Without a Face

The song *Without a Face* by Rage Against the Machine, included in their second album Evil Empire from 1996, addresses the harsh reality of those who cross the border into the United States from Mexico. The lyrics focus on the construction of a physical barrier at the border, as if a new wall were being erected just after the fall of the one in Germany. It is mentioned that, since 1986, hateful rhetoric and government hysteria have resulted in the appearance of 1500 bodies in that area. The title itself, "Without a Face," alludes to how many Mexican immigrants in the United States go unnoticed, without individual recognition, treated as an anonymous mass, lacking identification or rights. The chorus, with phrases like "Born without a face," connects with the situation of the Zapatista people of Chiapas, who felt ignored by the Mexican government of the time, and more broadly, with those affected by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The songwriter of the song, Zack de la Rocha, explained that the lyrics emerged as a direct response to these circumstances. In a 1998 interview, he pointed out that the crisis and trade agreements made people in the United States also feel "faceless," without alternatives or possibilities. The connection with the Zapatista struggle felt strong, as they identified themselves as students, workers, artists, and many of them of Mexican origin. The recording of Evil Empire, released on April 16, 1996, featured production by Brendan O’Brien and the band itself, while the recording engineering was handled by Caram Costanzo and Clay Harper, and the mixing was done by Andy Wallace. The album, whose title refers to a term used by Ronald Reagan to describe the USSR, was interpreted by the band as a critique of the United States itself.