Exactly. This song is designed to scream along to. It's really interesting when you put this song in the context of the rest of their songs. Often they're full of complex lyrics and metaphors, but this song is extremely repetitive and the lyrics are direct. Their other songs are trying to convince you and make you feel rage. Killing in the Name is not trying to convince you - it's a call to action.
It’s also purposefully left simple as a way to really plant the message in anyone’s head, not just those oppressed by the machine, but its operators too! Before they know it they’re humming the chants and eventually have a wake up moment where they cannot help but ask “am I the machine that I rage against?”
A masterclass on how to miss the point ! This is not a piece of music for them or for their public , it is a cathartic vehicle ... and the point is , it works ! Listening to this, you can't help but feel our colective RAGE against the machine ... The medium is the message ! ^^
Ai ai ! Did it fall flat? Dunno. I think it was meant to be. But I think this was meant to go over the top. Musically, it may have been better to do as Virgin Rock said. But, emotionally... surely not.
Probably both thinks can be right. I think that this song works completly different if you hear It or "dance It". And this second option of experience It is fir the song was entended to be, a catartic one, I guess.
At the end. It’s with his every fiber that he rages. It’s not about some symphonic climax, it about giving everything he has to the fight, until he’s exhausted. He didn’t “lose it”, he gave it all.
That's exactly right, and though I love this channel, I feel in order to truly understand some of these songs and 'why' they're written, you need to have *some* amount of rage in you that it taps. If you are a wholly peaceful person, I can see how this can be analyzed from a 'so many high schoolers in California want to play in bands' mindset.
Back when this came out some people complained that the lyrics were too repetitive, but the thing is that they're beating you upside the head with the same idea over and over again under the assumption that most people didn't seem to get it. Here we are almost 35 years later and the issues this song discusses are still a problem and a lot of people simply refuse to get it, so their insistence was very much warranted.
It's like...there are literal KKK members in the police. Is that a thing we don't acknowledge? If we acknowledge it, are we somehow OK with that? If we're not OK with that, why aren't we showing it? It's a song that asks us why, if you know how much power the forces of hate hold, aren't you more mad about it? Why isn't that the first thing we talk about in the morning and the last thing we talk about at night? This is an insult to the idea of justice, hiding in plain sight, why aren't more people mad? Why aren't more people ready to fight?
The lyrics were basically 'people in positions of power do bad stuff.' I bet if they made a song called 'Poop smells bad' people would be praising them for being so clever to work out that poop still smells bad 30 years after the song was released. RATM was for children.
The lyrics were basically 'people in positions of power do bad stuff.' I bet if they made a song called 'Poop smells bad' people would be praising them for being so clever to work out that poop still smells bad 30 years after the song was released. RATM was for children.
@@JJPwfelli Thank you for demonstrating my point by purposefuly sidestepping the not so minor detail about the song literally being about institutional racism in the police in an attempt to pretend you're too smart for this music.
The final part is the best. Because of the release. The whole song builds up to it. I love it. Absolutely did not fall flat. It is pure emotion. And in pure emotion technique is no longer relevant.
This song was written in response to the Rodney King verdict in 1992. Los Angeles was already simmering with resentment against the police because of systemic racism, so when the officers who brutally beat King on video were exonerated, the city erupted into riots. This song is a protest song, indeed, against the "forces" that "burn crosses" and culminates in a defiant rage, aimed back at the corrupt power. The final verses, reaching their climax, is sustained so the listener is raging along with them. Especially experienced live, it's a participatory song.
The riots were mainly touched off when a Korean store owner shot and killed a young teenage black girl in her store. The riot started in Korea Town and spread out from there all over the city. King was a factor in the riots because the verdict for King was handed down at the same time the Korean store owner was found not guilty for murdering the teenage girl. It began by blacks burning down Korean owned businesses. This later lead to O.J. being found not guilty as a backlash to how the police abuse authority against minorities. All of these things which weren't connected criminally became connected socially.
@@alphajava761 the Korean store owner WAS convicted of voluntary manslaughter with the jury recommending a long prison sentence, but the judge (who is in charge of sentencing) let her off with probation and community service instead. Her sentence was passed down 5 months before the riots started. The riots started the day the verdict was released in the trial against officers who beat Rodney King, so while the Korean store owner case played into some of the anger (and where it was directed), it wasn't the final straw. The LA riots had little to nothing to do with OJ's trial- he just had a great defense team willing to do whatever was necessary, put up against with a fairly inept prosecution team that slipped up in egregious ways numerous times in presenting their case and not getting derailed by the defense, and even more egregiously handled investigation from the LAPD including the main detective leading the 5th on the stand.
@@alphajava761 The uprising was a direct and immediate response to the shameful verdicts in the Rodney King beating trial. They followed immediately after - the same day, and then building over the next few days. That is specifically what prompted the uprising. The Latasha Harlins murder by Soon Ja Du certainly added to the anger in the air at that time. But it wasn't what sparked the event.
@@alphajava761 1. March 16, 1991: Latasha Harlins' shooting. 2. November 15, 1991: Soon Ja Du's probation sentence. 3. April 29, 1992: LAPD acquittals, riots/uprising starts in South Central. * 410 days between events 1. and 3. * 166 days between events 2. and 3.
@thewonkyembouchure Explain why blacks attacked Korea Town specifically where Korean business owners took to brandishing guns on rooftops and elsewhere to try and keep their businesses from being looted and burned down. Explain why Korea Town sustained the most concentrated backlash and specific targeting regarding these riots. Why Korean's specifically? Korea Town is miles from South Central.
I respectfully disagree with your analysis of the ending. To me, I have always interpreted the dulling of the penultimate line to be one of exhaustion, the risk of giving in to immutable injustice. That this is what happens to us, because of the repetition of normalization of horror (intentional irony: the exact thing the song is protesting against). If you listen to more RATM (and I hope you do) you will hopefully take note of how genius Zach De La Rocha's writing and delivery was. I don't think we'll ever hear anything like him again.
The Song also builds Up your own rage and leaves you then with nothing than the emotion. So that onesself is able to feel this clear and intense as it is. And this is always the first step to know more about one self and start to change things and become active and not leaves you staying passive.
You would love the charismatic voice. There was no real and analysis during this video, at least nothing until some week and analysis after the song played, which made the entire song boring. She didn’t discuss composition throughout. She made a vague statement that the messages clear, but never said what it was.she can’t even make her mind up whether she likes it or not.
@@TheMrlovegoodtimes Because if everybody was like you, life would be soooooooooooooo effing boring. Do you really appreciate Satie? Amadou & Mariam? Engelbert Humperdinck? Skavoovie & the Epitones? Frank Boeijen Groep? Pablo Gad? The Beach Boys? And these are just a minute segment of a microscopic part of my collection. If you looked these artists up, and listened to their stuff (not just one song, for 10 seconds), and truly can say you like ALL of that, I will retract my initial statement. BUT.... If there is so much as ONE song you really do NOT love (not like, LOVE - your parameter), then I will expect an apology for posting such a tremendously stupid comment as you did here.
That "loosing it at the end" is kind of the point. This song was made in response to police violence and the boiling over it had in that same year that ultimately led to the LA riots. The same way the song led to a rage filled and uncontrolled ending mirrors the way the people felt at the time. I do appreciate your wonderful and educated take on it
Hi, I was a rock dj back in the nineties when this track came out and I have no recollection of it ever falling flat as it built to an amazing crescendo of rage that never failed to ignite the audience into a frenzy of head banging happiness. It is a simplistic masterpiece. Love watching your analysis of all music you review though ❤
It doesn’t fall flat from a perspective of yelling and letting loose, jumping around and yelling “fuck you I won’t do what you tell me” is the ultimate crescendo but listening to it critically it is interesting that the highest point of the vocals just go over the same intensity that the band uses for the beginning of the chorus, lyrically it peaks but compositionally it plateaus and I had never really looked at it like that before. It is almost shocking how the instrumental stays on the same level while the vocals soar so much higher especially when RATM was so good at continuing to build and push further and further during the other choruses. Very interesting stuff from this analysis.
So was I! DjRico! Such great time for music! I saw rage against the machine in France while on a trip doing an improv trour there. The show, " fish bone, rage against the machine, living color and tool in 1993! When I came back, I had to import the rage cd because at my music shop, they didn't have it! 👌👍✌️🤟♥️🇨🇦
What I find equally depressing are leftist artists who benefit from the system whilst surfing their criticism of that system to riches. I remember Tom reacting to Paul Ryan liking the band - saying something like "rich people like him are the machine we're fighting against," but Paul Ryan is basically a pauper compared to Tom and Zack's accumulated wealth. In addition, it also depressed me when people will rightly criticize groups/actions from one side of the political spectrum but excuse or even support awful characters on their own side. Aside from all that - I really like their music. Especially when I was a kid.
@@DM-rc4yu Did cops suddenly stop undiscriminately shooting and abusing minorities or did I miss something in the past five years? Because last I heard of (recently), a black woman was shot in the head for quote "reaching for a pot of boiling water".
He reaches his vocal limit as a demonstration of the point. He's been literally yelling the same thing at you for five minutes. He has indeed reached his limit.
I totally agree. I've always heard that 'failing' ending as an artistic choice rather than a weakness of their songwriting. It feels desperate and hopeless. It works so much more effectively than a massive steamroller climax would. Interesting vid though.
I always just figured that he had multiple sections of building volume/aggression and wanted to end with a section that's full-out the entire time. Maybe that doesn't work for everybody, but I think it's crazy to see this as a failure of execution (that he was trying to build to the end, but just couldn't pull it off) rather than an issue of stylistic preference. He could've built slower and had enough vocal space to keep ascending up to the end (or he could simply have ended it sooner), but he chose not to. But I'd actually argue that the "Motherf*¢$er!" afterwards is the thing that tops everything, breaking the stasis and relieving the tension of having hit the vocal ceiling with seemingly nowhere left to go.
I always felt like this was sort of the point too, that whole breakdown of constantly having to say the same thing over and over and just losing it because no one is listening. I always thought that was why the script sort of broke at the end too with the motherfucker bit.
Not sure I agree with the final conclusion on the ending and I am normally extremely sensitive to that exact thing you were talking about. This song has at least three seperate parts where the build up is slightly held back, then cut off, then brought back gradually (and extra elements are added each time on top of the build up in volume/energy). The final build up which then levels off is perfectly designed to fit the context in which this song would oridinarily be listened to. What I mean is that this music is almost certainly made to be danced to and many of us did dance to this way back in the 90s/early 2000s. The apparent plateau of the final build up works really well in that context. The final release of the final moments of this song would not work if where to retreat one more time given that the song is already approaching the 5 minute mark. And the length of this track is always something that surprises me when I revisit it because the perfect pacing and energy really make it feel like a much shorter song. Maybe you're right and there could be room to squeeze in one more pull-back and build up at the end, but in a certain listening context, the existing structure actually works perfectly.
Yeh, some songs disappoint on record, but are good live. I can think of quite a few bands you could say this about, especially from the 90's as they had a way of almost cleaning the song for an album if that makes sense.
On the contrary, I felt something similar to what Amy probably felt at that moment. Disclaimer: I first heard the track in 1992, 1993 (via MTV - those times...) and it was like a lightning strike for a young teenager. And when I listen to this (and "Bullet...", and "Freedom"...) every few years I feel about the same as the 1st time. And I like repetition, trance, small changes in music, etc. In the discussed section of "Killing...", "f*ck you I won't do what you tell me" line is first spoken/sung 8 times during that fantastic chaotic build-up (with more guitar noise in the background), and then the line is repeated another 8 times on the "usual" dynamic rhythm. And those first few times after chaos is overcome, settled - it's great pay-off of the build-up. But last 2-3 times the "f*ck you..." line is repeated (so out of 16 times in total) - I agree with Amy - it doesn't have that much impact anymore and I understand her "they lost it there" comment just at the end of that section. Not sure how RATM could back off at that point, or if another section of building the tension up would work (in already 5 min track...). However, I agree with you that during concerts, jumping on or in mosh pit, rather no one complain about "f*ck you..." section being too long ;) All in all, an amazing song.
I agree - I think it's important in the end section to have a sustained few bars of just unbridled anger. Just to allow the crowd to shout at the top of their lungs and let it all out.
I think musically you’re technically absolutely spot on about the ending purely from a listening perspective. It’s all about contextualizing this one. From a club perspective it needs to flatten moving into the next song, there’s little room for a pullback and the peak of the build needs to come early either to cross fade or just to allows quick breather from the pull back and build that by this time in the song is putting a strain on the head, neck, and shoulders (if the band and producers planned that, kudos, if it just happened then my spine thanks the circumstances!) In concert it leaves room for the crowd to continue building, and that is an experience and a half! I think they found a happy balance with the studio cut, but the analysis isn’t wrong. It lacks the impact of hearing it live.
I absolutely love the evolution of your videos. When you started it was clear that you had a lot of musical knowledge but struggled to relate it to the music you were listening to. Now you are eloquent, insightful, appreciative and have a depth that is rare. Thank you for letting us be a part of this endeavour.
I’m a guitarist that has played this song in a rock band for years. It’s an end of set or event song and the last piece of vocal intensity stays at the upper limit without being dull as the crowd amplifies the chant and is the true climax. It’s amazing how this song affects the soul of so many at a live performance.
One of the funniest TH-cam clips of all time is when a radio station had this band on live and asked them to play a clean version of this song... It went exactly as you'd expect.
I don’t mind a bit of righteous indignation in the right place and this tune has it in bucket loads .. an anthem and vehicle for anger against injustice and police brutality.. I’m not so angry in my latter years but this tune always fitted perfectly with the sort of anger that rages with direction in a way that is meant to create a better society. I can get on board with that and the execute it brilliantly. The simplicity and repetition of the lyrics really helps to make their message clear and direct , totally unambiguous. Still love it all these years later. And sadly it’s still just as relevant today as then ..thanks for casting your ears this way, not what I expect here but love it .. I can appreciate how the ending doesn’t suit everyone but honestly, if you are really feeling and embodying the message , it’s absolute perfection ..I kinda feel like the ending may have fell a bit flat for you Amy because you weren’t bringing your own rage to the piece .. understandable, but when u do it really does take you all the way . It would have been strange if u had to be honest 😂
With respect I disagree with your analysis of the ending. The way it seems to me in the last line portrayed very well a person who has been quietly suppressing the thought until it finally breaks out.
I made my Abitur in 98 and we did parties to finance our Abitur ball. This song was the corner stone of of our DJ. The last part is incredible when the audience joins in, so I assume it is on purpose to force people to support the singer. This was the piece with wich we wrecked the dance floor on one occasion - so much for earning money with parties 😂
more importantly, it is not a weak ending when played live because at the end the audience is singing along, it is like the entire song is inviting you to join in with the repetition, there is a limit to how loud a single person can get, but not to a crowd
She is the only person in history to claim the ending falls flat. When performed live it leads to the craziest, wildest, crowd reaction of, perhaps, any song ever
('But don't steal my records, abide by the law in capitalist countries and buy my records from big corporations, so I can become super wealthy.'). Rock n Roll in a nutshell.
@@JJPwfelli There's idealism, and then there's realism. Idealism/delusions is believing that laws shouldn't exist or that you can get around corporations. Realism is realizing that laws are good for a society to function and that corporations are already as invasive as they get, you can't really get around them.
Context for the X-Factor / Christmas Number One thing: for multiple years in a row in the UK the christmas number one had inevitably been taken by whomever was winning X-Factor that year. A good chunk of us were very sick of it. Some bright spark suggested we should all buy Killing In the Name as protest against manufactured corporate tv music. So we did.
When seeing them live, it becomes clear that the plateau you're referring to is the space for the audience to thrash around and just go all out, holding and stretching the climax out rather than the climax being a singular moment.
Simple indeed. I feel like they could've mixed it up a little: "Some of those who flip burgers... are the same who burn crosses!" "Some of those who turn faucets... are the same who burn crosses!" And so on.
History can be Dark. The Lead Singers Father Roberto "Beto" de la Rocha was a muralist and a member of “Los Four”, the first Chicano art collective to be exhibited at a museum. The LACMA, 1973.
A critical sentence was in the liner notes of this album: "No synthesizers or samples were used in the recording of this album". ALL the crazy sound effects in this album were made by Tom Morello with his guitar. The first line of this song, repeated several times: "Some of those who work forces Are the same who burn crosses", speaks to the systemis racism inherent in many police departments. The Jim Crow laws were visciously enforced by police depts.
the repetition is to ensure the message gets hammered home, even to people whose life experience would cause them to initially deny or misunderstand the message
5:47 I couldn't help but laugh out loud and imagine if instead they were called "So Incredibly Disappointed in the Machine." Rage? No, I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed. Passive Aggression Against the Machine.
I don't think for a moment that the breaking of Zach's voice was not completely intentional. I believe it was by design to demonstrate the complete and utter frustration and loss of patience in a system that allowed for the verdict of the Rodney King Police Brutality case and subsequent riots that stemmed from that verdict.
I was a rock DJ in the nineties. This was one of my signature songs on which the venue often exploded. I understand what you are saying about the climax that isn't totally complete, but I can assure you that on the dance-floor, the audience made it complete. It was one of the songs I played until the end, because it was super satisfying for the audience.
This song always remind me of Louis Armstrong who said much of his early trumpet practice consisted of seeing how many ways he could play the same note to get different expressive possibilities. There's something in the lyrical repetition in this song that allows every small nuanced change in the delivery to shine through that makes it very effective.
The ending is incredible. If Zach de la Rocha had held back a bit…No! He needs to overdo it to the point of faulty technique or whatever, because at this point it is about finding the anger and emotion. And give it a full release.
I was also in that audience at PinkPop. Rage against and Urban Dance Squad in another year where both bands that got the audience jumping to earthquake level.
I think the build up was in the section that sort of had the music collapsing in on itself, and climaxed where the heavy groove came in. At that point I don't think it was supposed to go higher, but became the new chant where the audience now becomes part of it.
This song seems to have global resonance. I was in France a few months ago and saw a brass band made up of elderly men who played this song in the streets. It blew me away. I couldn't believe they were playing it. And the audience on the street knew the song and understood the message. It was so powerful.
Chilean here. RATM visited my country twice so far (2010 and 2022). The band has a huge fanbase from the early days. Hell, "Killing in the name" was probably the first song I learned on guitar. The obscure episodes in Chile's recent history deeply resonate with the songs and particularly the anger in RATM repertoire. Tom Morello stands as an iconic figure and a notable example of left-wing reference, especially in a country where the left is often labeled as uneducated by the right. He has often praised Chilean fans as some of the best R&R fans in the world and he always gets a great connection with them on stage. Morello has expressed solidarity with the people of Chile, particularly in relation to historical and political matters. He has discussed the influence that learning about figures such as Víctor Jara and Salvador Allende had on his political consciousness. Additionally, he has made visits to important locations like the Museo de la Memoria and the Estadio Victor Jara as a tribute. So, to your point I definitely agree they have enormous influence outside the US
that's your artistic choice which, of course, you're entitled to. he made a different choice. you talk as if he simply made a mistake, but surely this is an intentional choice. this is a studio recording of their hit single. they didn't just wing it.
I have expended SO MUCH energy on the dance floor / mosh pit to this song (and Smells Like Teen Spirit) in the 90s. Just pouring sweat by the end. Good times.
This song was inspired by rodney king beating by LAPD and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. I think it’s important to mention it in order to understand the historical context and the meanings of this song then, when it was written and the raw angry it express.
The simplicity in the messaging is its power. Prior to this era such songs were full of double entendres and veiled messages, for fear of retribution. Songs like F the Police and Killing in the Name were powerful because they were making statements that could end their careers in a way that cannot be shielded or explained away. They were saying, “Don’t misunderstand me, I’m saying these cops deserved what they got. Come at me.”
There is a famous clip of them playing this song live on BBC Radio in the UK. The BBC asked them not to swear - well as the song is about not doing what you are told you can imagine how that went!!!!
What you say about the end technically is true, but that's one of the reasons this is an absolute classic of the genre. It physically manifests the breakdown that one has when one's oppression and suffering can't intensify anymore. When life has brought you to a breaking point and even your ability to express begins to fail. He is feeling that as he sings and it comes through in that plateau of grief and rage. It is truth.
Need to do Bulls on Parade next! Great reaction... I thought he was in control of his emotions and by the end he had enough and it was a total release of his emotions that he could not contain.
Having sung this song in a band in my 20s and also playing the guitar, I can see her points about the ending. Vocally there isn't anywhere to go after it builds and yet, the live version by Audioslave sees Chris Cornell pulling back a little bit, before completely screaming with the last repetition of those words. No matter, I love the song and I always will enjoy it because it is flawless
With Cornell the song is technically better performed. But for De la Rocha it is the emotional release that has the focus. For him it is/was (at the time) about more than the music. It is the authenticity of it that gets me, especially in the end part. But hey, thats just my listening experience.
There are few perfect albums I've heard, even fewer of them were debuts. This might be the very best debut album for my money. Would absolutely love to see further exploration of this or any of their albums tbh.
This band has quite a body of work. Politics aside (as this is a classical musicians reaction channel), many of us find this band very exciting to listen to or play. They are very good at arranging and creating music to express themselves. I have been a fan since the 90's. Amazing live shows.
The beauty of hip-hop & rap is that your voice is an instrument & the lyrics allow you to convey your message. The aggression in this sound is because people are being aggressively killed by "some of those that work (police) forces" this cant be a ballad or a love song, it's about giving your all, giving your life . Hiphop historically & culturally isnt just about "entertainment", its also about "EDUCATION". its the word on the street from the streets. It's the troubles in your life and the life that you live. From the heart & spat out through a rhyme, over a beat.... Often real, sometimes exaggerated and boosted. To some its hiw they get their "news" on what's what and who's who. Hip-hop is more than just music. I thank you for your review and sharing your perspective ❤
@@roscius6204 The song may be not, but the band is. Listen to the intro, when she reads out. They are left wingers. And remember 2020 when this band was promoting government oppression. They are clearly pro system. Which of course begs the question what "machine" means to them, if not the political system. Could be capitalism, most likely.
My favorite RATM moment is still when they ended up on the BBC due to the Christmas award shenanigans and they were asked not to curse when singing this song. Rage Against the Machine. Told by government linked BBC. Not to curse. There is this awesome build up where Zack is singing "I won't do what you tell me" shaking his head until he just erupts into the full lines.
I think the final part going 100% and never relenting is a symbolic representation of the call to action here. They are saying, in my opinion, that we must rise up, rage forward, and never let up, never give them the opportunity to seize control again
Really glad you got to hear this iconic 90s protest song and band. You very much summed up the message of the band. It is all there in its name. Just as you said, their songs have a protest attitude in being counter culture in working against the current system. Tom Morello, the guitar player of the band, is considered one of the most innovative guitar players around. All those funny sounds he was making during the solo were all done with his unique guitar techniques and effects, not synths. I really enjoyed your reaction, you picked up on the essence of this notable band. Several other of their songs are worth checking out.
I agree with others who echo this (and she almost got onto it) - that this song has the repetitive structure of a persuasive speech, a protester at a podium, and all of its power is derived from that. It’s one of the most physical songs I’ve heard. It makes you want to break through a brick wall and makes you feel like you can.
It is clear Rage isn't her cup of tea. But I praise her so much for her true effort to make the entire song in a real attempt to understand the hole thing. One day I'd br a better persor as she is, and give a try on every other different song with open ears, heart and mind. Congrats. And Rage has and is among the most relevan songs around
I can see where you're going at the end but there's another thing to realize; Most rockmusic is written and practiced to play live, lot's of rock songs grow in the rehearsel room and on stage. In this song i can see the audience being swept up and up during the end of the song and at a certain point you want to keep them there, it doesn't need to keep growing to a climax, it reached it's climax and it wants to stay there. RATM were great at that, i saw them perform this song live at Pinkpop and you should have seen that crowd jump
my argument for him reaching the peak then continuing there through the end is because it doesn't end "Fuck you i wont do what you tell me" is persistent for the rebel. its very effective in a live setting because you reach the peak and you have this moment where every single person there is screaming this mantra together.
To explain the UK charts the Christmas Number 1 is a highly coveted spot. The social media campaign was to stop Simon Cowell and whoever won the reality TV show X Factor getting that Christmas Number 1 spot that they had occupied for a whole number of years previously.
This song is the pure juice of the 1990s. Regardless of how our ideologies evolved later in life, this song was still the introduction to politics for many kids/teens.
Caught them on their final tour at MSG. I’m 68 years old and have seen thousands of shows. I never saw one with the energy RATM delivered. The audience was so into the show. It was incredible.
I'm 62 and like you I have seen gobs of shows in my day. I envy you as RATM is literally 1 of the bands that I have regretted not seeing yet. I bet the atmosphere was off the charts.
In the 90s, going from whispering F*** you to screaming it out loud was the absolute climax. Staying plain there at the top repetitively is our daily struggle.
This has to be seen live. So powerful. My favorite RATM song is know your ennemy also from the same album. I was 13 or 14 when it was released in France and I still love it so much
This should be interesting. I’m wondering how Amy’s ears will take Rage’s particular style. Granted the music is interesting. But the (political) message of the song is the more important thing here.
Great analysis! Understandably, you were left feeling (as you put it) “a little flat”… and you’re right. It’s almost as if, our hopes were brought SOO high in the beginning and we were excited by the expectation of that hope seeing its eventuality. Unfortunately, we were left unfulfilled and disappointed with the outcome not being quite as great as the build up. I think it shows the frustration felt when in-fact “rageing against the machine” and the bitter resentment that occurs due to the realization of such a fruitless endeavor, while continuing the pursuit. Knowing that, fight though we may, there is little (if any) chance our protests will accomplish what we intend at the onset.
In 2009 there was a concerted effort via audience voting to ensure RATM beat the X-Factor winner to the Christmas UK #1 spot. To everybody’s surprise RATM won, and were invited onto the BBC to play the song live on condition that they’d omit the controversial lyrics. Somehow you just knew it wasn’t going to end well. This live version can be found on TH-cam.
It got into the Guinness Book of Records by being the fastest selling digital record (download) as a result. Some teenaged friends of my daughter spotted RATM in my music collection about 2002 and were quite impressed with my taste in music.
Your take about the build up is very interesting. It probably explains why this is the kind of band that, in my view, is most potent live on stage. Imagine the repetition at the end sung by tens of thousands : you feel the rage in your very bones!
Well, it's not an intellectual exercise any more than it is an incitement to riot. It's for jumping up and down with the rest of the crowd in front of the stage and it also gives you instructions on what to do with the anger they built up for the systemic injustice, which is to engage in civil disobedience. Also, I'm not sure what it would do to the message, if after building all that up they musically said "let's take a breather and then do that again". Take breather on reacting to injustice? That would be antithetical to the whole point.
Exactly. The end of the song is about full release of anger and emotion which from the vocalists point of view goes beyond musical tecnhique or whatever. There he succeeds immensly. And this is why this song is the iconic piece it is.
I disagree with the analysis of the end. The message in this song is about the masses being controlled by corrupt power. Zach is encouraging fighting back against that control and his falling out of step with the controlled delivery of the music demonstrates that beautifully. He's encouraging us to lose control and fight back against the corrupt powers that be and the breakdown of the structure of the song is a metaphorical representation of that.
#1 You can NEVER go wrong with reacting to any RATM song. My favorite lyric is from the song Down Rodeo(as in Rodeo drive) "Can't waste the day when the night brings a hearse, make a move and plead the 5th because you can't plead the 1st." P.s. I think of RATM as a 90's version of the social movement songwriting and instrumentals(more hard edged for sure) like that of the 60's. Raw,cutting edge music that delivered messages we All needed to see,feel and hear even for a 62 year old head banger like me.
So many amazing lyrics by this band. They don't got to burn the books they just remove them... For it's the end of history (google that phase)... I'll jail and bury those committed this one of the rest and greed. Amazingly powerful
In my opinion, the end does not need anything more, after all, at that point, it is clear that the emotion conveyed is one of reaching one's limit. Sometimes, bluntness conveys a sense of revelation. Repetition is used as a tool, to swallow and stomach the message. But there is nothing revelatory about "killing in the name" in the sense of what is being described, unless someone is living under a rock. The actual point is, enough is enough, we have reached our limit. Of course, it is quite clear that, 25 years later, we still haven't.
Here's the point of the repetition: The message is brutal in its simplicity. It doesn't need a lot of words to be expressed. All that is needed is to ensure that the audience is listening.
The exhaustion in his voice at the end is how we all feel at the system he is protesting about. It is effective. Not that I'm near their level, but this was one of my favourite songs to perform as an aspiring band member, and the collapse near the end of the song is one of the most satisfying things to replicate.
Such a literal and powerful protest. I can see people holding the actual signs with the different lyrical statements written on them. The anger in the delivery is necessary and warranted.
The repetitive lyrics are like chanting at a rally "protest song"
Exactly. This song is designed to scream along to. It's really interesting when you put this song in the context of the rest of their songs.
Often they're full of complex lyrics and metaphors, but this song is extremely repetitive and the lyrics are direct.
Their other songs are trying to convince you and make you feel rage.
Killing in the Name is not trying to convince you - it's a call to action.
It’s also purposefully left simple as a way to really plant the message in anyone’s head, not just those oppressed by the machine, but its operators too! Before they know it they’re humming the chants and eventually have a wake up moment where they cannot help but ask “am I the machine that I rage against?”
except rage are absolute sell outs
A masterclass on how to miss the point ! This is not a piece of music for them or for their public , it is a cathartic vehicle ... and the point is , it works ! Listening to this, you can't help but feel our colective RAGE against the machine ... The medium is the message ! ^^
Perfectly said.
Amén ⚒️
Preach!
Ai ai !
Did it fall flat? Dunno. I think it was meant to be.
But I think this was meant to go over the top.
Musically, it may have been better to do as Virgin Rock said. But, emotionally... surely not.
Probably both thinks can be right. I think that this song works completly different if you hear It or "dance It". And this second option of experience It is fir the song was entended to be, a catartic one, I guess.
At the end. It’s with his every fiber that he rages. It’s not about some symphonic climax, it about giving everything he has to the fight, until he’s exhausted. He didn’t “lose it”, he gave it all.
That's exactly right, and though I love this channel, I feel in order to truly understand some of these songs and 'why' they're written, you need to have *some* amount of rage in you that it taps. If you are a wholly peaceful person, I can see how this can be analyzed from a 'so many high schoolers in California want to play in bands' mindset.
Dead on right.
no no it fell flat
I also think it was intended so he can stay longer in this 100 % shouting out his anger
@@natmanprime4295 pretty sure it’s an iconic generational anthem but yeah, your little sofa analysis is probably right 🙄
Back when this came out some people complained that the lyrics were too repetitive, but the thing is that they're beating you upside the head with the same idea over and over again under the assumption that most people didn't seem to get it. Here we are almost 35 years later and the issues this song discusses are still a problem and a lot of people simply refuse to get it, so their insistence was very much warranted.
It's like...there are literal KKK members in the police. Is that a thing we don't acknowledge? If we acknowledge it, are we somehow OK with that? If we're not OK with that, why aren't we showing it?
It's a song that asks us why, if you know how much power the forces of hate hold, aren't you more mad about it? Why isn't that the first thing we talk about in the morning and the last thing we talk about at night? This is an insult to the idea of justice, hiding in plain sight, why aren't more people mad? Why aren't more people ready to fight?
The lyrics were basically 'people in positions of power do bad stuff.'
I bet if they made a song called 'Poop smells bad' people would be praising them for being so clever to work out that poop still smells bad 30 years after the song was released.
RATM was for children.
The lyrics were basically 'people in positions of power do bad stuff.'
I bet if they made a song called 'Poop smells bad' people would be praising them for being so clever to work out that poop still smells bad 30 years after the song was released.
RATM was for children.
It's the musical equivalent of Stewie calling for his mom: lois... lois... lois..Lois..LOis.LOis.LOIS.LOIS.LOOOIS.LOOOOIS
@@JJPwfelli Thank you for demonstrating my point by purposefuly sidestepping the not so minor detail about the song literally being about institutional racism in the police in an attempt to pretend you're too smart for this music.
The final part is the best. Because of the release. The whole song builds up to it. I love it. Absolutely did not fall flat. It is pure emotion. And in pure emotion technique is no longer relevant.
Absolutely. As hard as it rocks, it shifts into a whole other great at the end.
This song was written in response to the Rodney King verdict in 1992. Los Angeles was already simmering with resentment against the police because of systemic racism, so when the officers who brutally beat King on video were exonerated, the city erupted into riots. This song is a protest song, indeed, against the "forces" that "burn crosses" and culminates in a defiant rage, aimed back at the corrupt power. The final verses, reaching their climax, is sustained so the listener is raging along with them. Especially experienced live, it's a participatory song.
The riots were mainly touched off when a Korean store owner shot and killed a young teenage black girl in her store. The riot started in Korea Town and spread out from there all over the city. King was a factor in the riots because the verdict for King was handed down at the same time the Korean store owner was found not guilty for murdering the teenage girl. It began by blacks burning down Korean owned businesses. This later lead to O.J. being found not guilty as a backlash to how the police abuse authority against minorities. All of these things which weren't connected criminally became connected socially.
@@alphajava761 the Korean store owner WAS convicted of voluntary manslaughter with the jury recommending a long prison sentence, but the judge (who is in charge of sentencing) let her off with probation and community service instead. Her sentence was passed down 5 months before the riots started. The riots started the day the verdict was released in the trial against officers who beat Rodney King, so while the Korean store owner case played into some of the anger (and where it was directed), it wasn't the final straw. The LA riots had little to nothing to do with OJ's trial- he just had a great defense team willing to do whatever was necessary, put up against with a fairly inept prosecution team that slipped up in egregious ways numerous times in presenting their case and not getting derailed by the defense, and even more egregiously handled investigation from the LAPD including the main detective leading the 5th on the stand.
@@alphajava761 The uprising was a direct and immediate response to the shameful verdicts in the Rodney King beating trial. They followed immediately after - the same day, and then building over the next few days. That is specifically what prompted the uprising.
The Latasha Harlins murder by Soon Ja Du certainly added to the anger in the air at that time. But it wasn't what sparked the event.
@@alphajava761 1. March 16, 1991: Latasha Harlins' shooting.
2. November 15, 1991: Soon Ja Du's probation sentence.
3. April 29, 1992: LAPD acquittals, riots/uprising starts in South Central.
* 410 days between events 1. and 3.
* 166 days between events 2. and 3.
@thewonkyembouchure Explain why blacks attacked Korea Town specifically where Korean business owners took to brandishing guns on rooftops and elsewhere to try and keep their businesses from being looted and burned down. Explain why Korea Town sustained the most concentrated backlash and specific targeting regarding these riots. Why Korean's specifically? Korea Town is miles from South Central.
I respectfully disagree with your analysis of the ending. To me, I have always interpreted the dulling of the penultimate line to be one of exhaustion, the risk of giving in to immutable injustice. That this is what happens to us, because of the repetition of normalization of horror (intentional irony: the exact thing the song is protesting against). If you listen to more RATM (and I hope you do) you will hopefully take note of how genius Zach De La Rocha's writing and delivery was. I don't think we'll ever hear anything like him again.
The Song also builds Up your own rage and leaves you then with nothing than the emotion. So that onesself is able to feel this clear and intense as it is. And this is always the first step to know more about one self and start to change things and become active and not leaves you staying passive.
"It's not my normal type of music, but I can appreciate what goes into it."
That's why I like this channel!
but the songs wake up or rodeo drive were much better for a reaction... and of course live versions... there you can see their real power...
exactly right! she gave a sorely needed critique that no one else would give
I don't know. I can't trust anyone who can sit still through a rage track.
You would love the charismatic voice. There was no real and analysis during this video, at least nothing until some week and analysis after the song played, which made the entire song boring. She didn’t discuss composition throughout. She made a vague statement that the messages clear, but never said what it was.she can’t even make her mind up whether she likes it or not.
@@TheMrlovegoodtimes Because if everybody was like you, life would be soooooooooooooo effing boring. Do you really appreciate Satie? Amadou & Mariam? Engelbert Humperdinck? Skavoovie & the Epitones? Frank Boeijen Groep? Pablo Gad? The Beach Boys? And these are just a minute segment of a microscopic part of my collection.
If you looked these artists up, and listened to their stuff (not just one song, for 10 seconds), and truly can say you like ALL of that, I will retract my initial statement.
BUT.... If there is so much as ONE song you really do NOT love (not like, LOVE - your parameter), then I will expect an apology for posting such a tremendously stupid comment as you did here.
The human voice has limits... Just like the our ability to take the BS anymore. I think reaching his limit was part of the point. The dam broke.
Exactly
Yes
Exactly, there was nothing left to give intentionally... emotion was at the peak.
The end doesn't fall flat. They drop it flat. It's an expression, and a perfect one at that.
That "loosing it at the end" is kind of the point. This song was made in response to police violence and the boiling over it had in that same year that ultimately led to the LA riots. The same way the song led to a rage filled and uncontrolled ending mirrors the way the people felt at the time. I do appreciate your wonderful and educated take on it
Hi, I was a rock dj back in the nineties when this track came out and I have no recollection of it ever falling flat as it built to an amazing crescendo of rage that never failed to ignite the audience into a frenzy of head banging happiness. It is a simplistic masterpiece. Love watching your analysis of all music you review though ❤
It doesn’t fall flat from a perspective of yelling and letting loose, jumping around and yelling “fuck you I won’t do what you tell me” is the ultimate crescendo but listening to it critically it is interesting that the highest point of the vocals just go over the same intensity that the band uses for the beginning of the chorus, lyrically it peaks but compositionally it plateaus and I had never really looked at it like that before. It is almost shocking how the instrumental stays on the same level while the vocals soar so much higher especially when RATM was so good at continuing to build and push further and further during the other choruses. Very interesting stuff from this analysis.
So was I! DjRico! Such great time for music! I saw rage against the machine in France while on a trip doing an improv trour there. The show, " fish bone, rage against the machine, living color and tool in 1993! When I came back, I had to import the rage cd because at my music shop, they didn't have it! 👌👍✌️🤟♥️🇨🇦
🙌
It's crazy and depressing that this song is actually even more relevant today than when it was released.
It's crazy that it's not really.
What I find equally depressing are leftist artists who benefit from the system whilst surfing their criticism of that system to riches. I remember Tom reacting to Paul Ryan liking the band - saying something like "rich people like him are the machine we're fighting against," but Paul Ryan is basically a pauper compared to Tom and Zack's accumulated wealth.
In addition, it also depressed me when people will rightly criticize groups/actions from one side of the political spectrum but excuse or even support awful characters on their own side.
Aside from all that - I really like their music. Especially when I was a kid.
@@DM-rc4yu Did cops suddenly stop undiscriminately shooting and abusing minorities or did I miss something in the past five years? Because last I heard of (recently), a black woman was shot in the head for quote "reaching for a pot of boiling water".
@@dazzazzad
RATM: "We should improve society somewhat"
You: "Yet you participate in society! Curious! I am very intelligent."
@@KingOfBboysNo. Not minorities or anyone else. They don't get shot any more than anyone else
Haha, the end absolutely does not fall flat. Gives me goosebumps every time.
He reaches his vocal limit as a demonstration of the point. He's been literally yelling the same thing at you for five minutes. He has indeed reached his limit.
I totally agree. I've always heard that 'failing' ending as an artistic choice rather than a weakness of their songwriting. It feels desperate and hopeless. It works so much more effectively than a massive steamroller climax would. Interesting vid though.
He also isn't a singer he is a rapper. He is not going to belt out high notes.
I always just figured that he had multiple sections of building volume/aggression and wanted to end with a section that's full-out the entire time. Maybe that doesn't work for everybody, but I think it's crazy to see this as a failure of execution (that he was trying to build to the end, but just couldn't pull it off) rather than an issue of stylistic preference. He could've built slower and had enough vocal space to keep ascending up to the end (or he could simply have ended it sooner), but he chose not to. But I'd actually argue that the "Motherf*¢$er!" afterwards is the thing that tops everything, breaking the stasis and relieving the tension of having hit the vocal ceiling with seemingly nowhere left to go.
The message outperforms any climatic failures at the end for me. I love it when I catch right wingers listening to ratm
I always felt like this was sort of the point too, that whole breakdown of constantly having to say the same thing over and over and just losing it because no one is listening. I always thought that was why the script sort of broke at the end too with the motherfucker bit.
Not sure I agree with the final conclusion on the ending and I am normally extremely sensitive to that exact thing you were talking about. This song has at least three seperate parts where the build up is slightly held back, then cut off, then brought back gradually (and extra elements are added each time on top of the build up in volume/energy). The final build up which then levels off is perfectly designed to fit the context in which this song would oridinarily be listened to. What I mean is that this music is almost certainly made to be danced to and many of us did dance to this way back in the 90s/early 2000s. The apparent plateau of the final build up works really well in that context. The final release of the final moments of this song would not work if where to retreat one more time given that the song is already approaching the 5 minute mark. And the length of this track is always something that surprises me when I revisit it because the perfect pacing and energy really make it feel like a much shorter song. Maybe you're right and there could be room to squeeze in one more pull-back and build up at the end, but in a certain listening context, the existing structure actually works perfectly.
Spot on.
Yeh, some songs disappoint on record, but are good live. I can think of quite a few bands you could say this about, especially from the 90's as they had a way of almost cleaning the song for an album if that makes sense.
On the contrary, I felt something similar to what Amy probably felt at that moment. Disclaimer: I first heard the track in 1992, 1993 (via MTV - those times...) and it was like a lightning strike for a young teenager. And when I listen to this (and "Bullet...", and "Freedom"...) every few years I feel about the same as the 1st time. And I like repetition, trance, small changes in music, etc. In the discussed section of "Killing...", "f*ck you I won't do what you tell me" line is first spoken/sung 8 times during that fantastic chaotic build-up (with more guitar noise in the background), and then the line is repeated another 8 times on the "usual" dynamic rhythm. And those first few times after chaos is overcome, settled - it's great pay-off of the build-up. But last 2-3 times the "f*ck you..." line is repeated (so out of 16 times in total) - I agree with Amy - it doesn't have that much impact anymore and I understand her "they lost it there" comment just at the end of that section. Not sure how RATM could back off at that point, or if another section of building the tension up would work (in already 5 min track...). However, I agree with you that during concerts, jumping on or in mosh pit, rather no one complain about "f*ck you..." section being too long ;) All in all, an amazing song.
I agree - I think it's important in the end section to have a sustained few bars of just unbridled anger. Just to allow the crowd to shout at the top of their lungs and let it all out.
I think musically you’re technically absolutely spot on about the ending purely from a listening perspective. It’s all about contextualizing this one.
From a club perspective it needs to flatten moving into the next song, there’s little room for a pullback and the peak of the build needs to come early either to cross fade or just to allows quick breather from the pull back and build that by this time in the song is putting a strain on the head, neck, and shoulders (if the band and producers planned that, kudos, if it just happened then my spine thanks the circumstances!)
In concert it leaves room for the crowd to continue building, and that is an experience and a half! I think they found a happy balance with the studio cut, but the analysis isn’t wrong. It lacks the impact of hearing it live.
I absolutely love the evolution of your videos. When you started it was clear that you had a lot of musical knowledge but struggled to relate it to the music you were listening to.
Now you are eloquent, insightful, appreciative and have a depth that is rare.
Thank you for letting us be a part of this endeavour.
I’m a guitarist that has played this song in a rock band for years. It’s an end of set or event song and the last piece of vocal intensity stays at the upper limit without being dull as the crowd amplifies the chant and is the true climax. It’s amazing how this song affects the soul of so many at a live performance.
One of the funniest TH-cam clips of all time is when a radio station had this band on live and asked them to play a clean version of this song...
It went exactly as you'd expect.
Hence "f*ck you I won't do as you tell me" was more than an appropriate response. lol
Thank you, I will do what you told me?
Man, a Kidz Bop version of Killing in the Name would be absolutely hilarious. "Now you do as you're told (now you're well-behaved!)"
That was one of ours. It makes you proud to be British.
@@flabbergasterisk lmaoooo
I don’t mind a bit of righteous indignation in the right place and this tune has it in bucket loads .. an anthem and vehicle for anger against injustice and police brutality.. I’m not so angry in my latter years but this tune always fitted perfectly with the sort of anger that rages with direction in a way that is meant to create a better society. I can get on board with that and the execute it brilliantly. The simplicity and repetition of the lyrics really helps to make their message clear and direct , totally unambiguous. Still love it all these years later. And sadly it’s still just as relevant today as then ..thanks for casting your ears this way, not what I expect here but love it ..
I can appreciate how the ending doesn’t suit everyone but honestly, if you are really feeling and embodying the message , it’s absolute perfection ..I kinda feel like the ending may have fell a bit flat for you Amy because you weren’t bringing your own rage to the piece .. understandable, but when u do it really does take you all the way . It would have been strange if u had to be honest 😂
With respect I disagree with your analysis of the ending. The way it seems to me in the last line portrayed very well a person who has been quietly suppressing the thought until it finally breaks out.
I made my Abitur in 98 and we did parties to finance our Abitur ball. This song was the corner stone of of our DJ. The last part is incredible when the audience joins in, so I assume it is on purpose to force people to support the singer.
This was the piece with wich we wrecked the dance floor on one occasion - so much for earning money with parties 😂
i agree with her analysis it was a genuine honest and observant critique. it was a weak ending musically
Then you didn't listen to her analysis
more importantly, it is not a weak ending when played live because at the end the audience is singing along, it is like the entire song is inviting you to join in with the repetition, there is a limit to how loud a single person can get, but not to a crowd
She is the only person in history to claim the ending falls flat. When performed live it leads to the craziest, wildest, crowd reaction of, perhaps, any song ever
"F*ck you, I won't do what you tell me!!"
Rock n Roll in a nutshell.
Unless you are Five Finger Dick Punch. Then you just lick them boots and fall in line.
('But don't steal my records, abide by the law in capitalist countries and buy my records from big corporations, so I can become super wealthy.'). Rock n Roll in a nutshell.
manbaby gen x cringe in a nutshell more like
@@JJPwfelli Dude, if you think RAtM were/are pro capitalism, you're really not paying attention. Go home.
@@JJPwfelli There's idealism, and then there's realism. Idealism/delusions is believing that laws shouldn't exist or that you can get around corporations. Realism is realizing that laws are good for a society to function and that corporations are already as invasive as they get, you can't really get around them.
This song is a masterpiece. The ending represents exactly what the system does to a person.
and what the system does to movements. we see it all the time, now to Gaza
Context for the X-Factor / Christmas Number One thing: for multiple years in a row in the UK the christmas number one had inevitably been taken by whomever was winning X-Factor that year. A good chunk of us were very sick of it. Some bright spark suggested we should all buy Killing In the Name as protest against manufactured corporate tv music. So we did.
When seeing them live, it becomes clear that the plateau you're referring to is the space for the audience to thrash around and just go all out, holding and stretching the climax out rather than the climax being a singular moment.
On which planet do those people live who have never ever listened to a RATM song?
15 year old me was seduced by the power of the simplicity of this song in the 90s.
Simple indeed. I feel like they could've mixed it up a little:
"Some of those who flip burgers... are the same who burn crosses!"
"Some of those who turn faucets... are the same who burn crosses!"
And so on.
And If you watch the dancing crowd during the last part in live videos, you see, that you are right
A bit older here. I didn't much care for it at first. It took a couple years for me to get it figured out. Now it's one of my all time favorites.
@@jem77469 🤣😂🤣
RATM WAS the 90's.
History can be Dark.
The Lead Singers Father Roberto "Beto" de la Rocha was a muralist and a member of “Los Four”, the first Chicano art collective to be exhibited at a museum. The LACMA, 1973.
RATM is not about the music, this is not to entertain you, this is to send you the message.
F*ck you I won't tidy my bedroom!!
Imagine this song with a giant crowd rocking and singing along. It's protest chant and a high energy anthem.
Yeah, I’d like for her to see a live performance of this song.
A critical sentence was in the liner notes of this album: "No synthesizers or samples were used in the recording of this album". ALL the crazy sound effects in this album were made by Tom Morello with his guitar.
The first line of this song, repeated several times:
"Some of those who work forces
Are the same who burn crosses", speaks to the systemis racism inherent in many police departments. The Jim Crow laws were visciously enforced by police depts.
Uh, Morello used effects pedals extensively to make those annoying noises.
@@wrawrer Sure. But they didn't use synthesizers or samples, as I said.
@@nandisaand5287 you specifically said they were made by him and his guitar. The ommission of the effects pedals was disingenuous.
@@wrawrer As far as I'm concerned, effects pedals are part of the guitar.
@@wrawrercareful, you’ll get Carpal Tunnel clutching all those straws.
the repetition is to ensure the message gets hammered home, even to people whose life experience would cause them to initially deny or misunderstand the message
That is how indoctrination is done too. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
5:47 I couldn't help but laugh out loud and imagine if instead they were called "So Incredibly Disappointed in the Machine." Rage? No, I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed. Passive Aggression Against the Machine.
hahahhaa genius
The Machine: I can’t even
That sounds so very English. "I'm not angry, I'm just very disappointed."
I don't think for a moment that the breaking of Zach's voice was not completely intentional. I believe it was by design to demonstrate the complete and utter frustration and loss of patience in a system that allowed for the verdict of the Rodney King Police Brutality case and subsequent riots that stemmed from that verdict.
yes man, Zack sings 2 hour sets screaming his lungs out, I don't think he has a limit.
Ten komentarz jest bezcennym ;)
Thanks for playing the unedited version of this song. It's the only way you get the full impact of the message.
I was a rock DJ in the nineties. This was one of my signature songs on which the venue often exploded.
I understand what you are saying about the climax that isn't totally complete, but I can assure you that on the dance-floor, the audience made it complete. It was one of the songs I played until the end, because it was super satisfying for the audience.
This song always remind me of Louis Armstrong who said much of his early trumpet practice consisted of seeing how many ways he could play the same note to get different expressive possibilities. There's something in the lyrical repetition in this song that allows every small nuanced change in the delivery to shine through that makes it very effective.
I was part of the crowd causing a small earthquake jumping on this number @ Pinkpop, NL mid 90s. The end is absolutely perfect in my book.
The ending is incredible. If Zach de la Rocha had held back a bit…No! He needs to overdo it to the point of faulty technique or whatever, because at this point it is about finding the anger and emotion. And give it a full release.
I was also in that audience at PinkPop.
Rage against and Urban Dance Squad in another year where both bands that got the audience jumping to earthquake level.
@@AJ_NL_1963 UDS, awesome band!
@@AJ_NL_1963UDS was the example For Zach and his band.
I think the build up was in the section that sort of had the music collapsing in on itself, and climaxed where the heavy groove came in. At that point I don't think it was supposed to go higher, but became the new chant where the audience now becomes part of it.
This song seems to have global resonance. I was in France a few months ago and saw a brass band made up of elderly men who played this song in the streets. It blew me away. I couldn't believe they were playing it. And the audience on the street knew the song and understood the message. It was so powerful.
Chilean here. RATM visited my country twice so far (2010 and 2022). The band has a huge fanbase from the early days. Hell, "Killing in the name" was probably the first song I learned on guitar. The obscure episodes in Chile's recent history deeply resonate with the songs and particularly the anger in RATM repertoire. Tom Morello stands as an iconic figure and a notable example of left-wing reference, especially in a country where the left is often labeled as uneducated by the right. He has often praised Chilean fans as some of the best R&R fans in the world and he always gets a great connection with them on stage. Morello has expressed solidarity with the people of Chile, particularly in relation to historical and political matters. He has discussed the influence that learning about figures such as Víctor Jara and Salvador Allende had on his political consciousness. Additionally, he has made visits to important locations like the Museo de la Memoria and the Estadio Victor Jara as a tribute. So, to your point I definitely agree they have enormous influence outside the US
that's your artistic choice which, of course, you're entitled to. he made a different choice. you talk as if he simply made a mistake, but surely this is an intentional choice. this is a studio recording of their hit single. they didn't just wing it.
I have expended SO MUCH energy on the dance floor / mosh pit to this song (and Smells Like Teen Spirit) in the 90s. Just pouring sweat by the end. Good times.
This song was inspired by rodney king beating by LAPD and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
I think it’s important to mention it in order to understand the historical context and the meanings of this song then, when it was written and the raw angry it express.
The simplicity in the messaging is its power. Prior to this era such songs were full of double entendres and veiled messages, for fear of retribution. Songs like F the Police and Killing in the Name were powerful because they were making statements that could end their careers in a way that cannot be shielded or explained away. They were saying, “Don’t misunderstand me, I’m saying these cops deserved what they got. Come at me.”
Christmas Number One in the UK in 2009. The good old days of British decency.
In another year, didn't Iron Maiden beat Cliff Richard for the Christmas number one with Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter?
@@kentl7228 I hope so haha!
Never clicked on a video so fast
Digitech whammy pedal.
There is a famous clip of them playing this song live on BBC Radio in the UK. The BBC asked them not to swear - well as the song is about not doing what you are told you can imagine how that went!!!!
"Know Your Enemy" is a much more musically interesting piece, but love seeing this one!
I would’ve preferred that as her first exposure to the band as well.
What you say about the end technically is true, but that's one of the reasons this is an absolute classic of the genre. It physically manifests the breakdown that one has when one's oppression and suffering can't intensify anymore. When life has brought you to a breaking point and even your ability to express begins to fail. He is feeling that as he sings and it comes through in that plateau of grief and rage. It is truth.
Need to do Bulls on Parade next! Great reaction... I thought he was in control of his emotions and by the end he had enough and it was a total release of his emotions that he could not contain.
He wanted you to hear it, feel it, breath it…he wants you to get mad about this.
Having sung this song in a band in my 20s and also playing the guitar, I can see her points about the ending. Vocally there isn't anywhere to go after it builds and yet, the live version by Audioslave sees Chris Cornell pulling back a little bit, before completely screaming with the last repetition of those words. No matter, I love the song and I always will enjoy it because it is flawless
With Cornell the song is technically better performed. But for De la Rocha it is the emotional release that has the focus. For him it is/was (at the time) about more than the music. It is the authenticity of it that gets me, especially in the end part. But hey, thats just my listening experience.
@@winterbird4447 I can't disagree with that at all.
There are few perfect albums I've heard, even fewer of them were debuts. This might be the very best debut album for my money. Would absolutely love to see further exploration of this or any of their albums tbh.
This band has quite a body of work. Politics aside (as this is a classical musicians reaction channel), many of us find this band very exciting to listen to or play. They are very good at arranging and creating music to express themselves. I have been a fan since the 90's. Amazing live shows.
They got you, in the "end". The story has no end, there is a point you reach the limit, exhausted ... and stop. That was how I always experienced it.
When Zach repeats.. it's because he feels he needs to hammer the message home.
The beauty of hip-hop & rap is that your voice is an instrument & the lyrics allow you to convey your message.
The aggression in this sound is because people are being aggressively killed by "some of those that work (police) forces" this cant be a ballad or a love song, it's about giving your all, giving your life .
Hiphop historically & culturally isnt just about "entertainment", its also about "EDUCATION". its the word on the street from the streets. It's the troubles in your life and the life that you live. From the heart & spat out through a rhyme, over a beat....
Often real, sometimes exaggerated and boosted. To some its hiw they get their "news" on what's what and who's who.
Hip-hop is more than just music.
I thank you for your review and sharing your perspective ❤
Racism and inequality is exhausting.
So is communism.
@@al.cavalu This song is not about communism though....is it...
@@roscius6204 The song may be not, but the band is. Listen to the intro, when she reads out. They are left wingers. And remember 2020 when this band was promoting government oppression. They are clearly pro system. Which of course begs the question what "machine" means to them, if not the political system. Could be capitalism, most likely.
My favorite RATM moment is still when they ended up on the BBC due to the Christmas award shenanigans and they were asked not to curse when singing this song.
Rage Against the Machine.
Told by government linked BBC.
Not to curse.
There is this awesome build up where Zack is singing "I won't do what you tell me" shaking his head until he just erupts into the full lines.
I feel that the end is about losing control or going over the edge
I think the final part going 100% and never relenting is a symbolic representation of the call to action here. They are saying, in my opinion, that we must rise up, rage forward, and never let up, never give them the opportunity to seize control again
Really glad you got to hear this iconic 90s protest song and band. You very much summed up the message of the band. It is all there in its name. Just as you said, their songs have a protest attitude in being counter culture in working against the current system. Tom Morello, the guitar player of the band, is considered one of the most innovative guitar players around. All those funny sounds he was making during the solo were all done with his unique guitar techniques and effects, not synths. I really enjoyed your reaction, you picked up on the essence of this notable band. Several other of their songs are worth checking out.
I agree with others who echo this (and she almost got onto it) - that this song has the repetitive structure of a persuasive speech, a protester at a podium, and all of its power is derived from that. It’s one of the most physical songs I’ve heard. It makes you want to break through a brick wall and makes you feel like you can.
It’s such a powerful commentary on racism and police brutality. Unfortunately, it’s as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.
Oh come on....
The passion in the lyrics is what is so good.
It punches about as hard as it gets. Emotional on a whole other level.
Not rock music, but RAtM was heavily influenced by the hip hop group Public Enemy, they might be worth looking at as well
It is clear Rage isn't her cup of tea.
But I praise her so much for her true effort to make the entire song in a real attempt to understand the hole thing.
One day I'd br a better persor as she is, and give a try on every other different song with open ears, heart and mind. Congrats. And Rage has and is among the most relevan songs around
I'm so glad flat this so deeply touched you. I hope it continues to haunt you until you hear the message
I can see where you're going at the end but there's another thing to realize; Most rockmusic is written and practiced to play live, lot's of rock songs grow in the rehearsel room and on stage. In this song i can see the audience being swept up and up during the end of the song and at a certain point you want to keep them there, it doesn't need to keep growing to a climax, it reached it's climax and it wants to stay there. RATM were great at that, i saw them perform this song live at Pinkpop and you should have seen that crowd jump
System of a Down will probably drive you nuts......they are THE masters of tempo change!! lol
Also, she probably wouldn't typically listen to that "type" of music. God forbid we talk about prisons, genocide or systemic racism. ❤
my argument for him reaching the peak then continuing there through the end is because it doesn't end "Fuck you i wont do what you tell me" is persistent for the rebel.
its very effective in a live setting because you reach the peak and you have this moment where every single person there is screaming this mantra together.
To explain the UK charts the Christmas Number 1 is a highly coveted spot.
The social media campaign was to stop Simon Cowell and whoever won the reality TV show X Factor getting that Christmas Number 1 spot that they had occupied for a whole number of years previously.
BBC also had them in to play live after having them promise to censor themselves. Predictably, when live on air RatM did not censor themselves.
This song is the pure juice of the 1990s. Regardless of how our ideologies evolved later in life, this song was still the introduction to politics for many kids/teens.
Caught them on their final tour at MSG. I’m 68 years old and have seen thousands of shows. I never saw one with the energy RATM delivered. The audience was so into the show. It was incredible.
I'm 62 and like you I have seen gobs of shows in my day.
I envy you as RATM is literally 1 of the bands that I have regretted not seeing yet.
I bet the atmosphere was off the charts.
In the 90s, going from whispering F*** you to screaming it out loud was the absolute climax. Staying plain there at the top repetitively is our daily struggle.
Thank you for the reaction !
"Know your enemy", "Take the power back", "Wake up", "Bombtrack" are all great and i humbly recommend them.
Know Your Enemy is my 2nd favourite song of theirs after this one.
This has to be seen live. So powerful. My favorite RATM song is know your ennemy also from the same album. I was 13 or 14 when it was released in France and I still love it so much
This should be interesting. I’m wondering how Amy’s ears will take Rage’s particular style.
Granted the music is interesting. But the (political) message of the song is the more important thing here.
Great analysis! Understandably, you were left feeling (as you put it) “a little flat”… and you’re right. It’s almost as if, our hopes were brought SOO high in the beginning and we were excited by the expectation of that hope seeing its eventuality. Unfortunately, we were left unfulfilled and disappointed with the outcome not being quite as great as the build up.
I think it shows the frustration felt when in-fact “rageing against the machine” and the bitter resentment that occurs due to the realization of such a fruitless endeavor, while continuing the pursuit. Knowing that, fight though we may, there is little (if any) chance our protests will accomplish what we intend at the onset.
In 2009 there was a concerted effort via audience voting to ensure RATM beat the X-Factor winner to the Christmas UK #1 spot. To everybody’s surprise RATM won, and were invited onto the BBC to play the song live on condition that they’d omit the controversial lyrics. Somehow you just knew it wasn’t going to end well. This live version can be found on TH-cam.
I mean, said explicit lyrics pretty much tell you how it would end
It got into the Guinness Book of Records by being the fastest selling digital record (download) as a result. Some teenaged friends of my daughter spotted RATM in my music collection about 2002 and were quite impressed with my taste in music.
Not only that, they also donated all the proceeds to homeless charities.
The kind of song that can give you chills…extremely effective
Please keep saying "Now you do wat they told ya!" - You nailed it!
Your take about the build up is very interesting. It probably explains why this is the kind of band that, in my view, is most potent live on stage. Imagine the repetition at the end sung by tens of thousands : you feel the rage in your very bones!
Well, it's not an intellectual exercise any more than it is an incitement to riot. It's for jumping up and down with the rest of the crowd in front of the stage and it also gives you instructions on what to do with the anger they built up for the systemic injustice, which is to engage in civil disobedience.
Also, I'm not sure what it would do to the message, if after building all that up they musically said "let's take a breather and then do that again". Take breather on reacting to injustice? That would be antithetical to the whole point.
Exactly. The end of the song is about full release of anger and emotion which from the vocalists point of view goes beyond musical tecnhique or whatever. There he succeeds immensly. And this is why this song is the iconic piece it is.
When played live, the entire crowd is screaming the last lines and continue to do so after the song ends. This finishes the last build up very well.
I disagree with the analysis of the end. The message in this song is about the masses being controlled by corrupt power. Zach is encouraging fighting back against that control and his falling out of step with the controlled delivery of the music demonstrates that beautifully. He's encouraging us to lose control and fight back against the corrupt powers that be and the breakdown of the structure of the song is a metaphorical representation of that.
#1 You can NEVER go wrong with reacting to any RATM song.
My favorite lyric is from the song Down Rodeo(as in Rodeo drive) "Can't waste the day when the night brings a hearse, make a move and plead the 5th because you can't plead the 1st."
P.s. I think of RATM as a 90's version of the social movement songwriting and instrumentals(more hard edged for sure) like that of the 60's.
Raw,cutting edge music that delivered messages we All needed to see,feel and hear even for a 62 year old head banger like me.
So many amazing lyrics by this band. They don't got to burn the books they just remove them... For it's the end of history (google that phase)... I'll jail and bury those committed this one of the rest and greed. Amazingly powerful
In my opinion, the end does not need anything more, after all, at that point, it is clear that the emotion conveyed is one of reaching one's limit.
Sometimes, bluntness conveys a sense of revelation.
Repetition is used as a tool, to swallow and stomach the message.
But there is nothing revelatory about "killing in the name" in the sense of what is being described, unless someone is living under a rock.
The actual point is, enough is enough, we have reached our limit.
Of course, it is quite clear that, 25 years later, we still haven't.
I love how you go about every song you review as viable music. You bring a professionalism into it that I enjoy
Now you have to do Audio Slave. It has Chris Cornell from Sound Garden, with the musicians from Rage Against The Machine.
They never lived up to RATM
@@lieseweiss1224 they turned into "Simping for the Machine"
Here's the point of the repetition:
The message is brutal in its simplicity. It doesn't need a lot of words to be expressed. All that is needed is to ensure that the audience is listening.
they never specified the machine they rage against, after 30 years in IT i figure it's either a fax or a printer
The exhaustion in his voice at the end is how we all feel at the system he is protesting about. It is effective. Not that I'm near their level, but this was one of my favourite songs to perform as an aspiring band member, and the collapse near the end of the song is one of the most satisfying things to replicate.
The repitition to me is so he gets the point across. To keep you into it and so you remember what he is saying.
It’s like a chant, a rally.
Gotta love good ol' Christmas songs 😅
Such a literal and powerful protest. I can see people holding the actual signs with the different lyrical statements written on them. The anger in the delivery is necessary and warranted.
Rage isn't a protest band, they are THE protest band. Long live ZDLR.