"Down Rodeo" is a promotional single by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...

which was initially sent out to various American radio stations. The song was intended as the third single from their '' Evil Empire'' album, although a domestic single was never released. The song addresses social inequality between the rich and poor of America, and the simmering

class warfare Class conflict, also referred to as class struggle and class warfare, is the political tension and economic antagonism that exists in society because of socio-economic competition among the social classes or between rich and poor. The forms ...

that existed in the band's home city of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

following the

1992 Los Angeles Riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sometimes called the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and the Los Angeles Race Riots, were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, in April and May 1992. Unrest began in S ...

. The lyrics of the opening verse, where the song gets its title, leave unclear why the narrator is driving with a shotgun through the upscale shopping district of

Rodeo Drive Rodeo Drive is a street in Beverly Hills, California, with its southern segment in the City of Los Angeles. Its southern terminus is at Beverwil Drive, and its northern terminus is at its intersection with Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The ...

. Although the shotgun motif suggests violence, band lyricist

Zach De La Rocha Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Against ...

stated in 2011 that the band "never advocated violence". Shotguns are often seen as self defense weapons, and "Down Rodeo" was written just three years after six days of riots were sparked by police violence against minorities in the city. The full lyric must be put into context of the time period and the beating of

Rodney King Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was an African American man who was a victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers during his arrest after a pursuit for driving whi ...

to be understood: "So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo with a shotgun, These people ain't seen a brown skin man, Since their grandparents bought one".

Track listing

#"Down Rodeo"

References

External links

Official Website
* {{authority control Rage Against the Machine songs 1996 singles 1996 songs Epic Records singles Songs written by Zack de la Rocha Songs written by Tim Commerford Songs written by Tom Morello Songs written by Brad Wilk Song recordings produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer) Songs about Los Angeles Songs about police brutality Songs against capitalism Songs against racism and xenophobia

See also

Track listing

References

External links