Rage In opposition to The Machine’s basic Killing In The Identify has surpassed a whopping one billion streams on Spotify.
The 1992 rager – taken from the band’s legendary self-titled debut album – hit the milestone this month, with Tom Morello taking to X/Twitter to have fun.
“KILLING IN THE NAME simply hit 1 billion streams on Spotify!” he wrote. “Because of all those that listened to it: those that like 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.”
In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Tom stated the enduring line, ‘Fuck you, I received’t do what you inform me,’ was a “common sentiment”. “Whereas it’s a easy lyric, I believe it’s one in all [Zack de la Rocha’s, singer] most sensible,” he enthused. “And to me, it pertains to [19th century U.S. abolitionist] Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass stated that 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 stated, ‘Sure.’ And he stated, ‘No.’ And that’s the essence of ‘Fuck you, I can’t do what you inform me.’ And that’s why it’s encouraging to listen to it shouted on the Fed goons who’re capturing tear fuel at Americans.”
In the identical dialogue, Tom additionally revealed that the observe “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, bass], I believe, 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 really left the lyrics off of the lyric sheet of the primary report, as a result of it’s I believe 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.”
