"Down Rodeo" was a promotional single by Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...

 sent out to various American radio stations. The song was to be the third single taken from their Evil Empire

Evil Empire (album)

-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"People of the Sun" – 2:30#"Bulls on Parade" – 3:49#"Vietnow" – 4:39#"Revolver" – 5:30#"Snakecharmer" – 3:56#"Tire Me" – 3:00#"Down Rodeo" – 5:20...

album, although a domestic single and video was never released. This was most likely because of Rage's excessive touring during this period.

The lyrics appear to deal with the social inequality between the rich and poor of America, and class war

Class conflict

Class conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....

. The verse states "So now I'm rollin' down Rodeo with a shotgun, These people ain't seen a brown skin man, Since their grandparents bought one". These lines, and also the title, are a direct reference to Rodeo Drive

Rodeo Drive

Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills, California is a shopping district known for designer label and haute couture fashion. The name generally refers to a three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops but the street stretches further north and south....

 in Beverly Hills, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, one of the wealthiest shopping districts in the world. The line "Fuck the G-rides, I want the machines that are making them" is a reference to workers' self-management

Workers' self-management

Worker self-management is a form of workplace decision-making in which the workers themselves agree on choices instead of an owner or traditional supervisor telling workers what to do, how to do it and where to do it...

. There is speculation that the title stems from the 1992 LA Riots. The title and lyrics could also possibly be referring to a tactic used by the Black Panther Party

Black Panther Party

The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....

 in which they would carry shotguns in full view down California streets. There is also a reference to Black Panther activist Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton was an African-American activist and deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party...

.

Down Rodeo made its live debut at a secret show on April 19th, 1996, at the Dragonfly in Los Angeles, CA.

External links

• Official Website
• Axis of Justice Tom Morello and Serj Tankian
  Serj Tankian
  Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
  
  's Activist Website "Axis Of Justice
  Axis of Justice
  Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian and Tom Morello. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots progressivism to fight for social justice together.-Formation:...
  
  "
• Vietnow.org Rage Against The Machine news resource and forum