Yearlong Song Challenge, Day 164: Gilson

Prompt: "The least appropriate song to play at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade"

Selected by Gilson

"Killing in the Name"

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine, 1992

PoYB Contributor Sam S*******, when he and his lovely wife lived in Roxborough, introduced me and a number of other people here to the concept of the live power hour. Some of you attended at least one of these parties, but for the uninitiated, a bunch of us that played guitar chose some songs to learn minute-long snippets of, and we would rotate these snippets for the rest of the party as our hour went by. As one of the "performers," I'm going to go on record to say I don't know how much fun this was for the other partygoers, but it was always a blast being up in Sam's little office annex room, drinking and singing with the other guitarists. 

I don't remember any of the songs I ever played except for this one. I'm pretty sure I was in my banana suit at the time, which doesn't seem strange at all. I know it sounded like shit, but I also know a few people lit up at this and we enjoyed screaming "FUCK YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME" really loudly.

I like imagining this blaring as the turkey balloon floats by, or Zack de la Rocha's voice snarling "Some of those that run forces / Are the same that burn crosses" as the Paw Patrol balloons fill our screen. 

Radicalize the children, that's what I say.