Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine & Maynard James Keenan
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
A searing protest song against police brutality, “Killing in the Name” was the lead single from Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled debut album, initially only reaching #25 on the UK charts in 1993 after being released in November 1992. It was written six months following the Rodney King beating...
[Intro]
Killing in the name of
[Verse]
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Uh!
[Refrain]
Killing in the name of
Killing in the name of
[Pre-Chorus]
Now you do what they told ya
Now you do what they told ya
Now you do what they told ya
Now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
But now you do what they told ya!
Well, now you do what they told ya
[Chorus]
Those who died are justified
For wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died
By wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Those who died are justified
For wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died
By wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
[Verse]
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces
Are the same that burn crosses
Uh!
[Refrain]
Killing in the name of
Killing in the name of
[Pre-Chorus]
Now you do what they told ya
Now you do what they told ya
Now you do what they told ya
Now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya
(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya
(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya
(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya
(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya
(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya
(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya
[Chorus]
Those who died are justified
For wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died
By wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Those who died are justified
For wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died
By wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Come on!
[Guitar Solo]
Ugh!
Yeah!
Come on!
Ugh!
[Outro]
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Motherfucker!
Ugh!
Killing in the Name was written by Tim Commerford & Brad Wilk & Tom Morello & Zack de la Rocha.
Killing in the Name was produced by Rage Against the Machine & Garth Richardson.
Rage Against the Machine released Killing in the Name on Tue Nov 03 1992.
When Spin Magazine asked the group about the report that the song was used to torture prisoners at Guantanamo, Morello said they unsuccessfully sued the State Department.
It was very hurtful that a song that was written about liberation of body and spirit to be used as a Medieval flogging device.
As recently as January 7, 2020, guitarist Tom Morello referenced the song on Twitter in response to revelations that numerous off-duty police officers were among the insurrectionists who staged the attempted coup on the US Capitol the previous day.
Some of those that work forces are apparently the...