Sleep Now in the Fire – English Lyrics

• By: Rage Against The Machine

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the fiery protest anthem “Sleep Now in the Fire” by Rage Against The Machine, a potent mix of rap-rock energy and politically charged lyrics. This song offers a lesson in understanding the band's critique of capitalism and historical injustices, inviting you to delve into the language of rebellion and social commentary that defines Rage Against The Machine's unique sound and message.

[English]

(typewriters clacking)

(lively metal music)

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ The world is my expense ♪

♪ The cost of my desire ♪

♪ Jesus blessed me with its future ♪

♪ And I protect it with fire ♪

♪ So raise your fists and march around ♪

♪ Just don't take what you need ♪

♪ I'll jail and bury those committed ♪

♪ And smother the rest in greed ♪

♪ Crawl with me into tomorrow ♪

♪ Or I'll drag you to your grave ♪

♪ I'm deep inside your children ♪

♪ They'll betray you in my name ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ The lie is my expense ♪

♪ The scope of my desire ♪

♪ The Party blessed me with its future ♪

♪ And I protect it with fire ♪

♪ I am the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria ♪

♪ The noose and the rapist ♪

♪ And the fields overseer ♪

♪ The agents of orange ♪

♪ The priests of Hiroshima ♪

♪ The cost of my desire ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ For it's the end of history ♪

♪ It's caged and frozen still ♪

♪ There is no other pill to take ♪

♪ So swallow the one ♪

♪ That made you ill ♪

♪ The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria ♪

♪ The noose and the rapist ♪

♪ The fields overseer ♪

♪ The agents of orange ♪

♪ The priests of Hiroshima ♪

♪ The cost of my desire ♪

♪ So sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

(lively metal music continues) (wild guitar music)

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

(door rattles and slams)

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

(siren wails)

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

♪ Sleep now in the fire ♪

(sirens wailing)

(doors rattling and slamming)

- [Reporter] A band called The Machine Rages On,

or Rage Against the Machine,

that band is anti-family and it's pro-terrorist.

(exchange bell ringing) (trader shouting overlaps)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
world /wɜrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples
fire /faɪər/ A1	noun - the burning of something
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of wanting something
grave /ɡreɪv/ B1	noun - a place of burial
betray /bɪˈtreɪ/ B2	verb - to be disloyal to someone
jail /dʒeɪl/ B1	verb - to put someone in prison
protect /prəˈtɛkt/ A2	verb - to keep safe from harm
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest by closing the eyes
crawling /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/ C1	verb - to move on hands and knees
cost /kɔst/ B1	noun - the amount of money needed to buy something
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ A2	noun - the time that comes after the present
party /ˈpɑrti/ A2	noun - a social gathering
noose /nuːs/ C1	noun - a loop with a knot that tightens when pulled
agents /ˈeɪdʒənts/ B2	noun - people who take action for a specific purpose

Key Grammar Structures

• The world is my expense

  ➔ The world is my expense

  ➔ is (be + present participle)

• The cost of my desire

  ➔ The cost of my desire

  ➔ the cost of (noun phrase) (preposition + noun)

• Jesus blessed me with its future

  ➔ Jesus blessed me with its future

  ➔ blessed (past tense of bless) (verb + object)

• And I protect it with fire

  ➔ And I protect it with fire

  ➔ protect (verb) (preposition + noun)

• So raise your fists and march around

  ➔ So raise your fists and march around

  ➔ raise (verb) (so + adverb) (your + possessive pronoun) (fists + noun) (and + conjunction) (march + verb) (around + adverb)

• I'm deep inside your children

  ➔ I'm deep inside your children

  ➔ deep (adjective) (inside + preposition + noun)

• They'll betray you in my name

  ➔ They'll betray you in my name

  ➔ betray (verb) (they'll + future tense of will) (you + possessive pronoun) (in + preposition + noun) (my + possessive pronoun) (name + noun)

• Hey, hey

  ➔ Hey, hey

  ➔ hey (interjection)

• Sleep now in the fire

  ➔ Sleep now in the fire

  ➔ sleep (verb) (now + adverb) (in + preposition + noun)