Testify is a song by Rage Against the Machine, released as a single on August 1, 1999. It is the opening track from their third album The Battle of Los Angeles (1999), and was released on June 7, 2000 as the third single from the album.
The cover of the single was taken from the 1968 Olympics Black Power Salute. The song’s lyrics notably make reference to George Orwell‘s novel now turned movie 1984 through use of “The Party” slogan “Who controls the past (now), controls the future. Who controls the present (now), controls the past.”
A song titled “Testify” was performed at the KROQ Almost Acoustic X-Mas, 12.12.1993. The song is completely unrelated to the Battle of Los Angeles track except for the title. Although the song was played only this once and disappeared, some of the lyrics were used for “Down Rodeo” and the final version of “People of the Sun“.
“Testify” made its live debut under the working title “Hendrix” on January 23, 1999, at a surprise club show at the Troubador in West Hollywood, CA. While the instrumental part was identical to the final version, the lyrics were completely different.
The music video, directed by Michael Moore, features a group of aliens, with the title card “Aliens plot to conquer Earth!” followed by “Launch the mutant now!”, after which a number of clips showing the two presidential candidates at the time (George W. Bush and Al Gore for the 2000 US Presidential Election) stating the same policies and views on important issues, and the movie aims to highlight the lack of choice in the US electoral system. This is spoofed in the video as the images of Bush and Gore are morphed together, thereby creating a “mutant” that “appears as two but speaks as one.”
Other key themes in the video focus on America’s reliance on oil, with several clips of the Gulf War, and lines at gas pumps accompanied by the lines “Mass graves for the pump and the price is set.” Other clips display modern industrialization and the military industrial complex, juxtaposed against images of third world nations.
Tracklist:
- Testify (Album Version)
- Testify (Testifly Mix)
- Testify (Rowena Projects Mix)
- Guerrilla Radio (Live)
- Freedom (Live)
Credits:
Rage Against the Machine
Zack de la Rocha: vocals
Tom Morello: guitars
Tim Commerford (credited as “Y. tim K.”): bass
Brad Wilk: drums
