Kill the Poor
"Kill the Poor" is a song by Dead Kennedys, released in October 1980 on Cherry Red Records as the band's third single, with "In-sight" as its B-side. The song is a satire of the elite, saying how if given the chance, they would use neutron bombs to wipe out the impoverished whilst preserving property. The title track was re-recorded for the band's first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, although the single and album versions show little difference in comparison. The B-side of this single is also additionally on the compilation album Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. A special "disco version" was played and recorded on March 3, 1979, and released on their live album Live at the Deaf Club.
"Kill the Poor" reached #49 in the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks on the chart.
Personnel
- Jello Biafra – lead vocals
- East Bay Ray – guitar
- Klaus Flouride – bass, backing vocals
- Ted – drums
Cover versions
- American metalcore band The Agony Scene covered the song for the special edition of their album Get Damned in 2007.
- American heavy metal band Trivium covered the song as part of a series of covers recorded during the recording session of their album The Sin and the Sentence in 2017.
- Russian punk band Pornofilmy covered the song with Russian translation named Нищих убивай for their album Русская мечта. Часть 2 in 2016.
- Dutch composer Maarten Regtien covered the song in the concluding part of his 2nd Trumpet Concerto