The misinterpretation of Rage Against The Machine song ‘Killing In The Name’
Over three decades after its first release, the hit Rage Against The Machine song ‘Killing In The Name’ is more relevant than ever. Opening the first verse with the lines, “Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses”, the material is an anti-establishment protest song against systemic racism and brutality in the US police forces.
The track was inspired by one specific incident of police brutality, the beating of Rodney King in 1991 by members of the LAPD. Outrage on behalf of King sparked riots in Los Angeles in 1992 and led Rage Against The Machine to write ‘Killing In The Name’.
Throughout the song, the lyrics compare the police with the Ku Klux Clan and comment on police immunity, “Those who died are justified for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites”, before repeatedly declaring, “Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me”. It’s a bold refusal to accept the dominant presence of police forces, daringly sung over a memorable riff and ferocious drums.
Due to the track’s explicit nature, with the word “fuck” repeated 16 times by the end of the song, it received limited radio exposure at the time of release. Despite this, it has since become Rage Against The Machine’s most celebrated track for its innovative instrumentation and political nerve.
In 2009, the track even went on to top the UK charts. DJ Jon Morter began a social media campaign to encourage people to buy the song, aiming to get the track to number one for Christmas. Supported by the likes of Paul McCartney, The Prodigy, and the band themselves, the campaign was successful and took the number one spot from X Factor hopefuls.
Despite the left-wing, anarchical nature of the song, the campaigning surrounding it, and even just Rage Against The Machine’s name, a group of those “chosen whites” once brazenly misinterpreted the track. When Joe Biden won the 2020 US election over his Republican counterpart Donald Trump, a number of Trump supporters took to polling stations to protest the win.
Videos from the polling stations show that, for some unbeknownst reason, their chosen soundtrack was ‘Killing In The Name’. Wielding the US flag, donning catchphrases like “Blue Lives Matter” and “Trump 2020”, and wearing recognisably bright red hats, Trump supporters danced and sang along to the track.
Guitarist Tom Morello, who previously called Trump an “orange-faced demagogue” in an interview with NME, responded to the odd phenomenon with a simple tweet which mocked their misunderstanding of the track: “Not exactly what we had in mind”.
It’s a baffling misinterpretation of a song which stood so openly and strikingly for the opposite of Trump’s beliefs. How the Trump supporters could listen to even the opening verse and not realise that the track is a bold statement of left-wing, anti-police intent is perplexing. The Republican supporters were subject to widespread ridicule and contempt for their embarrassing error.
‘Killing In The Name’ still remains an anthem against the machine and one of the most important releases in alternative metal. Unfortunately, its angry lyrics also remain relevant as police brutality continues to plague the US and the world.
