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Guerrilla Radio

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"Guerrilla Radio"
Song

"Guerrilla Radio" is the second track from the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles by the band Rage Against the Machine. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for this song. Guitarist Tom Morello displays his skills of guitar effects in the solo, which sounds a little like a harmonica, but is actually making use of a Talk Box, and his toggle switch technique.. Live, he uses his Dunlop Cry Baby instead of a talk box.

This song is about the 2000 US presidential Election [citation needed], and in particular the way media shaped the campaigns of the two competitors, George Bush and Al Gore. The song was written and recorded, and the single released, months before either candidate was formally nominated by his party, although both were frontrunners at the time. The line "More for Gore or the son of a drug lord" refers to the allegations that, while George Bush Sr. was Director of Central Intelligence, the CIA was supplying drugs to inner city areas.

It is also about, as shown in its second verse, the trial of Mumia Abu-Jamal.

This was the first single from The Battle of Los Angeles, and is the most recognizable as their sound in relation to their past releases. It's basically a manifestation of the band's goal and purpose, acting as "guerrilla radio" to alert the masses of underground injustices, as Mumia Abu-Jamal had done. It has remained one of their signature tracks, along with Bulls on Parade and Killing in the Name off of Evil Empire and their debut album respectively.

"Guerrilla Radio" was also featured on the popular skateboarding game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.

The song was covered by lounge/comedy group Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, whose band name also spoofs Rage. In April 2007, Alanis Morrisette covered the song live.

On July 2007, the song's video for "Guerrilla Radio" was ranked #45 on MuchMusic's 50 Most Controversial Videos for extreme amounts of profanity.

Track listing

  1. "Guerrilla Radio"
  2. "Without a Face (Live Version)"

UK Track Listing

Disc 1

  1. "Guerilla Radio"
  2. "No Shelter"
  3. "The Ghost Of Tom Joad"

Disc 2

  1. "Guerilla Radio" (Radio Edit)
  2. "F*** Tha Police" (Live)
  3. "Freedom" (Live)
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