Rage Against the Machine "Bulls on Parade"

Few bands in the history of rock 'n roll have been more pissed off than Rage Against the Machine, and if you need motivation to run through a wall, "Bulls on Parade" has the energy and anger you're looking for.

A precursor to NuMetal of the late-'90s and early-'00s, RAtM brought a mix of hardcore metal and rap that blew the covers off speakers when its eponymous debut album was released.

The second album, Evil Empire, contains this gem of aggression, a tale of revenge on a government that launches wars around the world out of greed.

It contains some of the best musical drops you will ever hear. When I DJed bars and clubs, I would throw on this song when I needed to get the crowd gassed during The Power Hour (1-2 a.m.). It wasn't for every audience, but in the right place at the right time, it would do more work than any other song I could play (often followed by Buckcherry's "Crazy Bitch").

Like many RatM songs, guitarist Tom Morello uses various effects pedals and onboard switches to make his guitar sound like things other than guitars. In this case, he makes it sound like a DJ scratching records, and the effect fools many listeners.

Apparently, RAtM's blatantly anti-establishment lyrics from "Bulls on Parade" and other songs are lost on at least some listeners, and Morello, a savvy social-media users, has no problem clapping back on people who just don't seem to get it, including at least one poor, unsuspecting Michigan man. (Here's a bonus reaction video.)

Location: Michigan, USA

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