Description
The name of the song is an homage to “Fight the Power” by The Isley brothers and borrows the original song’s refrain (We’ve got to fight the powers that be).
Chuck D said the inspiration for the song came to him as he was flying over Italy during Public Enemy’s Run’s House tour:
I wanted to have sorta like the same theme as the original “Fight the Power” by the Isley Brothers and fill it in with some kind of modernist views of what our surroundings were at that particular time.
Meta Lyrics
Elvis was a hero to most, but he—
Elvis was a hero to most—
Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant shit to me
You see, straight-out racist, that sucker was simple and plain
Motherfuck him and John Wayne
“Don't Worry Be Happy” was a number-one jam
Damn, if I say it, you can slap me right here
Get it, let's get this party started right
