Freedom by Rage Against the Machine

Album: Rage Against The Machine (1992)

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The rage in this song is directed at the US government for oppressing Native Americans and other marginalized groups. The country was founded on the idea of freedom, but those freedoms were often revoked for dissenters and others who stood in the way of a capitalist agenda.

He's not mentioned in the lyrics, but the song is focused on Leonard Peltier, whose story is told in the music video. Peltier is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In 1977 he was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of two FBI agents in a shootout when the agents came to the reservation in 1975 to execute arrest warrants. Peltier maintained his innocence but was sentenced to two life terms in prison. Rage Against The Machine pushed to free him via a pardon. The song was released months before Bill Clinton was sworn in as president, but Clinton never took action on the case. In 2025, in one of his final acts in office, Joe Biden commuted the sentence of Peltier, who was 80 years old.
The music video spells out, quite literally, the story of Leonard Peltier and the case for his freedom. Directed by Peter Christopherson, it uses footage from a 1992 documentary called Incident At Oglala and text from the book In The Spirit Of Crazy Horse: The Story of Leonard Peltier and the FBI's War on the American Indian Movement by Peter Matthiessen. Here's the text:

"In the early '70s, residents of the Pine Ridge reservation lived in poverty and fear of FBI-backed goon squads. More than 200 people had been beaten or murdered. Most were supporters of the American Indian Movement.

The AIM drum had been heard by many Indians around the country who were struggling to find some meaningful existence. Among them was a young Ojibwa-Sioux from Turtle Mountain, North Dakota. Leonard Peltier was born on September 12, 1944. The focus of the secret FBI counter-intelligence program (COINTELPRO) was turned from the Black Panthers onto AIM, and an organized 'neutralizing' of AIM leaders was begun.

On June 26, 1975, two unmarked cars drove onto Jumping Bull property. A fire fight began. Two FBI agents and one Indian male were killed. One of the largest manhunts in the history of the FBI followed. In the narrow vision of the FBI there was no place in the American Dream for these ungrateful aborigines who dared to state that all national boundaries in the Western Hemisphere, from Alaska to Argentina, were entirely meaningless, since 'Americans' were really Europeans, and the Americas were Indian country from end to end.

Three AIM members were arrested. The first two were acquitted but after illegal extradition from Canada, Leonard Peltier was found guilty. All key Indian prosecution witnesses claimed they had been coerced by the FBI. State and government authorities were concerned less with law and order than with the obstacle to Black Hills mining leases that AIM insistence on Indian sovereignty might represent.

Later, numerous contradictions came to light in FBI evidence. Proof of Peltier's innocence was ignored or withheld from appeal courts. 6000 pages of documents about the case remain classified for reasons of national security.

We demand and support the request that Leonard Peltier be granted executive clemency and be released. Justice has not been done."

The video also includes this quote from Sitting Bull:

"What treaty that the whites have kept has the red man broken? Not one What treaty that the white man ever made with us have they kept? Not one.When I was a boy the Sioux owned the world. The sun rose and set on their land. They sent 10,000 men to battle. Where are the warriors today? Who slew them? Where are our lands? Who owns them now?"
While performing this song live, Rage frontman Zach de la Rocha sometimes changed the lyrics towards the end to say "Freedom... for Mumia" This is a reference to the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former death row inmate with a case similar to Leonard Peltier's.
Rage Against the Machine weren't the first to take up Peltier's cause. In 1989, Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul released a song called "Leonard Peltier" to plead his case. Another artist who worked for his release was Robbie Robertson of The Band, whose 1998 song "Sacrifice" is about Peltier. Robertson had indigenous Canadian ancestry.
Zach de la Rocha often introduced this song in concert with a reminder that Peltier was still in jail. He did so when the band played Woodstock '99, saying: "It's been over 20 years! There's no proof, and he's still in jail. Leonard Peltier is still in a jail cell today. This song is called 'Freedom.' It's for brother Leonard."
A key line in this song is "anger is a gift." When Peltier was freed in 2025, the band posted the video of "Freedom" on Instagram with this statement:

"Anger is a gift. Leonard Peltier to be freed."
"Freedom" is one of the earliest Rage Against the Machine songs, included on cassette they made late in 1991 that they sold at shows for $5. That cassette earned them a deal with Epic Records, and seven of the songs, including "Freedom," made their self-titled debut album, released in November 1992. The album took a while to find an audience, but word spread as the band played lots of live gigs, opening for the likes of Suicidal Tendencies and Porno For Pyros.

The first singles were "Killing In The Name," "Bullet In The Head" and "Bombtrack." They all made the UK Top 40 and got some airplay on very bold radio stations in America. "Freedom" was issued as the last single from the album late in 1993, with the video debuting on MTV's alternative showcase 120 Minutes on December 19.

Rage stuck true to their activism, playing a "For The Freedom Of Leonard Peltier" benefit show at California State University on April 29, 1994. By the time they released their next album, Evil Empire in 1996, they had a fervent fanbase that helped it debut at #1.

Comments: 24

Alex from Barcelona, SpainMumia Abu Jamal DID NOT kill Daniel Faulkner, Mumia Abu Jamal was a very important person when it came to the political party Black Panthers, who made public all the racism and cop violence on Philadelphia, the US goverment wanted to silence this small political party and they acused them of crimes that they did not commit to send them to jail and silence their voices. They killed a lot of members of the Black Panthers, i recommend to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRGFZ1eLJO4&feature=related
It's about the story of Mumia and the Black Panthers.
Mumia DID NOT kill police officer Daniel Faulkner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQyWqm1l4KM&list=WLCD6097C6D2E83A3E&index=20&feature=plpp_video
The US goverment is afraid to set FREE Mumia Abu Jamal because thek know his voice is strong and they are afraid to say they "commited a mistake", why do you think that Leonard Peltier is in jail to?!?
Chamaco from ..., NcYes the Sendero Luminoso is a terrorist guerilla organization, but let's make this clear. Not all guerillas are terrorists and cowards. They are killers, murderers, and butchers, but they are not cowards. They are not cowards because they no longer support(ed) the injustice and corruption in their countries. Like in the American Revolution, July 26 Movement, Mexican Revolution of 1810 (Grito de Dolores), Latin American Revolution led by Bolivar, Don de San Jose, Jose Paez, Tupac Amaru, and more. All the guerillas in those revolutions, the men, women, and children sacrificed they lives to liberate and change their country from the right-wing, conservative, and foreign politician corruption and cruelty.

Lo siento lo que paso a tus amigos Frank en Peru, adios.
Frank from Lima, PeruSendero Luminoso is a Terrorist Group who killed thousand of people in Peru in Lima and a lot of poor people inside the country. friends of mine died for the bombs they put on the streets, they are not a rebel group they are killers and cowards.
Brendan from Glen Rock, NjThe end of every Rage song off the debut album sends chills up my spine.
Raven from San Antonio, TxExactly why I love rage. Very few bands will take the time to write a song about an innocent, let alone produce the truth from the heart... you can feel the anger in his voice.
Mike from Redlands, AzFreedom is about the indian leader leonard pelteir who has been in jail for the last 20 years voice of the voiceless is about mumia abu-jamal oh his website http://www.raisethefist.com/ freedom is sbout the shining pat and their leader and how the CIA went on a manhunt to find him
Paul from Greenbrier, Arcopied this off of wikipedia...a lot of evidence both ways but i think this will show why people consider mumia abu-jamal as a big issue

Abu-Jamal did not testify in his own defense. Regarding this he has explained:[52]

"At my trial I was denied the right to defend myself. I had no confidence in my court-appointed attorney, who never even asked me what happened the night I was shot and the police officer was killed; and I was excluded from at least half the trial?Since I was denied all my rights at my trial I did not testify. I would not be used to make it look like I had a fair trial."

He did not state his version of events for the initial police investigation, nor for almost another 20 years afterwards, until the 1999 confession of Arnold Beverly, who claimed that, "wearing a green (camouflage) army jacket", he had run across the street and shot a fallen Daniel Faulkner in the face as part of a contract killing connected with a desire to keep Faulkner from interfering with graft and payoff to corrupt police.[53] Abu-Jamal's sworn statement avers that he had been sitting in his cab across the street when he first heard shouting, then saw a police vehicle, then heard the sound of gunshots. It asserts that, upon seeing his brother appearing disoriented across the street, he ran to him and was shot by a uniformed police officer. He claims to have no memory of the events between being shot by Faulkner and the arrival of officers at the scene and to have been abused by the police while he was still in need of medical assistance for his wound. It concludes with his claim of innocence: "I never said I shot the policeman. I did not shoot the policeman?I never said I hoped he died. I would never say something like that."[52]
Michael from Morris County, NjWhat i don't understand is why people want Mumia. he killed a cop and should face the death penalty for that.
Logan from Saskatoon, CanadaIt isnt about either, song is the fact of the Whole blindsiding of a Nation 'Freedom' is nothing but a lie.

In the video its about Peltier.
At some concerts instead of saying 'Freedom...Yeah...Freedom Yeaaah Right!'
He says 'Freedom for Mumia!'
Chris from Las Vegas, United StatesThe song is not about Leonard Peltier nor Mumia Abu Jamal although Zach has used both of these men as basis for using their names as a shout out based on the subject matter which in this case is Freedom or for better understanding The video used Peltier as a story backdrop for the what the song is about. The eradication of the American Indian and the absence of Freedom they have and the way history has treated the American Indian. In the part of the song that goes "Brother, did you forget your name, did you lose it on the wall playing tic tac toe, yo check the diagonal 3 million gone, c'mon cuz you know they're counting backwards to zero!" This basically tells the story of how the American Indian's numbers once were 3 million strong and have been decimated by white culture over the last few hundred years to almost nothing.
Spog Zallagi from Blue Hill, MeIt just goes to show how disgusting our Government is. Wait! WE'RE supposed the gov! Just like when America was founded it's "we the People" not "we the fat rich guys in suits that drive big gas guzzling SUVs." You know what I mean right?
John Smith from Southington, CtI love the beat at the end during the second half of Zack screeming "FREEDOM!!!!". I also like the solo. Very soft, mellow, and simple, not crazy like all the others, but still, somehow, keeps the Morello touch. I agree with Zack when he quietly says "Anger is a gift," because it is true. Without anger, there is no happiness. If you disagree with that, think about it for a minute.
Ian from San Diego, CaThe name of his black Tele is Sendero Luminoso. Which means Shining Path.
Anon. from Twin Cities, MnI don't think tom uses arm the homeless on this one...the guitar he uses for playing in drop D is "Sendero Luminoso" (Shining Path, a peruvian rebel group that is now defunct i beleive; the guitar is a black fender telecaster) i think. btw the end of this song where zach screams "FREEDOM!!!" is absolutely insane.
Kieran from Essex, Englandi love how it all stops then Zach whispers "anger is a gift" then it all kicks in again
John from Chandler, Azhe says freedom for mumia in a lot of songs and videos but this song is about leonard. download RATM on david lettermen or some other vids anf youll see hes says freedom for mumia in alot of em
p.s. tomhas the coolest guitar "arm the homeless"
Shaft from Glenville, WvI think in the "Live At The Grand Olympic" version he says "Freedom, for whom here?", but I could easily be wrong.
Mike from East Northport, Nythis song is deffinenly about mumia he says freedom for mumia in the live version. john is right
Sean Hardesty from Arroyo Grande, Cai completely agree with the fact on this song above. We are blinded by media and our leaders. Democracy is no longer the "choice to vote" it is an excuse to hide us from the real truth.
Derek from Woodbury, NjI CANNOT stop listening to the solo. I mean CANNOT. This is why appreciate Morello's style!
Siffeler from Perth, Australiayes linda that is true the video does explain the song as long as u can read. wish i could say the same about killing in the name and bullet in the head but i do enjoy watching the way dances around. hes not anything like i used to imagen
John from Glasgow, Scotlandits kinda about both. im sure in the live version on the "live at the olympic auditorium" he sings "freedom..for mumia"...maybe not.
Linda from Norfolk, EnglandBilly, if you've ever seen the video, you would know that it was about Leonard Peltier...
Billy Ross from Hagerstown, Mdthis song isnt about Leonard Peltier, its about mumia abu jabar (how do u spell that?).

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