[1] The song title refers to the date of the beginning of the 1992 Los Angeles riots,[2] of which news spread throughout the United States following the acquittal of four police officers accused in the videotaped beating of Rodney King.
The acts of crime including arson, robbery, and vandalism referenced in the lyrics were purportedly committed by Bradley Nowell and other Sublime band members during the 1992 LA riots.
The lyrics also offer a justification for the band's participation in the unrest: 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 street, it wasn't about Rodney King It's this fucked-up situation and these fucked-up police It's about coming up and staying on top And screaming 1-8-7 on a motherfuckin' cop It's not in the paper, it's on the wall National Guard
Smoke from all around[4]After lead singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell's death, the two surviving members of the band released every mix and alternate version that the band had recorded.
Along with those recordings, an alternate version of "Miami" was released on their 1997 compilation album Second-hand Smoke titled "April 29, 1992 (Leary)".