Killing In the Name

• By: Rage Against the Machine

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
killing /ˈkɪlɪŋ/ B1	noun - the act of causing death; homicide. verb - present participle of kill; causing death.
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known.
work /wɜːrk/ A1	verb - to expend effort toward a goal; to perform a job. noun - activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.
forces /ˈfɔːrsɪz/ B1	noun - plural of force; a group of people, especially an armed group.
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to be damaged or destroyed by fire; to produce flames.
crosses /ˈkrɔːsɪz/ A2	noun - plural of cross; a mark, object, or figure with two intersecting lines.
told /toʊld/ A1	verb - past tense and past participle of tell; to communicate information to someone.
died /daɪd/ A2	verb - past tense of die; to stop living.
justified /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ B2	adjective - having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason. verb - past participle of justify; to show or prove to be right or reasonable.
badge /bædʒ/ B1	noun - a small piece of metal or plastic, typically worn to show membership or authority.
chosen /ˈtʃoʊzn/ B2	adjective - selected as particularly special or worthy of favour. verb - past participle of choose; to pick out or select (someone or something) as being the best or most appropriate.
whites /waɪts/ B1	noun - plural of white; people belonging to a race having light-colored skin.
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	noun - the power to influence or direct people's behaviour or the course of events. verb - determine the behaviour or supervise the running of.
tell /tel/ A1	verb - to communicate information to someone in spoken or written words.

Grammar:

• Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses.

  ➔ Relative clauses with "that"; use of "some of" + plural noun + relative clause.

  ➔ The sentence uses a relative clause "that work forces" to define which "some of those" the speaker is referring to. "Some of" indicates a portion of a larger group. Here, "some of those" refers to a subset of people involved with forces(likely referring to police force).

• And now you do what they told ya.

  ➔ Imperative mood implied; use of "what" as a relative pronoun forming a noun clause; informal use of "ya" (instead of "you").

  ➔ The phrase implies an order or instruction to follow what "they" (an authority figure) have directed. "What they told ya" acts as the object of the verb "do". The use of "ya" is a colloquial shortening of "you".

• Those who died are justified for wearing the badge; They're the chosen whites.

  ➔ Relative clause with "who"; passive voice ("are justified"); noun phrase as predicate nominative ("the chosen whites").

  ➔ This sentence makes a controversial statement, suggesting that those who died while wearing a "badge" (likely referring to law enforcement) are considered "justified" (their actions were right). The second part, "They're the chosen whites", is a highly charged phrase implying racial privilege and superiority.

• Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me.

  ➔ Strong imperative negation; use of "what" as a relative pronoun forming a noun clause.

  ➔ The speaker emphatically refuses to comply with an order. "What you tell me" is a noun clause functioning as the object of "do". "Won't" is a contraction of "will not," indicating future refusal.