Bullet in the Head (song)
Encyclopedia
"Bullet in the Head" was a single released by political rap metal
band Rage Against the Machine
from their debut album in 1992. A fan favourite and one of the album's heaviest tracks, "Bullet in the Head" refers to the band's belief that the government
uses media
to control the population, drawing comparisons between typical residences and Alcatraz. The track was transferred intact from the band's demo, also titled Rage Against the Machine
.
Along with one of the band's most well known and embraced breakdown riffs, the song features many innovative guitar techniques executed by Tom Morello
which heavily utilise a DigiTech Whammy
pitch shifter and wah-wah pedal
. During the verses, Morello
picks the open D and G strings on his guitar whilst having the DigiTech Whammy
in the open (farthest) position resulting in the pitch being raised by 2 octaves. This creates the DJ-Sampling type sounds heard in the verse. Not as often heard is an unusual sound being made which is believed to be Morello
picking a natural harmonic on his guitar and then raising the pitch of it with a Digitech Whammy
pitch shifter.
"Bullet in the Head" made its live debut at their first public performance at Cal State in the Quad, on October 23, 1991.
Both the front and back images used for the single artwork were taken by the French
photographer Marc Riboud
.
's "I Won't Have It", from their 1995 album About Time
. In the booklet of the album, Zack de la Rocha
's name is also mentioned next to the "Bullet in the Head" part.
Rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music with heavy metal.-History:Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock...
band Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
from their debut album in 1992. A fan favourite and one of the album's heaviest tracks, "Bullet in the Head" refers to the band's belief that the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
uses media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
to control the population, drawing comparisons between typical residences and Alcatraz. The track was transferred intact from the band's demo, also titled Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (demo tape)
Rage Against the Machine is the original demo tape by Los Angeles rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, released in December 1991. The 12-track tape was recorded at Sunbirth Studio in Los Angeles, California after drummer Brad Wilk joined the band, but before they had played their first live show...
.
Along with one of the band's most well known and embraced breakdown riffs, the song features many innovative guitar techniques executed by Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
which heavily utilise a DigiTech Whammy
Digitech Whammy
-Overview:The WH-1 Whammy pedal, the original whammy, first engineered and manufactured in 1989 by IVL Technologies and discontinued in 1993, remains the most sought-after.-Controls:...
pitch shifter and wah-wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
. During the verses, Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
picks the open D and G strings on his guitar whilst having the DigiTech Whammy
Digitech Whammy
-Overview:The WH-1 Whammy pedal, the original whammy, first engineered and manufactured in 1989 by IVL Technologies and discontinued in 1993, remains the most sought-after.-Controls:...
in the open (farthest) position resulting in the pitch being raised by 2 octaves. This creates the DJ-Sampling type sounds heard in the verse. Not as often heard is an unusual sound being made which is believed to be Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
picking a natural harmonic on his guitar and then raising the pitch of it with a Digitech Whammy
Digitech Whammy
-Overview:The WH-1 Whammy pedal, the original whammy, first engineered and manufactured in 1989 by IVL Technologies and discontinued in 1993, remains the most sought-after.-Controls:...
pitch shifter.
"Bullet in the Head" made its live debut at their first public performance at Cal State in the Quad, on October 23, 1991.
Both the front and back images used for the single artwork were taken by the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
photographer Marc Riboud
Marc Riboud
Marc Riboud is a French photographer, best known for his extensive reports on the East: The Three Banners of China, Face of North Vietnam, Visions of China, and In China.-Early life and education:...
.
In popular culture
"Bullet in the Head" is mentioned in the lyric to PennywisePennywise (band)
Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title....
's "I Won't Have It", from their 1995 album About Time
About Time (Pennywise album)
About Time is the third studio album by Pennywise, released on June 13, 1995.Although the album was not a commercial success, it is widely considered to be one of Pennywise's best releases, and it includes their concert staples, "Peaceful Day", "Perfect People", "Every Single Day", and "Same Old...
. In the booklet of the album, Zack de la Rocha
Zack de la Rocha
Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine.-Early life and childhood:...
's name is also mentioned next to the "Bullet in the Head" part.
Music video
This video clip was recorded in a BBC warehouse in New York. While it is not often cited, this isn't a mimed video - it is an actual live performance. In the words of Tom Morello, "The tour bus pulled up in front of the BBC studio, we ran through the song once in front of the cameras, then left to play a club that night".Tracklist
- "Bullet In The Head [Album version]"
- "Bullet In The Head [Remix]"
- "Bullet In The Head [Live-version]"
- "Settle For Nothing [Live-version]"
- Remix done by Sir J Jinx.
Chart positions
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Rock Chart | 17 |
External links
- Official Website
- Axis of Justice Tom Morello and Serj TankianSerj TankianSerj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
's Activist Website "Axis Of JusticeAxis of JusticeAxis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian and Tom Morello. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots progressivism to fight for social justice together.-Formation:...
" - Vietnow.org Rage Against The Machine news resource and forum