April 29th, 1992
There was a riot on the streets
Tell me where were you?
You were sittin' home watchin' your TV
While I was participating in some anarchy

First spot we hit it was my liquor store
I finally got all that alcohol I can't afford
With red lights flashin' time to retire
And then we turned that liquor store into a structure fire

Next stop we hit it was the music shop
It only took one brick to make that window drop
Finally we got our own P.A.
Where do you think I got this guitar that you're hearing today?

Because as long as I'm alive, I'ma live illegal

When we returned to the pad to unload everything
It dawned on me that I need new home furnishings
So once again we filled the van until it was full
Since that day my livin' room's been more comfortable
'Cause everybody in the hood has had it up to here
It's getting harder and harder and harder each and every year
I go in the store where their mother and kids
And I saw her when she came out she was gettin' some pampers
They said it was for the black man
They said it was for the mexican, but not for the white man
But if you look at the streets, it wasn't about Rodney King
It's bout this fucked up situation and these fucked up police
It's about coming up and staying on top
And screamin' 187 on a mother fuckin' cop
It's ain't in the paper, it's on the wall
So national guard, smoke from all around!

Homicide, never doing no time

Give me my share, my share
Gimme my share, I want it
Gimme my share, I need it now, I need it now
My share, a wicked one who doesn't wanna see me go
Just gimme my share, I want it, gimme my share
But you don't want to give it to me
You don't wanna see me go
Gimme my share, I want it, gimme my share
But there is a wicked one


Lyrics submitted by The Big Andowski

April 29, 1992 (Leary) Lyrics as written by Bradley Nowell Marshall Goodman

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

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April 29, 1992 song meanings
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146 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    that pampers reference emphasizes that the looting was a result of social disparity. there are so many people out there who can't afford the daily things we take for granted.

    TrAncEsSzon May 10, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i think he meant when he said it wasn't about rodney king was that the riots didn't happen for rodney king but it just happened to be the last straw for the people and they totally broke out in riot.. oh ya and the stealing too

    Stonemanon July 26, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    the Pampers reference emphasizes social disparity, which was the true cause of the riots (not racial conflict). there are so many people out there who can't afford things we take for granted. supposedly America is about equality and freedom, but the system has so many injustices that it seems purposely designed to keep certain people down

    TrAncEsSzon May 10, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    it's about being tired of all the bullshit that society is and he's saying rodney king is justifying the riots but they need no justification

    fatkid1041on June 15, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    the riots and everything occured the 29th and the song is called 29 but brad made a mistake singing on that cut but they loved his voice on that cut so much they decided to keep it

    D.A. Freeon June 03, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Bradley is saying that the riots, even though sparked by the rodney king incident, wasn't its main reason.

    "They said it was for the black man, said it was for the mexicans, but not for the white man" - He is referring to the media, who reported as a race riot. But his say if you were actually there, you realised that it was much bigger than that. Rodney king was just the straw that broke the camerals back. It was about all races coming together after having enough with society.

    "But if you look on the streets, it weren't about rodney king"

    Mystergeneralon June 19, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    at the beginning it says "April 26th, 1992" not April 29th

    Sizzleon May 30, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Haha awesome! On Google Maps enter 1934 East Anaheim St, Long Beach, CA. Brings up a picture of the liquor store that got looted in the song.

    MZ420on March 19, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    10 years later and it still wasn't about Rodney King.

    davidj0228on April 27, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    UMMMMM ...... how old are you uncgirl and r u from the US? If u were serious about not knowing who Rodney King is here is a brief explanation. Rodney King was a black man that was ver very badly beaten by a group of racist white cops. The whole thing was caught on tape by an amature cameraman. Even with the tape as evidence all the cops were found not guilty by a very racist jury.

    therymzon April 28, 2002   Link

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