the radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on the radio
Nah fuck it, your saviour's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene
Flex tha cerebellum, fire, uh!
Somebody gotta shell 'em
These evil angels lists, hittin' tha AM playlist
Paid ta say this
That one inhuman, illegal, single woman
Tha one wit out a room
The transmissions wippin' our backs
Yeah, comin' down like bats from Stacy Coon
Terror's tha product ya push
Well I'm a truth addict, oh shit I gotta headrush
Tha sheep tremble an here come tha votes
Thrown from tha throat, new cages and scapegoats
One caution tha mics a detonator unwound
Ta shut down tha devil sound
Shut down tha devil sound
Check tha heads bow in vietnow
Shut down tha devil sound
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Is all tha world jails and churches?
Radio, nah fuck it, turn it off
Fear is your only god on tha radio
Nah fuck it, turn it off
Turn it off, turn on tha radio, nah fuck it turn it off
Fear is your only god on tha radio
Nah fuck it, your savior's my guillotine, crosses and kerosene
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Fear is your, fear is your, fear is your only god
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Brad J Wilk / Timothy Commerford / Tom Morello / Zack M De La Rocha
Vietnow lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
@Dickusification
"I'm a truth addict, oh shit I got a head rush " best lyrics eva
@sanchez4041
"Thrown from the throat, new cages and scapegoats." Let's be real the song is amazing.
@catsanycat
So true it’s hair raising!! Shocks me back alive!!!
@lukewillcox7707
"terror is the product you push."
@weiirdOzdotFU
as someone from a christian family "these evil angels list, hittin' the am playlist, PAID to say this" hits the hardest but whole song's a banger
@reidchandler6486
You misspelled "conspiracy theorist" 🤙🙃🗽🇺🇸
@rippindrummer666
The best part of this song is the drums, brad wilk fucking shreds on it.
@shredder4841
Nope its the lyrics...
@jaketomlinson8813
That snare ... he defiled it
@simbeam
fuck yeah!!