"By the Time I Get to Arizona" is a song by American hip hop group Public Enemy from their 1991 album Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black. The song was written by frontman Chuck D in protest of the state of Arizona, where governor Evan Mecham had canceled Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the people voted against its reintroduction. It was released as a B-side to the single "Shut 'Em Down" in January 1992, but had its own music video. The video was controversial for its depiction of black paramilitaries assassinating Arizona politicians in revenge for King, who was non-violent. Some black activists and King's widow Coretta Scott King condemned the themes of the video. Chuck D and Public Enemy's spokesman Harry Allen defended the video as a fictional revenge for King's assassination. Background and composition Public Enemy frontman Chuck D wrote the song in protest at the state of Arizona, where Governor Evan Mecham had canceled Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the people of the state voted against a proposition to reintroduce it. Backlash to this decision included the NFL moving Super Bowl XXVII to California, losing around $100 million in revenue for Arizona. Chuck D preferred to come up with titles before writing songs, and devised "By the Time I Get to Arizona" due to his appreciation for Isaac Hayes's cover of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix". Gary G-Wiz produced the track, with the main riff sampled from funk band Mandrill's "Two Sisters of Mystery" (1973), and a 45-second bridge from the Jackson 5's "Walk On" (1971). According to Evan Serpick of Spin magazine, the organs in the latter sample "evoke civil rights protesters calling from the grave". The rap was originally recorded over the beat that was used for "Shut 'Em Down". In the lyrics of the song, Chuck D says "neither party is mine, not the jackass or the elephant", indicating that he and the black community will not challenge Arizona by voting for the Democratic or Republican parties represented by those mascots. During live performances of the song, the group would hang a Klansman effigy. They performed the song as their only song when opening for U2 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona in 1992. Their early exit from the stage was supported by U2 singer Bono. Video Though not released as a single, "By the Time I Get to