People of the Sun
| "People of the Sun" | ||||||||
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| Single by Rage Against the Machine | ||||||||
| from the album Evil Empire | ||||||||
| Released | August 22, 1996 | |||||||
| Format | CD, 7", 12" | |||||||
| Genre | Rap metal, alternative metal | |||||||
| Length | 2:30 | |||||||
| Writer(s) | Tim Commerford, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk | |||||||
| Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien, Rage Against the Machine | |||||||
| Rage Against the Machine singles chronology | ||||||||
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"People of the Sun" is the second single by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine for their 1996 album Evil Empire. The song is about the Zapatista revolution. Lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha wrote the song after a visit to Chiapas in southern Mexico. "People of the Sun" also has a music video. It was nominated for a Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy in 1998, but it lost to The Smashing Pumpkins' "The End Is the Beginning Is the End".
The song has a wide variety of references, most notably the destruction of the Aztec empire by the Spanish (see the article Five suns) and the Zoot Suit Riots of Los Angeles in 1943. De La Rocha also refers to the last Aztecan Emperor Cuauhtémoc, who was tortured and eventually executed by the Spaniards.
The single artwork of the corn, sickle and ammunition belt is a 1927 photograph taken by Italian photographer Tina Modotti in Mexico.
The final version of the song made its live debut on May 9, 1996, in Paris, France.
The band were known to perform this song live as early as 1992, the only difference being Zack's lyrics. A studio version was also recorded and has circulated on the internet. The original lyrics contained verses from their song "Fistful of Steel".
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