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"Uprising" is Muse's most straightforward protest anthem, written by Matt Bellamy in 2008–2009 during the global financial crisis.
At its core, the song is about:
Resistance against control and manipulation by powerful elites (governments, corporations, banks – the "fat cats").
Waking up from apathy and consumerism ("drugs that keep us all dumbed down," "green belts wrapped around our minds").
Rejecting propaganda and manufactured consent ("PR transmissions," "packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed").
A call for collective rebellion and reclaiming power ("Rise up and take the power back," "We will be victorious").
Bellamy has said in interviews that he was specifically inspired by:
The 2008 banking bailouts (trillions given to the institutions that caused the crisis while ordinary people lost homes and jobs).
Growing state and corporate surveillance.
The feeling that people were being treated as passive consumers rather than citizens.
Musically and lyrically, it borrows the energy of revolutionary anthems (the main riff is deliberately simple and chant-like so crowds can scream it back), while the whirring, marching synth line gives it an almost dystopian, "Big Brother is watching" atmosphere.
In short: It’s a 21st-century rebel song about seeing through the system, refusing to comply, and believing ordinary people can overthrow corrupt power structures if they unite.
It became a staple at protests around the world (Occupy movement, Arab Spring rallies, anti-austerity marches, etc.) for exactly that reason.
At its core, the song is about:
Resistance against control and manipulation by powerful elites (governments, corporations, banks – the "fat cats").
Waking up from apathy and consumerism ("drugs that keep us all dumbed down," "green belts wrapped around our minds").
Rejecting propaganda and manufactured consent ("PR transmissions," "packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed").
A call for collective rebellion and reclaiming power ("Rise up and take the power back," "We will be victorious").
Bellamy has said in interviews that he was specifically inspired by:
The 2008 banking bailouts (trillions given to the institutions that caused the crisis while ordinary people lost homes and jobs).
Growing state and corporate surveillance.
The feeling that people were being treated as passive consumers rather than citizens.
Musically and lyrically, it borrows the energy of revolutionary anthems (the main riff is deliberately simple and chant-like so crowds can scream it back), while the whirring, marching synth line gives it an almost dystopian, "Big Brother is watching" atmosphere.
In short: It’s a 21st-century rebel song about seeing through the system, refusing to comply, and believing ordinary people can overthrow corrupt power structures if they unite.
It became a staple at protests around the world (Occupy movement, Arab Spring rallies, anti-austerity marches, etc.) for exactly that reason.
