Rage In opposition to The Machine‘s enduring protest anthem “Killing In The Identify” has formally crossed into the 1 billion performs membership on digital service supplier Spotify. Launched again in 1992 because the lead single from the band’s 3x multi-platinum licensed self-titled debut album, the track stays the most well-liked of the politically lively rap metallic outfit’s catalog by a far.
Identified for its incendiary chorus of “fuck you I gained’t do what you inform me”, which is repeated 16 occasions, the observe is lengthy understood to have been a response to the wave of police brutality that boiled over in riots within the Los Angeles, CA space within the early 90s.
The track additionally fervently condemned the alleged racism that motivated that well-documented abuse of energy, in addition to race being a motivator for others in positions of authority to oppress others. Within the a long time since being launched, the track has since on a brand new life.
Maybe most bizarrely it grew to become the middle of a social marketing campaign to unseat the then annual Christmas #1 single penned by winners of the British actuality TV present ‘The X Issue‘ from reaching #1 again in 2009. Whereas that profitable marketing campaign was not led by the band themselves, they ultimately championed the trigger and raised tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} for charity via it.
Since then, the observe has additionally considerably paradoxically additionally been politicized and utilized by people usually regarded as in opposition to the beliefs expressed by the band and the track’s lyrical content material. Again in 2020, Tom Morello, guitarist for the Rock & Roll Corridor Of Fame-inducted outfit, defined how the legendary minimize got here collectively, telling Rolling Stone:
“‘Fuck you, I gained’t do what you inform me’ is a common sentiment. Whereas it’s a easy lyric, I feel it’s one among [Zack de la Rocha’s] most good. And to me, it pertains to Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass mentioned, the second he grew to become free was not the second that he was bodily loosed from his bonds. It was the second when grasp mentioned, ‘Sure.’ And he mentioned, ‘No.’ And that’s the essence of “Fuck you, I cannot do what you inform me.” And that’s why it’s encouraging to listen to it shouted on the Fed goons who’re taking pictures tear gasoline at Americans.”
“I used to be educating guitar lesson to an completed native scenester musician and was displaying them learn how to play drop-D [tuning]. Maynard Keenan of Software had taught me learn how to do drop-D. I used to be truly taking part in bass on the time, a crappy Ibanez bass. And I used to be like, ‘While you play drop-D tuning, it simply form of suggests completely different patterns to your fingers.’ And the primary sample I performed was that riff. I mentioned, maintain on one sec, and received my little Radio Shack recorder and recorded that.
After which it was initially an instrumental. There’s a Rage In opposition to the Machine video from Cal State Northridge – which is our first public efficiency – the place we open the present with an instrumental model of ‘Killing In The Identify’ and Timmy [Commerford], I feel, got here up with hat actually cool [bass riff]. [Brad Wilk’s] crowd-bouncing beat is there from the very, very starting.
After which Zack laced it with the historic lyrics. We truly left the lyrics off of the lyric sheet of the primary report, as a result of it’s I feel it’s two strains, 16 ‘fuck yous,’ and one ‘motherfucker.’ And we’re like, within the midst of all this grand political poetry, let’s simply that one stand for itself.
The dunna-dunt [before de la Rocha raps, ‘and now you do what they told ya’] that was an essential half! I bear in mind our A&R man, Michael Goldstone, who’s a genius. He’s received Pearl Jam. He was actually the fifth Beatle early on. He was an incredible assist, however he wished us to take that half out of the track.
I feel he heard ‘hit single, so long as he doesn’t have that loopy half the place it simply stops loads!’ That was a little bit of a carry from Zeppelin’s ‘Good occasions, Dangerous Instances,’ that half. We’ve felt fairly assured that should keep within the track, and I feel historical past has borne that out.”
Extra just lately, Morello defined the lyrical inspiration for the track whereas recalling an ironic interplay he had in a restaurant. Talking through his social media final yr, Morello recounted the next trade:
“By no means ceases to amaze me what number of of us who’ve heard RATM are in Paul Ryan mode, having actually ZERO understanding of something that band was about and even much less understanding the place any of us would possibly stand on up to date points. Not too long ago was speaking to some at a restaurant who had been massive followers of “Killing In The Identify”.
The great woman mentioned, “I like that track. It helped me rage in opposition to my dad and mom and later in opposition to the jab!” I mentioned, “Ma’am that track is about racist cops who usually behave just like the Ku Klux Klan in service of historic white supremacy and are boot licking lackeys and thugs of the racist capitalist ruling class.” She sat there chewing and blinking, chewing and blinking.”
As for the above Paul Ryan point out, again in 2012, Republican politician Paul Ryan publicly proclaimed himself a fan of the band’s music. Morello would later pen a scathing op-ed concerning Ryan, referring to him as “the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging in opposition to for twenty years.”
Talking in a single day on “Killing In The Identify” now hitting this new milestone, Morello said:
““KILLING IN THE NAME” simply hit 1 billion streams on Spotify! Because of all those that listened to it: those that adore it, those that hate it, and people who have loved it with out understanding it. Righteous proof that insurgent music and irony are alive and effectively.”
“KILLING IN THE NAME” simply hit 1 billion streams on Spotify! Because of all those that listened to it: those that adore it, those that hate it, and people who have loved it with out understanding it. Righteous proof that insurgent music and irony are alive and effectively.
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) January 11, 2025