April 29, 1992 (Miami)

Album: Sublime (1996)
Play Video
  • (I don't know if you can, but can you get an order for Ons, that's O-N-S
    Junior Market, the address is 1934 East Anaheim, all the windows are busted out
    And it's like a free-for-all in here
    And, uh, the owner should at least come down here, see if he can secure his business, if he wants to)

    April 26th, 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?
    Hey

    (Call fire and tell them to respond at a Mobil station
    Alamitos and Anaheim
    It's, uh, flamin' up good
    10-4, Alamitos and Anaheim)

    Homicide, never doin' no time

    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 much more comfortable
    'Cause everybody in the hood has had it up to here
    It's getting hotter and hottrt and harder each and every year
    Some kids went in a store with their mother
    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, and not for the white man
    But if you look at the streets, it wasn't about Rodney King
    And this fucked up situation and these fucked up police
    It's about comin' up and stayin' on top
    And screamin' 1-8-7 on a motherfuckin' cop
    It's not in the paper, it's on the wall
    National Guard
    Smoke from all around

    (Units, units be advised there is an attempt 211 to arrest now at 938 Temple
    938 temple, 30 subjects with bags, trying to get inside the CB's house
    He thinks they're gonna, they're trying to kill him)

    (As long as I'm alive, I'ma live illegal)

    Let it burn, wanna let it burn
    Wanna let it burn, wanna, wanna let it burn

    (I'm feelin' sad and)

    Riots on the streets of Miami
    Whoa, riots on the streets of Chicago
    On the streets of Long Beach
    Mmm, and San Francisco (Boise, Idaho)
    Riots on the streets of Kansas City (Salt Lake, Huntington Beach, CA)
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Arcada, Clarkston, Michigan)
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Fountain Valley (Texas, Barstow)
    Bear Mountain, Victorville
    Eugene, Oregon, Eureka, California (let it burn, let it burn)
    Hesperia (oh, ya let it burn, won't'cha won't'cha let it burn)
    Santa Barbara, Cuyamca, Nevada (let it burn)
    Phoenix, Arizona
    San Diego, Lakeland, Florida (let it burn)
    Fuckin', Twentynine Palms (won't'cha let it burn)

    (Any units assist, try 54 Willow at Canton Ave
    Structure fire, and numerous subjects looting
    10-15 to get ride of this looter
    10-4) Writer/s: Bradley Nowell, Marshall Goodman, Michael Happoldt
    Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 35

  • Carrieinthecity from Louisville, KySad put pretty sure he was high on Heroin and just couldn’t remember the lyrics to the song you can hear how f--king Incoherent he is. Amazing band amazing lyricist want to Gwen Stefani’s Homies. One of my favorite bands of all time. They have a new lead singer and I love the music but I wish that he was still around to create such amazing work.
  • Mrglock22 from The NoApril 26 is a nod in the fact that April 29 cities were turned upside down.
  • Nicky C from Long Beach, CaLuda - Granite Falls, Wa
    Is right. There was no riots before April 29th. The song is incorrect.
  • Nicky C from Long Beach, CaLyn - Nc
    Try again. 1992 was a leap year. Lol. 120th day off the year.
  • Coral from Portland, OrI just created a songfacts account so I can tell you: bananarama. Put that in your vape pen and vape it.
  • Lyn from NcApril 29 is 119th day of the year.... backwards is 911
  • Jon from CoI've read most of the comments and I think everyone is missing the point. Whether there were there for the riots or if the date was the 26 or the 29th is irrelevant. They captured the tone of the people who were rioting.
  • Joe from Somewhere, CtBradley saying "Give me my share", from the Second Hand Smoke version, can be heard faintly in the beginning right before the main vocals start.
  • Luda from Granite Falls, WaThe title refers to the date it was written and possibly their location at the time. Everything else in the song refers to the riots in Long Beach on April 26th, 1992. Ons Junior Market was located at 1934 E Aneheim St, Long Beach, CA. It also mentions or Alamitos Ave, Temple Ave, Long Beach, CA. All Cross Streets of Anaheim Ave. Willow St. is also mentioned, also in Long Beach. there's a bunch more but if this helps in the pursuit of the truth then my job is done. more later
  • V from Los Angeles, CaPeople, you need to check your facts. Lafire.com is a great site for reference. It has a timeline of the actual events which ***STARTED*** APRIL 29, 1992 NOT BEFORE. There were NO riots in LA County (Long Beach included!)related to this incident before the verdict was dropped on APRIL 29, 1992 where 4 LA county police officers were acquitted for the beating of Rodney King.
    Yes, 187 is the CA. penal code for Homicide and correct Peace Frog does not mention Miami. Geez. . . .
  • Marcella from Lawrence, KsOkay what is the list of cities i thought that the riots only occured in L.A.
  • Mic from Tualatin, Orthe irony of this song is that sublime grew up in the affected area, gigged and partied in the area but were out of town when the s--t hit the fan. they were watching coverage on paul leary's tv and just kicking themselves. that is where the first person narrative of a looter comes from, their wish list of items they would snag if they were there. kinda funny
  • Veronica from Danville, CaThis is a great song! i love sublime. Is it true that Bradley Nowell was part of the riot?
  • Stevi from Keller, TxIt says:

    "let it burn
    wanna let it burn
    wanna let it burn
    wanna wanna let it burn."

    then later in the song it says:

    "wont you let it burn
    let it burn
    let it burn
    wont you let it burn
    wont you wont you let it burn
    let it burn
    wont you let it burn
    let it burn."


    so who ever was arguing with who ever saying it doesn't say blah blah blah... your wrong :)
    p.s. stevi is a girl name!
  • Jason from Long Beach, CaIt's not LAPD transmissions, it's LBPD (Long Beach Police Department) radio transmissions, Temple, Wardlow, Alimitos & Anaheim are all streets in Long Beach. ALSO There are 2 versions of this song, The Leary version and the final one. April 26th 1992 and April 29th 1992. & 187 is a code for Homicide (murder)
  • Nick from Gardena, CaI like this song a lot and can care less if the date is wrong. I can play on my guitar. it is a very good song and going to be doing a current events project on April 29, 1992
  • Jeevy from I.e., CaDon't change the lyrics...there are actually two versions of this song; One that says April 26th and one that says April 29th...I know for a fact beacuse my best friend has the 29th version and I have the 26th version.
  • Cory from Rochester, Nysweet song i listen to it all the time
  • Mike from London, EnglandIm pretty sure the list of places at the end wasnt a list of where riots took place, but was the places sublime visited whilst on tour that year.
  • El Pacco from Chicago, Ilim pretty sure he says 'wanna let it burn' not 'won't you let it burn'
  • Sean from Nyc, NyCan we change the lyrics so that they're right?
    Bradley definitely says "April 26th, 1992" in the first line.
  • Izzie from Lala, Hifunny song, i love it.
  • Juice from La, Ca187 was a police code for murder.. take it from someone who listens to Eazy E.. which Sublime refers to, (not in this song but also KRS1)...
  • Tim from Fort Collins, Co187 is the California penal code for murder
  • Andrew G from Pelham, NyThe date Brad sings in the song is an accident. Yes, there were riots in Long Beach before the 29, but the song is about the ones that took place in LA, which started on the 29. Besides, the Verdict in the Rodney King case was made the 29th anyway.
  • Andrew from Toms River, Njit is not the LAPD, Anaheim police, or Alamitos police. it is the long beach local police department. Ons Junior market was the local market in longbeach. it was recorded as one of the first buildings attack by the rioters

    - andrew toms river, NJ
  • Ben from Encinitas, CaI agree with Cameron from Hayward. It's about police brutality.
  • Cameron from Hayward, CaScreaming 187 on a (mother fu--ing) cop isn't really killing a cop, its calling a cop a murderer. This isn't directly related to the King incident, but is just about the riots being incited by that incident, but more generally about police brutality and unfairness.
  • Brad from Long Beach, CaThis song is refering to the streets Anaheim & Alamitos IN LONG BEACH...NOT the city of Anaheim and it's also NOT the LAPD or Anaheim police radio that you hear...It's the Long Beach police!!!
  • Mike from Anaheim, Cahey, this kick as song says my city in it, when it goes to the ANAHEIM radio communications, not LAPD!
  • Ben from Encinitas, CaMiami isn't on Peace Frog by The Doors, just Chicago (for the 1968 Democratic Convention) and New Haven (Jim Morrison was arrested on stage there in 1967). There are also lyrics about blood staining the roofs and palm trees of Venice, and the "bloody red sun of fantastic L.A."
  • Jarrett from Lincoln, Ne187 is the police code for murder...so 187 on a cop means killing an officer...hope this helps
  • Corey from Vancouver, CanadaWhat does it mean to scream
    "187 on a mother f---in cop"?
  • Taylor from West Palm Beach, Flthe dates in the song refer to the date brad wrote the song which was also the date the riots in long beach really started but the title is when the riots started in L.A.
  • Jeff from Ontario, Cathe date on the song is not incorrect, but is refearing to when the real riots began in long beach, where bradley and friends live
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