I was a 13-year-old when I first heard 'Killing In The Name'. It was a Sunday afternoon as I listened to the Radio 1 Chart Show. All of a sudden the words 'Fuck you I won't do what you tell me' were blasting out of my stereo. It felt like a moment of glory. A moment of understanding. A moment when my stereo was blasting how I felt about life right back at me. It was magic. Even though the lyrics were political, for a 13-year-old in full-on 'teen angst' mode, it was perfect.
Roll on to today, I'm edging ever closer to 30 (36 days to go!!) and the song is being used to protest against the dominance of the Christmas Number 1 spot by the X Factor.
Aside from the weirdness on the following levels:
(1) The prospect of a Christmas Number 1 with the word 'fuck' in it...a lot!
(2) The fact that a song that never reached any higher than 25 in the UK could suddenly be number 1.
(3) The prospect of hearing it announced as Christmas Number 1 on the radio
and finally
(4) Watching it on Christmas TOTP
it's just interesting to see how many people feel so passionately about how they dislike the X Factor.
I personally have no issue with Joe whateverhisnameis who won it and do, to a degree, feel sorry for him. Not only will he possibly not get his number one single that seems to come as standard with this competition, but equally he'll almost certainly be one of the ones who end up on the scrapheap. Over the last 7 years since the ball was started rolling with Pop Idol, very few people have had lasting careers let alone are even remembered. The sad truth is most will have their one hit that makes Simon Cowell etc have their quick shot in the arm of cash before they are discarded as those in charge look to the next series and the next person with the 'x' factor/victim (delete as applicable). It's rare in that game for someone to end up as successful as Leona Lewis, though the show will always give people applying the dream that they might be the next one.
My issues with the whole thing are as follows.
Firstly, I'm bored of the whole lazy process. I wish they'd spend more time finding and nurturing real talent in all genres than just milking the public for as much money as they can for very little reward or substance at the end in the long term.
Secondly, I'm fed up of knowing that whoever it is that wins the thing the week before will be Christmas Number 1 the next week. Yes, Simon Cowell is right when he says that some seriously rubbish tunes have gotten to number 1 at Christmas. I mean, 'Mr Blobby' by Mr Blobby beating Take That's 'Babe'?!?!?! How the hell that happened I'll never know!! And, though it was a fantastic cover version, I never did work out how the suicidally miserable version of 'Mad World' by Gary Jules beat the insanely Christmassy 'Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)' by The Darkness, but at least you used to sit there excited right to the end wondering who was going to make it. It was part of the magic of Christmas for me, even if the charts didn't bother me much the rest of the year.
Last Christmas was more exciting for me simply on the grounds that I'm a HUGE Jeff Buckley fan and was really hoping his version of 'Hallelujah' might have nicked it from the X Factor version but it was not to be.
This Christmas I shall be sat listening to my radio with equal levels of anticipation but it shouldn't come to this in order to make it exciting.
Simon Cowell needs to realise that the problem isn't with the X Factor winner or even, to a degree, with him as a person per se. It's about the fact it makes the whole thing boring and inevitable and that it's actually pretty annoying because of it.
So tomorrow I'll be hoping that Rage Against The Machine make it and then maybe he might think about doing something fresh, new and nowhere near Christmas!!
If you want to join in then go to this link for information:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=box_3&ref=profile&id=557871323#/pages/RAGE-AGAINST-THE-MACHINE-FOR-CHRISTMAS-NO1/197877130755?ref=ts
and then don’t forget to download it or go to 7digital.com where you can ‘gift’ it to your friends....give a little Rage this Christmas!
And, just for the record, I have been humming this all week anyway.
Enjoy and look for a bonus edition of the blog on Thursday!
Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name
Killing in the name of!
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Huh!
Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
But now you do what they told ya
Well now you do what they told ya
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Uggh!
Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control (7 times)
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya!
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Come on!
Yeah! Come on!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Motherfucker!
Uggh!
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