‘Bulls on Parade’: Tom Morello’s favourite Rage Against The Machine song
Not only did Rage Against the Machine become one of the most recognisable and successful American rock outfits of the 1990s, but their unique brand of politically charged songwriting typified the time period, too. Through iconic anthems like ‘Killing In The Name’ or ‘Bullet In The Head’, the Los Angeles rap-rock pioneers gave a voice to the disenfranchised youth of the United States, using music and songwriting as a form of social protest and activism. Guitarist Tom Morello was an essential aspect of that musical revolution.
Music has a long history of political activism; for as long as there has been music, there have been musicians using music as a form of political expression and protest. From the folk music of colonial-era America to the hippie bands battling against US involvement in Vietnam, the States have seen their fair share of politically-charged music. Nevertheless, Rage Against the Machine offered a bold new era for protest music prioritising and utilising anger and defiance to get their message across.
Inevitably, the most enjoyable Rage tracks are those which best encapsulate this new style of protest music. By all accounts, these tracks were also the most enjoyable to work on. Throughout his career, Tom Morello has never shied away from discussing his career highlights, and he has always prioritised Rage Against the Machine’s 1996 single ‘Bulls on Parade’ as a particular favourite. One of their stand-out political anthems, the song tackles the tactics of the US military and the arms industry in typical Rage fashion.
Taken from their sophomore album Evil Empire, the single is undoubtedly one of Morello’s finest moments, with the guitarist evoking the sounds of turntable scratching using only a six-string and a range of pedals. His performance on the song marked a complete departure from the self-aggrandising guitar music which dominated the American rock scene during the 1990s, and his playing style reflected the anger and rebellion at the heart of the blistering track.
Morello has repeatedly spoken about ‘Bulls on Parade’ over the years. Back in 2011, he told MusicRadar, “Tipping over the apple carts of the powers that be was always at the forefront of everything Rage did. At the same time, when we got down to the very serious business of making music, we were hellbent on making equally strong statements”. ‘Bulls On Parade’ was their defiant statement against America’s military-industrial complex, but also against the complacency of American rock during the 1990s.
Despite its lasting appeal, the song apparently came together very quickly, using a DIY method typical of Rage Against the Machine and its ethos. “We realised quickly that it was a most potent piece of music,” the guitarist recalled. “We recorded cassette demos as we wrote and jammed, and Brendan [O’Brien, producer] didn’t want to lose any energy as we worked. Our method of working was pretty much ‘jam, roll the cassette tape, then cut the real track’. Not a lot of time for overthinking and overtinkering.”
As a result of this short, sharp recording method, the end product of ‘Bulls On Parade’ features elements of spontaneity alongside anger and defiance. Aside from the song’s lyrical content and the context in which it was made, the music itself is revolutionary in its composition. Morello was attempting to achieve things with his guitar riffs that had never been attempted prior and have been endlessly imitated in the years since his heyday. Rage Against the Machine sounded unlike any other band at the time, and their music offered messages and meanings that were equally as important as the music itself.
Of course, there are multiple Rage Against the Machine tracks that feature pioneering guitar riffs from Morello or important political discussion points from Zach De La Rocha, but it must be said that ‘Bulls On Parade’ packs a punch that still leaves audiences in awe all these years later. Depressingly, the song’s content has only increased in relevance in the intervening decades, too.
