Cops murdering minorities is justified, just because they are police officers. The badge is like a “get out of jail free” card.

The police force is full of racists, implying that cops are in the Ku Klux Klan.

In 2003 when this song was performed live on their Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium album, the lyrics “Some of those that work forces” was changed in one of the verses to “Some of those that hold office”

Cops murdering minorities is justified, just because they are police officers. The badge is like a “get out of jail free” card and they use is to beat and murder people to satisfy their racism.

The police force is full of racists, implying that cops are in the Ku Klux Klan.

In 2003 when this song was performed live on their Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium album, the lyrics “Some of those that work forces” was changed in one of the verses to “Some of those that hold office”

This line is about a plantation slave praying for rain so he doesn’t have to work under the hot sun in cotton feilds.

This whole song can have a more literal translation of a plantation, but the deeper meaning is about America and Capitalism. The significance of the double meaning is that we are slaves to a flawed, unforgiving system.

Vocalist for Rage Against the Machine

The workers try to make the best of their predicament, by “singing” which is a metaphor for distracting themselves with consuming material things and other distractions meant to give people a false sense of true happiness. Not working on Maggies Farm is a metaphor for not participating in what is assessed to be a corrupt and unjust system.

“Maggie’s Farm” is a song written by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 15, 1965, and released on the album Bringing It All Back Home on March 22 of that year.

A much heavier version is Rage Against the Machine’s interpretation appearing on their 2000 covers album, Renegades. In this version the line “She’s 68 but she says she’s 54” has been changed to “She’s 68 but she says she’s 24”. This is actually a change Dylan made for the electric version of “Maggie’s Farm.”

Tom Morello on electric guitar

Maggie’s Ma is a metaphor for religion.

Religion is excessively old and arguably out of touch, but it still claims its relevance. According to bible enthusiasts the world is much less old than then scientific evidence shows. (Hence the 68 24 line). Religion’s enforcer is “Pa” (i.e. the government). The point being that religion dictates the tone of government in society.