"Vietnow" was the final single for Rage Against the Machine's Evil Empire album. While people often fuss that it is the fourth single of the album, officially it is the third, as Down Rodeo was a promo release only. The black and white cover artwork is of an older lady, seen from the back, carrying a radio and walking down a mountain.
The song is in reference to extremely popular right-wing radio shows, mostly on the AM dial, hosted by people such as Rush Limbaugh, G. Gordon Liddy, Oliver North and Michael Reagan. One of the riffs bears a resemblance to "The Wanton Song" by Led Zeppelin, whom Tom Morello has cited as a major influence.
The song mentions Sgt. Stacey Koon was one of the 4 LAPD policemen videotaped beating black motorist Rodney King in the early '90s. He and Laurence Powell were the only two convicted of the four.
