Songfacts®:

• 4 Non Blondes are best known for their hit "What's Up," but this was their first single ("What's Up" was the second). Both songs were written by Linda Perry, who later became a top songwriter for other artists; her hits include "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera and "Get The Party Started" by Pink. In 2006, Pink released her own "Dear Mr. President," but it's a totally different song and Perry didn't write it.
• 4 Non Blondes bass player Christa Hillhouse told Songfacts: "George Sr. was president at the time, and we were having a hard time getting airplay in certain places. In Texas, they wouldn't play it because they looked at it as an assault on the Bush administration. It's kind of funny because it wasn't about the president in office, it was about the hierarchy of power and government. It wasn't specifically pointed at him. I remember being really surprised when it happened. It's a song about looking around and seeing problems and feeling like there's someone in charge who is responsible."