Aggressive rap-metal, heavy distortion, wah effects, scratch techniques, palm-muted riffs, driving bassline, thundering drums, spoken-rap verses, call-response vocals, staccato breaks, building dynamically
“Written in the Name Of” is a lyrical parody of Rage Against the Machine’s iconic protest anthem, “Killing in the Name,” that critiques traditional linguistic norms in composition and communication education. By reinterpreting the original song’s fierce defiance against authority through the lens of the Conference on College Composition and Communication’s (CCCC) 1974 resolution, “Students’ Right to Their Own Language,” this remix emphasizes the oppressive nature of enforcing a single, dominant linguistic standard.
The aggressive, repetitive chorus—”Fuck you, I won’t write what you tell me”—mirrors Rage Against the Machine’s original protest against institutional control, harnessing a similar raw musical energy to highlight how linguistic conformity functions as a form of cultural erasure and systemic oppression. The song explicitly critiques institutional practices, including biases embedded within educational settings and professional contexts, where linguistic conformity can unjustly dictate access to opportunities.
This remix thus uses the musical style of Rage Against the Machine—characterized by powerful rhythms, confrontational lyrics, and a rebellious tone—to underscore the urgency and significance of linguistic diversity as a social justice issue, reframing language itself as a site of resistance and empowerment.
[Verse 1]
They cut your tongue to shape their mold
Strip your culture, leave you cold
"Standard English" is their cage
While your language turns to rage
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Each rejected word's a scar
On minds they've pushed too far
When schools become their battleground
Our voices won't stay down
[Chorus]
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
[Verse 2]
Your words are power, not disgrace
Each pattern holds its rightful place
Their "standards" mask a deeper plan
To break the ways we understand
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Their grammar rules draw battle lines
To keep our voices left behind
But language flows like molten steel
Through every door they try to seal
[Chorus]
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't write what you tell me
[Bridge]
Our language rising!
Breaking their walls!
Their domination
Finally falls!
The power structure
Built on our pain
Now faces justice
Breaking these chains!
[Build-Up]
Now you write what they tell you
Now you write what they tell you
Now you write what they tell you
Now you write what they tell you
NOW you write what they tell you
NOW you write what they tell you
NOW you write what they tell you
NOW you write what they tell you
NOW YOU WRITE WHAT THEY TELL YOU
NOW YOU WRITE WHAT THEY TELL YOU
NOW YOU WRITE WHAT THEY TELL YOU
NOW YOU WRITE WHAT THEY TELL YOU
[Final Chorus]
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU, I WON'T WRITE WHAT YOU TELL ME