In this article I’ll talk about one of songs I performed bass guitar on for the class’s end of year recital, “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine. “Killing in the Name” is arguably Rage Against the Machine’s most famous and recognisable tracks, most likely helped due to a campaign against the talent show The X Factor that saw the track become Christmas number 1 in the UK in 2009. “Killing in the Name” was released in 1992 on the group’s debut synonymous album and it contains all the hallmarks of a typical Rage Against The Machine song: crunchy and powerful guitar riffs, tight bass and drum playing, strong political messages and an astounding number of expletives from vocalist Zack de la Rocha. The latter of which has caused numerous controversies since the song’s debut; in 1993, the uncensored song in all its expletive-ridden glory was accidentally broadcast on BBC Radio One, prompting outrage and numerous complaints. Regardless, “Killing in the Name” has earned a large amount of phrase and regularly features on people’s “best songs of all time” lists.
Like almost all of Rage Against the Machine’s songs, “Killing in the Name” aims to deliver a powerful political message. The lyrics discuss the links of certain members of the police force in America to racist and white supremacist groups such as the KKK, hence the lyric “Some of those who work forces / Are the same that burn crosses” – the burning cross is a image that is closely related to the KKK. The song can definitely be seen as one to energise and empower the listener, especially during the crescendo where de la Rocha begins to scream “F*** you, I won’t do what you tell me”.
“Killing in the Name” has a curious structure in that the intro riffs bear little resemblance to anything else in the song, excluding the final riff. This section starts off with a brisk guitar and bass riff, which then melds into a triplet-feel section that actually gives the rest of the song its tempo. The song is entirely in the key of D minor, with the guitar and bass guitar each tuned down to drop D (DADGBE from low to high strings) – a benefit of this tuning being that power chords can be played with one finger. The main riff of the song is predominantly based off of the D minor scale with an added major third in there as well, which gives the riff a bluesy rock vibe. This riff continues to be played during the verses, but is instead played quieter and palm muted on the guitar. The song builds in intensity in the next section, but during the “Now ya do what they told ya” section the intensity is dialled back; this section gradually builds up as Tom Morello, the band’s guitarist, adds in muted strings because barrelling into the chorus riff. Morello is acclaimed as one of rock’s most innovative guitar players and regularly uses unusual effects and technique in his lead playing, possibly best displayed during his solo on “Killing in the Name” where a whammy pedal is used extensively. The song again starts to build in intensity immediately after the solo concludes, with de la Rocha quietly muttering the infamous “F*** you, I won’t do what you tell me” line over and over. This continues before the band kicks back into the chorus line, with de la Zocha now screaming the line before ending it off with a final “Motherf*****”; the song then concludes dramatically with a brief reprisal of the opening riff of the song.
Rage Against the Machine’s lineup consists of Zack de la Rocha on vocals, Tom Morello on guitar, Tim “Timmy C” Commerford, and Brad Wilk on drums. The band famously wrote in the liner notes for their debut album that “No samples, keyboards or synthesizers used in the making of this recording”, alluding to the live recorded nature of the album. The vocal style of de la Rocha for the majority of the song is rapping, except the final crescendo where he screams the famous expletive-laden verse. There are no backing vocals on the track except for de la Rocha uttering “Now you’re under control” during the second pre-chorus, which was performed by Commerford during live performances.
Will Listens To Music 