Fight The Power (Song)

"Fight the Power" is a song by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released as a single in the summer of 1989 on Motown Records. It was conceived at the request of film director Spike Lee, who sought a musical theme for his 1989 film *Do the Right Thing*. First issued on the film's 1989 soundtrack, a different version was featured on Public Enemy's 1990 studio album *Fear of a Black Planet*.

"Fight the Power" incorporates various samples and allusions to African-American culture, including civil rights exhortations, black church services, and the music of James Brown.

As a single, "Fight the Power" reached number one on Hot Rap Singles and number 20 on the Hot R&B Singles. It was named the best single of 1989 by *The Village Voice* in their Pazz & Jop critics' poll. It has become Public Enemy's best-known song and has received accolades as one of the greatest songs of all time by critics and publications. In 2001, the song was ranked number 288 in the "Songs of the Century" list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2021, the song was ranked number two in *Rolling Stone*'s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

## Lyrics

* Yet our best trained, best educated, best equipped
* Best prepared troops refuse to fight
* As a matter of fact, it's safe to say that they would rather switch
* Than fight
* 1989 the number another summer (get down)
* Sound of the funky drummer
* Music hitting your heart 'cause I know you got soul
* (Brothers and sisters, hey)
* Listen if you're missing y'all
* Swinging while I'm singing
* Giving whatcha getting
* Knowing what I know
* While the Black bands sweating
* And the rhythm rhymes rolling
* Got to give us what we want
* Gotta give us what we need
* Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
* We got to fight the powers that be
* Lemme hear you say
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* We've got to fight the powers that be
* As the rhythm designed to bounce
* What counts is that the rhymes
* Designed to fill your mind
* Now that you've realized the pride's arrived
* We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
* From the heart
* It's a start, a work of art
* To revolutionize make a change nothing's strange
* People, people we are the same
* No we're not the same
* 'Cause we don't know the game
* What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
* You say what is this?
* My beloved lets get down to business
* Mental self defensive fitness
* Don't rush the show
* You gotta go for what you know
* Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
* Lemme hear you say
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* We've got to fight the powers that be
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* We've got to fight the powers that be
* Elvis was a hero to most
* Elvis was a hero to most
* Elvis was a hero to most
* But he never meant s- to me you see
* Straight up racist that sucker was
* Simple and plain
* Mother f- him and John Wayne
* 'Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
* I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
* Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
* Sample a look back you look and find
* Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
* Don't worry be happy
* Was a number one jam
* Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
* (Get it) lets get this party started right
* Right on, c'mon
* What we got to say?
* Power to the people no delay
* Make everybody see
* In order to fight the powers that be
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* Fight the power
* We've got to fight the powers that be
* What we got to say?
* Fight the power
* What we got to say?
* Fight the power
* What we got to say?
* Fight the power
* What we got to say?
* Fight the power
* Yo, check this out man
* Ok talk to me 'bout the future of
* Public Enemy
* Future of Public Enemy gotta