Rage Against the Machine » Tracks » Killing in the Name

Rage Against the Machine – Killing in the Name (5:14)

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About This Track

“Killing in the Name” was the first single released by Rage Against the Machine from their self-titled album, and is arguably the band’s signature song. On 31 August 1999, it was reissued together with one previously unreleased track, “Darkness of Greed” the track “Clear the Lane” originally released on a white only pressing at the time of first release on the b-side to ‘killing in the name’. The album’s cover pictured Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, burning himself to death in Saigon in 1963 in protest of the murder of Buddhists by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm’s regime.

Live performances

Zack de la Rocha sometimes changes the lyrics in the second verse from “Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses” to “Some of those that burn crosses are the same that hold office” when playing live. It is also sometimes changed to “Some of those that work forces are the same that burn churches”.

Critical reception

“Killing in the Name” was placed at number 89 on “100 Greatest Guitar Solos”, a poll made by Guitar World. Q magazine placed “Killing in the Name” at number 24 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks and at number 99 in its list of the 100 greatest songs ever.

The song earned its notoriety in the United Kingdom when its BBC Radio 1 DJ, Bruno Brookes, played the uncensored version of the song on his Top 40 countdown, leading to 138 complaints. This moment of infamy has since been consistently referenced by numerous British rock media.

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Albums featuring this track

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  • baungarte

    épica!

    yesterday afternoon

  • DanMaiden1990

    This song beating the X Factor to Xmas Number 1 in 2009 has to be one of the greatest moments in music history. Saying FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME to Simon Cowell was AWESOME!!!

    11 days ago

  • CrossassembleR

    Raaaaage!

    16 days ago

  • metalprincess6

    I like all their music

    17 days ago

  • GuitarGodRocks

    right..

    25 days ago

  • Alefnogueira

    BRASIL !!! BAHIA ... RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

    25 days ago

  • chlorres

    oh yeah...mmmm Tom Morello ♥...:***

    last month

  • Gwynbleiddsfang

    JUSTIFY.

    last month

  • Tombo60

    Love it, this song never gets old!

    last month

  • coffee_and_TV_

    This song is like, beyond fucking badass. ♥ Fuck you i won't do what you tell me.. MOTHERFUCKEEER.

    last month

  • Regular-Sh0w

    "And now you do what they told ya"

    last month

  • moica13

    MORDE A FOCA!1 (Brazilians will get it haha)

    March 2012

  • milozefunky

    Fuck yes my intro >:)

    March 2012

  • xXJokerBPXx

    oh look at that, I just did

    March 2012

  • xXJokerBPXx

    FUCK YOU I WONT LEAVE A SHOUT

    March 2012

  • eddturtle

    Epic Song! Soo, so good. There's a good quote from this song to @ http://rage-quotes.co.uk/?id=5

    March 2012

  • toastyotaku42

    play this on guitar hero all the time!!!

    March 2012

  • Marshall221

    love this song \m/

    March 2012

  • xZombieKingx

    if my high school experience had a theme song it would be this. fuck you i wont do what you tell me.

    March 2012

  • evil1402

    Roskilde 93 or 94 ???....it was great!

    March 2012
See all 1,898 shouts

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