Rebel, rebel and yell
'Cause our people still dwell in hell
Locked in a cell
Yes, the structure's a cell
Mad is the story I tell
How long can we wait?
Come on, seein' what's at stake
Action for reaction
If your mind's in a somewhat complacent state
Get a check up
This is a stick up
Our freedom or your life
Lord, I wish I could be peacful
But there can be no sequel

Now freedom must be fundamental
In Johannesburg or South Central
On the mic, 'cause someone should tell 'em
To kick in the township rebellion

Yeah, what about that sucker?

Yeah, so you thought you could get with the hardlines
That fill your mind
Thoughts, battles fought
And lessons taught
Yes I'll display the fitness
And flip like a gymnast
Raise my fist and resist
Asleep, though we stand in the midst
Of the war
Gotta get mine
Gotta get more
Keepin' the mic warm against the norm
'Cause what does it offer me?
I think often it's nothin' but a coffin

Gotta get wreck
'Till our necks never swing on a rope
From here to the cape of no hope

Now freedom must be fundamental
In Johannesburg or South Central
On the mic, 'cause someone should tell 'em
To kick in the township rebellion

Why stand on a silent platform?
Fight the war, fuck the norm (4 times)

(Guitar solo)

Why stand on a silent platform?
Fight the war, fuck the norm (4 times)

What's it gonna take?
Euuurrrggghhhhh!

Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
Shackle their minds when they're left on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
Shackled our minds when we're bent on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost
Shackled our minds when we're left on the cross
When ignorance reigns, life is lost, lost, lost!

Shackle your minds and you're left on the cross!
When ignorance reigns, life is lost!
Just shackle your minds when you're bent on the cross!
When ignorance reigns, life is lost, lost!

Why stand on a silent platform?
Fight the war, fuck the norm (4 times)


Lyrics submitted by piesupreme

Township Rebellion song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    I think there's a number of messages in this song.

    "Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross When ignorance reigns, life is lost"
    Religious fanatics prey on the minds of those who are lost or weak. These people get brainwashed by their religion and can't see faults in what they've been taught to believe. They turn into dangerous fanatics. Ingorance causes people to kill, in the name of religion.

    "Why stand on a silent platform? Fight the war, fuck the norm" This is urging people to dare to have an opinion and voice it. Whether he's saying actually join in the war, or fight against the war, these are brilliant lyrics because they're relevant so many years after the song was written.

    "Our freedom or your life" This is voicing the frustration of all oppressed people. They can only withstand for so long before they have to resort to violence.

    Just want to point out this song is amazing. Not only to listen to, because the group puts so much energy into it, but to sit back and think about the lyrics.

    psychic_riveron July 21, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i absolutely love this song it is by far one of my favorite rage songs and i cannot believe that this song was not poular in its time. I think Zach's lyrics to the song are his best work to date. Township Rebellion's lyrics are very special, i believe, because it takes on an issue that everyone alive can relate to, which is basic human rights. Within the song, Zach talks about what true oppression and violation of someone's human rights would be like, and calls for people who are caught in these horrible situations to take a stand against the bastards responsible in one of two ways: kill the motherfuckers who unjustly keep you down, or fight the war of class and authority itself, and attempt to bring peace to your incident. Don't, however (as Zach describes it) "sit on a silent platform." Don't pussyfoot around and ignore this stuff, because tehn YOU allow people's basic rights as humans to be destroyed. Zach compares this general topic to specific situations like South Africa's apartheid era, and (then) contemporary South Central Los Angeles (i.e. Rodney King and the L.A. Riots). His words remind me of people like MLK or Gandhi, who were very special people in the fact that they got over their appalling situations without violence. The song preaches to be non-violent and peacekeeping, but it also asks "how much abuse can a man take before he has to go ape-shit with a shotgun?" This song teaches a lesson to all that it is only natural to fucking massacre someone if they don't stop stepping all over you. The lyrics for this song stand out when compared to the lyrics of other rage songs. They will forever perfectly apply to human life until we as a species are extinct because it is simply human nature to dominate others and rule over them. Township Rebellion looks at this human law and praises the downtrodden in this situation, because it is only fair and practical to give the lesser-fortunate a chance to kick the shit out of the ruling class and reign themselves. THAT is a human right.

    drbob222on June 22, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i absolutely love this song it is by far one of my favorite rage songs and i cannot believe that this song was not poular in its time. I think Zach's lyrics to the song are his best work to date. Township Rebellion's lyrics are very special, i believe, because it takes on an issue that everyone alive can relate to, which is basic human rights. Within the song, Zach talks about what true oppression and violation of someone's human rights would be like, and calls for people who are caught in these horrible situations to take a stand against the bastards responsible in one of two ways: kill the motherfuckers who unjustly keep you down, or fight the war of class and authority itself, and attempt to bring peace to your incident. Don't, however (as Zach describes it) "sit on a silent platform." Don't pussyfoot around and ignore this stuff, because tehn YOU allow people's basic rights as humans to be destroyed. Zach compares this general topic to specific situations like South Africa's apartheid era, and (then) contemporary South Central Los Angeles (i.e. Rodney King and the L.A. Riots). His words remind me of people like MLK or Gandhi, who were very special people in the fact that they got over their appalling situations without violence. The song preaches to be non-violent and peacekeeping, but it also asks "how much abuse can a man take before he has to go ape-shit with a shotgun?" This song teaches a lesson to all that it is only natural to fucking massacre someone if they don't stop stepping all over you. The lyrics for this song stand out when compared to the lyrics of other rage songs. They will forever perfectly apply to human life until we as a species are extinct because it is simply human nature to dominate others and rule over them. Township Rebellion looks at this human law and praises the downtrodden in this situation, because it is only fair and practical to give the lesser-fortunate a chance to kick the shit out of the ruling class and reign themselves. THAT is a human right.

    drbob222on June 22, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Hey bigwill what about the very next line? "Lord, I wish I could be peacful But there can be no sequel" To me it's a call for a violent rebellion if necesary, but the writer, zack, find's it hard to not use violence against the violent. I have to agree with him, when we stand peacefully, and we are tazed, mased, and beaten almost on a daily basis it seems, WHAT THE FUCK ELSE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? I personally practice vigilance not violence, but fuck man, there is only so much a man can take before he must defend himself.

    PillzBuryon May 14, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross When ignorance reigns, life is lost" Let us all remeber the cover that christianity gives to facsists and oppressors the world over...If god wills it you must submit to authority......Just look how the republicans hide behind the cross while fucking killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people

    thomas3457on September 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Great Song... not the best of ratm, but great though. Love the lyrics!

    Now freedom must be fundamental In Johannesburg or South Central On the mic, 'cause someone should tell 'em To kick in the township rebellion

    shadowcmlon May 22, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    such cool lyrics! Fight the war, fuck the norm - there are two ways to fight a war: go out and murder people, or fight against the concept of war itself. even if you dont actively do either, allowing it to happen effectively condones war.

    rock on rage.

    unwantedbysocietyon May 29, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    When ignorance reigns, life is lost, lost!

    that says it all, what an amazing song

    sean7711on July 20, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    self explanitory: kick in your township rebellion, unite with one another, fight the war and fuck the norm.

    kriskoon November 27, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song has kick ass guitar riffs. i think this song is one of the best on their cd. Rage is awesome

    Peyton2015on December 01, 2004   Link

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