Public Enemy
By the Time I Get to Arizona
Public Enemy consists of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Khari Wynn, DJ Lord, and the S1W group.
In 1986, Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, a Democrat, created a paid state Martin Luther King Jr. holiday right before the conclusion of his tenure. The following year, his Republican successor, Evan Mecham, struck down the holiday, angering civil rights activists across the country. The people of Arizona would later vote, in a 1990 referendum, on whether or not MLK Day should be an official state holiday. They voted against it. Public Enemy released this song in 1991. It featured Sister Souljah and it condemned Mecham for his decision to invalidate the holiday. One year later, another referendum was held, and the state finally approved MLK Day as an official holiday.
I'm countin' down to the day deservin' Fittin' for a king I'm waitin' for the time when I can Get to Arizona 'Cause my money's spent on The goddamn rent Neither party is mine not the Jackass or the elephant 20.000 nig niggy nigas in the corner Of the cell block but they come From California Population none in the desert and sun Wit' a gun cracker Runnin' things under his thumb Starin' hard at the postcards Isn't it odd and unique? Seein' people smile wild in the heat 120 degree 'Cause I wanna be free What's a smilin' fact When the whole state's racist Why want a holiday Fuck it 'cause I wanna So what if I celebrate it standin' on a corner I ain't drinkin' no 40 I B thinkin' time wit' a nine Until we get some land Call me the trigger man Looki lookin' for the governor Huh he ain't lovin' ya But here to trouble ya He's rubbin' ya wrong Get the point come along An he can get to the joint I urinated on the state While I was kickin' this song Yeah, he appear to be fair The cracker over there He try to keep it yesteryear The good ol' days The same ol' ways That kept us dyin' Yes, you me myself and I'ndeed What he need is a nosebleed Read between the lines Then you see the lie Politically planned But understand that's all she wrote When we see the real side That hide behind the vote They can't understand why he the man I'm singin' 'bout a king They don't like it When I decide to mike it Wait I'm waitin' for the date For the man who demands respect 'Cause he was great c'mon I'm on the one mission To get a politician To honor or he's a gonner By the time I get to Arizona I got 25 days to do it If a wall in the sky Just watch me go thru it 'Cause I gotta do what I gotta do PE number one Gets the job done When it's done and over Was because I drove'er Thru all the static Not stick but automatic That's the way it is He gotta get his Talin' MLK Gonna find a way Make the state pay Lookin' for the day Hard as it seems This ain't no damn dream Gotta know what I mean It's team against team Catch the light beam So I pray I pray everyday I do and praise jah the maker Lookin' for culture I got but not here From jah maker Pushin' and shakin' the structure Bringin' down the babylon Hearin' the sucker That make it hard for the brown The hard Boulova I need now More than ever now Who's sittin' on my freedah' Opressor people beater Piece of the pick We picked a piece Of land that we deservin' now Reparation a piece of the nation And damn he got the nerve Another nigga they say and classify We want too much My peep plus the whole nine is mine Don't think I even double dutch Here's a brother my attitude hit 'em Hang 'em high Blowin' up the 90s started tickin' 86 When the blind get a mind Better start and earn while we sing it Now There will be the day we know those down and who will go