Stoakes’ Song of the Week
Well, for anyone north of the border, today is a significant day as it is St Andrew’s Day. It is also the last day of November and as such this is the final day of our Nu Metal November. And what a way to finish! I have really enjoyed it this month, we’ve enjoyed songs from Incubus, Evanescence, Skindred and Coal Chamber, but this week is special. It’s the last one, so this has to really kick!
This is a Nu Metal anthem. I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not sing along! It is angry, it is hard, this is a middle finger to authority figure’s everywhere. The Ultimate protest song. I give you, Rage Against the Machine!
Killing in the Name, taken from Rage Against The Machine’s self titled debut album, was released on the 2nd November 1992. It was the lead single on the album; 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 the “F-Bomb”.
The song peaked at number 25 in the UK in 1993, but then in 2009, after a successful campaign to knock the X Factor off the Christmas Number One slot, it finally reached Number 1! Attracting controversy wherever they go, RATM performed a live un censored version on BBC Radio 5 Live
in mid-December 2009. Despite the hosts asking them to censor the expletive end, during the crescendo of their performance, frontman Zack De La Rocha started out only singing “I won’t do what you tell me”, with a pause where he normally sings “fuck you”, but after a few lines, he screamed the lyrics, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” repeatedly. much to the horror of hosts Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogarty.
The single sold 500,000 copies and was declared number 1 on the 20th December. It was also the first exclusively download-only single to be Christmas number one. As a result of the campaign, the song is featured in the 2011 UK edition of the Guinness World Records under the category of ‘Fastest-selling digital track (UK)’, after recording 502,672 downloads in its first week.
The ULTIMATE Nu Metal anthem from RATM and with rumours circulating about a possible reunion and string of tour dates as well as a headline slot at Coachella, we couldn’t be more excited.
