Now another well-know liberal musician has spurned the advances of a right-wing politician-fan. But music is a touchy subject, and political in its own right so when someone says they like a band, there's lot of meaning to it. Chris Christie was rebuffed by The Boss. I hate the lyrics, but I like the sound. So you can imagine Tom Morellos response when the New York Times reported that newly minted Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan lists Rage Against the Machine, which sings about the greed of oil companies and whose Web site praises the anti-corporate Occupy Wall Street movement, among his favorite bands.. Perhaps Paul Ryan was moshing when he should have been listening. If Ryan does not agree with Rages lyrics, Joe Levy, editor of Billboard magazine, said it is possible that he listens to it for the same reason that he might listen to Led Zeppelin for the guitar riffs. Hes also the author ofThe Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party: The Enduring Legacy of Henry Wallace's Anti-Fascist, Anti-Racist Politics, from Verso;Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse: A Field Guide to the Most Dangerous People in America, from Nation Books; and co-author, with Robert W. McChesney, of People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy. Not surprisingly, Ryan is a proud outdoorsman who prefers bow-hunting and archery to guns. The VP candidate may love Rage Against the Machines music. (THATS MY TUNE:The nine biggest musician-politician feuds), However, it seems like that love only goes one way. Ryan also voted against a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2011. He a kid growing up in Janesville, Wisconsin, he listened to radio rockers like John Sly Sylvester, who has since become a Wisconsin talk-radio legend and one of Ryans edgiest critics. Another one of Ryans favorites with a bent toward weed but who does align with his politics is the country star, Williams, who campaigned with 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Walker was recently given a prime speaking spot at this years Republican convention. Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber honors its founder at Lincoln Center. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much He can like whatever bands he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage. Beethoven, who never registered for an American political party, and Hank Williams Jr., a vocal Republican supporter, might be the only two Ryan choices that dont directly compete with his political beliefs. Led Zeppelin has always been my favorite band.

4:43 PM EDT, Fri August 17, 2012, Ryan's favorite bands not all GOP supporters . Well, I dont care for Paul Ryans sound or his lyrics. Or is it the one where we call on people to seize the means of production? But I'm not betting on it. Is it the one where condemn the genocide of Native Americans? 2017 Village Voice, LLC. Labor, a crucial block of support for President Barack Obama, has come out forcefully against the selection of Ryan. And Rep. Paul Ryan, the possible President of the U.S.A., loves em. For Reprints and Permissions, click here. Ryans a bit of a metalhead, with a taste for Led Zeppelin, Metallica andas he told CNNa lot of grunge bands that are not frequently identified with the extreme social conservatism and the free-market economic theories of Austrian economists. She said: Our sons are going to be union men. He likes bowhunting. Tom Morello, whos got Woody Guthries eye for the teaching moment, has it right: You see, the super rich must rationalize having more than they could ever spend while millions of children in the U.S. go to bed hungry every night. Its important to get that message out to have that amplified alongside the B.S. The report went from 100,000 people on the streets of Cairo to 100,000 people on the streets of Madison. Ryan, a seven-term congressman and father of three, becomes the first unambiguously Generation X candidate on a major presidential ticket. 2022 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. We drank 3 rounds with the hotshot cast of Top Gun: Maverick. First New Jersey Gov. Two years ago, the bands guitarist Tom Morello toldRolling Stone that Ryan who had pubically declared his love for the bandat the time was the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. In a response to theTimes, more than two years later, Ryan said this: They were never my favorite band. More:paul ryanPoliticsRage Against The MachineTom Morello, Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel Is a Strange Movie About a Strange Place, Conflicting Beliefs on Abortion Rights at St. Pats; Confrontations at the Federalist Society, Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Writer Greg Tate. * Ben Mankiewicz and Michael Shure discuss on The Young Turks. Governor Chris Christie lovesBruce Springsteenbut doesnt understand him. By signing up, you confirm that you are over the age of 16 andagree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nations journalism. Suddenly, riding the Amtrak shuttle doesnt seem so cool, does it? And agree that, regardless of political persuasion,Corgi Rae Jepsen is the best thing ever? He can like whatever bands he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage., The guitarist who has a long history of radical activism and radical songwriting asks: I wonder what Ryans favorite Rage song is? freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ John Grishams The Pelican Brief and Michael Crichtons Rising Sun were the hot page-turners. Morello agrees that Ryan was probably moshing when he should have been listening., Morello was most recently seen supporting Occupy L.A. last year and protesting the opening of a Chinatown Wal-Mart, but this editorial should up the stakes in a musically contentious election season. Though Ryans politics are staunchly conservative, his pop-cultural tastes take cues from this era; he recently revealed in separate interviews that he listens to a lot of grunge, and considers himself a fan of Rage Against the Machine, the same left-leaning band that supported the Occupy Wall Street movement. All rights reserved. A new film roams through the ramshackle temple of art, music, poetry, and mystery. Five days passed before his body was found, Podcast: Musicians for abortion rights redux, Beyonc is just like us: She started a countdown for her Renaissance album, Live Nation says that fatal backstage stabbing of rapper Drakeo the Ruler was unforseeable, Theres just no throat: Pearl Jam scraps gig after Eddie Vedder injures vocal cords, Joey Badass accuses Delta Air Lines of breaking his recording equipment. And he loves Rage Against the Machine. Perhaps none is more opposed to Ryans lifes work than Rage Against the Machine. Theres a saying in politics that Washington is Hollywood for ugly people, but they might need to add a corollary: Except for Republican vice-presidential candidates. Some tune out what the band stands for and concentrate on the moshing and throwing elbows in the pit. At the time, Morello told Rolling Stone that Ryan was "the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. With that said, its weird because hes forty-two years old and you cannot possibly be a genuine Rage Against the Machine fan without understanding what they stand for. But anyone that likes music, movies, books, painting is well familiar with the way an artist lives his or her life can be diametrically [opposed to the way you live yours].. He could be friends with Johnny and Joey Ramone.

I hate the lyrics, but I like the sound. ", Morello went on to mockingly add, "I wonder what Ryan's favorite Rage song is? But Rages music affects people in different ways. Historical Amnesia About Slavery Is a Tool of White Supremacy. a union struggle that had brought masses of Wisconsinites to the streets, Morello explained in a blistering statement he wrote for, People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy. Paul Ryans love ofRage Against the Machineis amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. I was standing on these freezing cold picket lines what was I supposed to do? the first shirtless beach photo op presented itself. When police shut down the Minnesota concert before Rage took the stage, fans chanted F you I wont do what you tell me, lyrics from the bands song, Killing in the Name, Rolling Stone reported. Theyrelesser. Some of these guys on the extreme right are more cynical than Paul Ryan, but he seems to really believe in this stuff. Morello is clearly amused and perplexed at how deeply, in his opinion, Ryan has missed the point of his band. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. Dude wants some heavy music to move some weights to, to psyche himself up for his next P90X challenge, referring to the intense workout regimen Ryan is a devotee to. [The Dead] were legendary for letting people tape their shows and trade tapes, Deggans said. Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? Burn. Headed by the vibrant frontman Zach de la Rocha, with legendary guitarist Tom Morello shredding in the background, the group captured that post-modern hatred towards authority present in the youth of America, showing flares of anarchy, socialism and mass upheaval.

Is it possible Congressman Paul Ryan never even liked Rage Against the Machine? Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? Along with most members of Congress nearly a decade ago, Ryan voted for using military force to remove Iraqs Saddam Hussein from power. He adds, "Well, I don't care for Paul Ryan's soundorhis lyrics." He wasnt at all sure his wife would approve. Paul Ryan's favorite band is Rage Against the Machine. Well, at least Tom Morello does. Perhaps Paul Ryan was moshing when he should have been listening.. Rage also held a concert several miles away from the Democratic National Convention in Denver the same year, protesting the Iraq War. I would think aesthetically, not either. Hey Girl! Copyright 2022 SPIN. In his 1979 hit Family Tradition, Williams sings: So dont ask me, /Hank why do you drink? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings!, Ryans Gen-X demographic could have allowed for some teenage dalliances with Rages music at the same time he was getting into Ayn Rand, and Ryan has claimed to like bands sound but purposefully tunes out their lyrics.

And I remember saying, What the hell is going on? "They were never my favorite band," Ryan tells theNew York Times. But rarely has a fracas involved two figures so diametrically opposed as Ryan, author of the House Republicans sweeping budget proposals, and Morello, who was an active participant in this springs Occupy Wall Street protests. Hes a big Ayn Rand fan. ", Is it possible Congressman Paul Ryan never even liked Rage Against the Machine? The Grateful Dead equals smoking pot, it just does.. And Paul Ryan is clueless about his favorite band, Rage Against the Machine. So Rage Against the Machine down, Led Zeppelin up! With the increasing entanglement between politics, music and musical expression, Ryan is not alone in listening to musicians that dont line up with their politics. Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? tn_author: ['john-n'], Political strategies can sink or swim based on the campaign music that candidates select for their rallies and events. Ready for takeoff! Youve got to go. . Shortly after, members of the group led a protest toward the Xcel Center where the Republican convention was underway before being dispersed by police with tear gas. To submit a correction for our consideration, click here. Its not the first time a musician has come out against one of his or her more political fans Bruce Springsteen was unhappy with Ronald Reagans use of his cynical anthem Born in the U.S.A. during the 1984 election, and just this week alt rockers Silversun Pickups asked Mitt Romney to stop using their song at his campaign events. *Read more here from August Brown in the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-tom-morello-rips-into-rage-against-the-machine-fan-paul-ryan-20120817,0,1273665.storyWatch - Cenk interviews Tom Morello on Current TV: http://current.com/shows/the-young-turks/guests/tom-morelloSupport The Young Turks by Subscribing http://bit.ly/TYTonYouTubeLike Us on Facebook: Follow Us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/OkX87XBuy TYT Merch: http://theyoungturks.spreadshirt.com/ Of course, picking favorite musicians who dont imbibe can limit choices. Maybe he'll fill Guantanamo Bay with the corporate criminals that are funding his campaign and then torture them with Rage music 24/7. messages being spouted from the podium., The band also calls out what it sees as political crimes. Ryan claims that he likes Rages sound, but not the lyrics. But Rage guitarist Tom Morello says: PaulRyan is the embodiment of the machine our music rages against.. }); Morello, the Grammy Awardwinning guitarist with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave who has earned an international following with his musically and politically charged performances as the Nightwatchman, followed the wave of protests that swept Egypt and other Mideast countries at the start of 2011. tn_pos: 'rectangle_1', his lyrics. So, when they look themselves in the mirror, they convince themselves that Those people are undeserving. placementName: "thenation_right_rail", Ryan claims that he likes Rages sound, but not the lyrics. Ricky Martins nephew withdraws his incest, harassment claims against singer, U2, George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight among 2022 Kennedy Center honorees, 7 best bets for your L.A. weekend: iPalpiti Festival, Shakespeares Tempest and more, Inside the battle for control of a legendary music club and the soul of a high desert town, Coronavirus cases are soaring in L.A. County, but this wave is different, The SoCal housing market is cooling. Get Screen Gab for weekly recommendations, analysis, interviews and irreverent discussion of the TV and streaming movies everyones talking about. tn_loc:'atf' tn_ptype: 'article', Here, the team dives into what might be "the most insane season of TV ever filmed.". "Ryan claims that he likes Rage's sound, but not the lyrics," wrote Rage guitarist Morello in a column for Rolling Stone that went up last night. Scott Walkers legislation that stripped collective bargaining rights from some union workers. tn_articleid: [103705], The Grateful Dead, which has been performing since the 1960s and played for a Barack Obama fundraiser four years ago, is another seemingly incongruent selection.

A Warner Bros. A Next Management Partners brand. The one lambasting American imperialism? This may sound funny coming from me, but Id say Jon Stewart, Ryan said. Metallica prefers to stay out of politics. tn_keyword: [false], Led by vocal activist front man Zack de la Rocha and guitarist and labor union supporter Tom Morello, Rage staged a protest concert on the lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol during the Republican National Convention in 2008. (The over/under here is 6.5 days.). The one lambasting American imperialism? To Ali, the pick says something about the kind of vice president Ryan might make. Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings!. Were sure you have: the band formed in the late 1980s and grew to fame throughout the Clinton years, as a response to Generation Xs tendency to corporatize and globalize seemingly anything that moved. And judging from Morello's essay, it's more than embarrassing when you have a clueless fan like Paul Ryan. Basically the only thing hes not raging against is the privileged elite hes groveling in front of for campaign contributions. Again, these urban legends get going. You could continue to listen to Rage and just say Fuck you, I wont do what you tell me.. The one lambasting American imperialism? Ever hear of Rage Against the Machine? Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The disconnect between the meaning of the song and the way it feels is an old one. 2. Your favorite meme got mixed up with Paul Ryan and @PaulRyanGosling was born, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney on 60 Minutes: The three best evasive answers to penetrating questions, Credit: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images, Paul Ryan loves Rage Against the Machine, Monty Python. 2022 Billboard Media, LLC. Ryan also cites Monty Python as a personal favorite, both the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the BBC sketch series Monty Pythons Flying Circus. No, pigs are not flying this story is just too ironically hilarious to not report on. ", That's nice and good, but his distancing from Rage Against the Machine could also have something to do with the dressing down he took from guitarist Tom Morello once his music affinity went public back in 2012. For Pride, lets counter the GOPs Top 10 misleading claims. Charles Manson lovedthe Beatlesbut didnt understand them. And he kept up with each new report from Tahrir Square.

\"In a brutal Rolling Stone editorial, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello calls Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's recent vice presidential pick, the \"embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades.\" The 42-year-old Ryan has touted his Rage fandom in the past, a curious choice given the band's ferocious advocacy for unions, immigrants and social justice. Rising at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on July 30, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Ryan claims that he likes Rages sound, but not the lyrics. But, nonetheless, Ryan cant get enough. If you haven't been keeping up with Ryan's likes--the P90x, the hunting, the sleeping in the office, the big suits--we don't blame you since it's easy to get lost in all of them (and not just those huge suits). He has. Its always a disappointment when someones personal behavior doesnt line up with their artistic output or your enjoyment of their art, Levy said. Ryan claims that he likes Rages sound, but not the lyrics. Heres how far prices have fallen, The new 6th Street bridges baptism by L.A.: Street racers, skaters, taggers and a crash, USC researchers identify symptoms associated with increased risk for long COVID, Column One: He worked from home and died suddenly. Hes been more than willing to criticize the policies of President Obama. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. I wonder what Ryans favorite Rage song is? And at least one member, Tom Morello, totally hates him. Musicians of any sort of persuasion like to get high. tn_subject: ['election-2', 'occupy-mov', 'politics', 'the-right'], Charles Manson loved, but didnt understand them. Led Zeppelin has always been my favorite band. Jon Stewart was driven to distraction by his Smurf-anus blue eyes, and as pundits complimented his fitness prowess obsessive P90X workouts reportedly leave him with only 6-8 percent body fat you could practically hear the countdown until the first shirtless beach photo op presented itself. Although Rage thinks Paul Ryan is just another cog in the Machine, that doesnt stop the Republican vice presidential hopeful from rocking out to the rap metal groups anti-establishment lyrics. You may unsubscribe or adjust your preferences at any time. Basically the only thing hes not raging against is the privileged elite hes groveling in front of for campaign contributions., Occupy Wall Street is getting a benefit album, Ben Harper, Tom Morello protest Chinatown Wal-Mart. Rage Against the Machine is not going to be down with that, said Lorraine Ali, pop music editor at the Los Angeles Times. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. That shouldnt be a problem for Ryan as long as a staffer doesnt confuse his personal playlist with the campaign rally mix. So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings! Hes a P90X aficionado. But two years after his run for one of the government's highest offices, the Republican congressman reveals that his love of the band may have been exaggerated. Morello wrote Union Town, which came from his experience in Madison, Wisconsin, demonstrating with workers against Gov. Updated Again, these urban legends get going. In aneditorial for Rolling Stonepublished on the magazines website Thursday,RATM guitarist Tom Morelloblasted the conservative Congressman as the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. Noting that Ryan has said he likes the bands sound but not its lyrics, Morello wrote, I dont care for Paul Ryans soundorhis lyrics.. When he graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) in 1992, the top scripted television show was Roseanne, the biggest movie was Waynes World, and the most popular college albums were the works of Nirvana and The Black Crowes.

appreciated. By signing up to receive emails, you agree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation's journalism. Blues, told from Uncle Sams point of view rails against overreaching political power: Shine your shoes/light your fuse/ Can you use/them ol U.S. Blues?/Ill drink your health/share your wealth/Run your life/steal your wife.. Morello, for his part, does not really like Ryan. To be fair, on Paul Ryan's Facebook there is no mention of Rage under favorite music: No, let's take a closer look at that nerdy love of Monty Python, shall we? Our cover of F- the Police? Morello is clearly amused and perplexed at how deeply, in his opinion, Ryan has missed the point of his band\".