Killing in the Name
| "Killing in The Name" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Rage Against the Machine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Rage Against the Machine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | November 2, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre | Alternative metal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 5:14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Epic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Killing in The Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992. In 1993, the song peaked at number 25 in the United Kingdom, but in 2009 became the Christmas number one. Written about revolution against institutional racism and police brutality, "Killing in The Name" is widely recognized as the band's signature song, and has been noted for its distinctive guitar riffs and heavy use of profanity.
"Killing in the Name" has been described as "a howling, expletive-driven tirade against the ills of American society." The uncensored version contains the word "fuck" seventeen times. The song builds in intensity, with Zack de la Rocha chanting the line "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me", murmuring the line the first four times, building in a crescendo the next four times and screaming angrily the line the final eight times culminating with De La Rocha screaming "Motherfucker!" The song's lyrics reference the allegation that some members of US police forces are members of the Ku Klux Klan, whose symbol is the burning cross. The BBC News website refers to it as railing against "the military–industrial complex, justifying killing for the benefit of, as the song puts it, the chosen whites." The song reflects the racial tensions that exist in United States; it was released six months after the Los Angeles Riots, which were triggered by the acquittal of four white police officers who beat black motorist Rodney King.
Tom Morello created the heavier guitar riffs while teaching a student drop D tuning. He stopped the lesson and recorded the riff. The next day the band met in a studio and according to Morello the song "Killing in the Name" was created in a collaborative effort, combining his riff with "Timmy C.'s magmalike bass, Brad Wilk's funky, brutal drumming and Zack's conviction". Like all Rage Against the Machine songs tuned to Drop D, it was recorded on a Fender Telecaster.
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Wikipedia