A Craigslist post seeking bandmates for a “conservative Rage Against the Machine” cover band is getting roasted online after a screenshot was cross-posted to X.com. The ad, which appeared in North Carolina, asked for a patriotic bassist and drummer who “love America” to accompany the singer and guitarist. Instead of attracting bandmates, it inspired a tidal wave of parody song titles and reimagined lyrics that highlight just how deeply the poster missed the point of RATM’s entire message.
The right’s version of Rage Against the Machine
The Craigslist ad appeared on April 23, 2025, for musicians in Kannapolis, NC. Titled “Need Bassist & Drummer to Form Conservative Rage Against The Machine” and including a photo of vocalist Zack de la Rocha on stage, the ask seems to miss the entire point of the original band.
“Looking for politically conservative bassist & drummer to start the right’s version of Rage Against The Machine,” it reads. “I plan on singing, playing guitar and writing a lot of rage-type songs and would like to tour the area opening up for political events. Also would like to have a set list of freedom-oriented cover songs. If you love America and are pissed about what the left and globalists have done to our country, please contact me.”
The post is still up as of the publishing of this article.
On April 29, X user @scrumble_eggs posted a screenshot of this ad along with a suggestion for an alternate version of the lyrics to one of Rage’s most iconic songs: “YES SIR I’LL DO JUST WHAT YOU TELL ME.” The post gained over 354,000 views in under 24 hours.
‘Rage With the Machine?’
As the post spread, lefty users rushed to offer up their own suggestions for band names, song titles, and new lyrics that would reflect a conservative twist on Rage Against the Machine. It started with band names.
“Rage With the Machine?” suggested @bourbon_rox.
“Rage On Behalf of the Machine,” wrote @jbschmitzker.
“Rage against the vaccine,” offered @rymulous.
“Rage Against The Machine I made up that is just a sweet old grandma down the street that just want’s her social security check that she paid for by working for 50 years,” said @dharh.
Others continued to rewrite the band’s hit single “Killing in the Name” with a more police-friendly twist.
“Some of those that run forces!.. are the same that get kisses!” wrote @z4ck13.
Meanwhile, @ReprobationNat offered up an entire new track list for the 1992 self-titled album that launched Rage’s success, including “Klanning In The Name” and “Give The Power Back.”
Tom Morello on people not getting it
The Craigslist ad suggests that, after many long years, conservative listeners have finally figured out that Rage Against the Machine is political. On X in particular (and Twitter before that), right-wing users have been known to complain about band members like guitarist Tom Morello bringing up politics and having leftist opinions.
In 2020, after Morello shared a photo of his guitar with the words “F*CK TRUMP” on the back, one user who has since deleted their account said that they “used to be a fan until your political opinions come [sic] out.”
Amid the general public clowning, Morello himself responded with the perfect shot.
“Scott!! What music of mine were you a fan of that DIDN’T contain ‘political BS’?” he asked, “I need to know so I can delete it from the catalog.”
Rage Against the Machine is one of the most popular explicitly leftist bands of the last 40 years or more. They raged against war, police brutality, white supremacy, genocide, and capitalism from 1992 to 2000, when they disbanded over creative and political differences. Since then, Morello and other former members have continued to speak out against oppression and state violence.
A conservative version of the band would look almost nothing like the original, other than perhaps sharing in the rap-rock genre. Only time will tell whether anybody in the world wants this other than the Craigslist poster.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @scrumble_eggs for comment via X.
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