According to nme.com, Tom Morello has spoken out at Rage Against The Machine fans, who he claimed “weren’t intelligent enough” to understand the group’s politics. The guitarist is known for using his social media channels to express his political views and occasionally address how some fans may be missing the point by misinterpreting the messages behind the band’s music.
Back in 2022, Morello went on his official X/Twitter account and shared: “People who are offended by my politics on Twitter or Instagram, please know it’s because you weren’t intelligent enough to know what the music that you were listening to all these years was about. For the music, you’re welcome, but if you’re a white supremacist or a proto-fascist, that music isn’t written for you. It’s written against you.”
And now, Morello took to X/Twitter to share an encounter he had with a fan who expressed their admiration of Rage Against The Machine’s 1991 track “Killing In The Name Of” but completely missed the point of the song.
“Never ceases to amaze me how many folks who’ve heard RATM are in Paul Ryan mode, having literally ZERO understanding of anything that band was about and even less understanding of where any of us might stand on contemporary issues. Recently was talking to a couple at a restaurant who were big fans of ‘Killing In The Name.” said Morello.
The artist adds: “The nice lady said, ‘I love that song. It helped me rage against my parents and later against the jab!’ I said, ‘Ma’am that song is about racist cops who often behave like the Ku Klux Klan in service of historical white supremacy and are boot licking lackeys and thugs of the racist capitalist ruling class.’ She sat there chewing and blinking, chewing and blinking.”
Fans immediately took to the reply section, with many agreeing with Morello and highlighting how other fans have a lack of awareness while others went against his view claiming that he has “sold out”.
“Yeah it cracks me up when I hear mfs say I don’t like RATM bc they’re political now. Now?,” wrote one user while another shared: “Those cops would’ve ultimately enforced vaccine mandates which were pushed by the party you now support. The profits from those mandates would go to the corporations you claim to rage against. That lady understood your music better than you do.”
Photo Credit: Conny Chavez
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