Songfacts®:

• 2020 was a year when the divisions between different sections of the population became ever more apparent in the Western world. Several landmark events sparked this, including the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the police murder of George Floyd, and the 2020 US election. These provoked intense reactions from both sides of the fence, which spilled into mass protests that sometimes turned violent. Here, Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen reflects on what she witnessed.
  
  And the bullets start to fly
  And the bar's about to break
  Want to hear the cry
  It's too much for me to take
  
  "The world has been in such a state of civil unrest," Momsen said in a statement. "'And So It Went' basically comes from that vision. As a songwriter, I feel like I'm not here to preach. I use music to observe and communicate what I see around me."
• The raging song features a guest appearance by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who contributes a charged solo. Speaking to Download TV, Momson explained she has known Morello for several years and they reconnected at the I Am The Highway tribute for Chris Cornell when they both played on "Loud Love."
  
  During the recording of Death by Rock and Roll, "And So It Went" came about. Momson called up her guitarist pal and said, "This is begging for your voice on this. This is begging for a Tom Morello solo." The Rage Against the Machine axeman liked the track and agreed to add his distinctive guitar work.
• This is the fourth song released from Death By Rock And Roll. The album is Pretty Reckless' first that they recorded without longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died in April 2018 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
• Jon J and Taylor Momsen directed the video, which personifies the song's angst and unrest by following a clash between children in pig and wolf masks. While Tom Morello doesn't feature in the clip, it does include shots of his signature Soul Power guitar.
• The Pretty Reckless became the first female-fronted act with six #1s on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart when this climbed to the top. The band's previous five leaders were "Heaven Knows," "Messed Up World (F'd Up World)," "Follow Me Down," "Take Me Down," and "Death By Rock And Roll."