Birthday from p 15 ranch hands, or duets about life on the open road, to really dive into Arizona at its multifaceted core. In fact, it takes songs that have nothing to with Arizona in the first place. Because the truth of Arizona is that it’s both everything it’s played out to be in those songs and also so much more en- tirely. By building up a rich library of songs, we can use the power of music to both un- derstand and celebrate the diversity and uncertainty that is Arizona. So, we’re add- ing to that playlist with 14 songs in honor of our state’s birthday that have zero to do with Arizona. These songs offer up just as many truths of our chosen home, and what it’s really like to truly live here. By pure ac- cident, or maybe by cosmic machinations, these artists have presented insights about the people, the culture, and the vibes of Arizona. Because that’s something worth celebrating about Arizona: More than end- less sunshine and desert vistas, we’re defined by how we feel and the world those sentiments help forge around us. Now, grab your mini-state flag and get ready to celebrate. Arizona, we love you (mostly). Kanye West, “Monster” Say what you will about the Ye/Kanye West of 2022, but the Yeezus of 2010 could do little harm (mostly). “Monster” was the centerpiece of his undisputed masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a pure statement as West led a veritable squadron of A-listers: Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and — we kid you not — Bon Iver. It’s a track that most certainly shouldn’t have worked, and yet it managed to balance all those dynamic energies and personalities. Phoenix feels like a similarly impressive balancing act of young and old, liberal and conservative, hedonistic and family friendly. This is a city that works not in spite of everything that’s going on within its borders, but because people seem to find a way to get along. He has that perfect line toward the end of his main verse, where he proclaims, “I’m livin’ in the future, so the present is my past.” And that sort of sums it up for Arizona: you make it all work, all the competing energies and ideas, by ignoring the past and future and just making it happen in real-time. Garbage, “Only Happy When It Rains” The Valley isn’t exactly known for its rain- fall. (Even if 2021 set the record for the sec- ond most rain days, per KTAR, that only translates to 23 days total.) But Garbage’s classic 1995 single isn’t necessarily about rain itself, but celebrating one’s circum- stances. It’s a ballad for finding some level of joy or even acceptance for your lot in life, even if that means perpetually wearing ga- loshes. Life in Arizona is very much the same way: we find some semblance of peace and normalcy in routinely contend- ing with 120-degree temperatures. Shirley Manson says it best when she croons, “My only comfort is the night gone black / I didn’t accidentally tell you that.” Which is to say, you mostly have to own up to your decisions in life, even if that means living somewhere extremely hot and dry and with scorpions galore. We’re a stubborn lot out here, for sure, but we’ve also collec- tively found a way to make a life shine in the worst of conditions. There’s a certain element of pride to that lifestyle, even if we’re always walking around slightly sweaty. Johnny Cash, “Ring of Fire” Okay, calling Arizona a “ring of fire” does seem more apt than anything to do with rainfall. And so, much like the Garbage se- lection, this Johnny Cash classic is simi- larly about being unafraid to embrace one’s circumstances. But more than that idea, it’s also about this notion that not only can suf- fering lead to happiness but that the act it- self can also be enjoyable. Living two inches from the sun isn’t just about carving out your own way of life, but the fact you’d do so in the first place is somehow commend- able (if unwise), and also the sign of greater heart and fortitude. There’s that classic line, “I fell for you like a child / Oh, but the fire went wild,” which you could assume is about a young romance gone astray. But it’s just as much about realizing when things went off the track — like living on the face of Venus — and accepting that with re- newed heart and vigor. The song’s ulti- mately an ode to embracing diversity as a way of life, and that speaks volumes of our Johnny Cash. Public Domain state’s general ethos. If you don’t like it, there’s always Texas. Less Than Jake, “Last One Out of Liberty City” This entire feature is mostly in praise of Arizona, which makes this ’90s ska jam a seemingly odd choice. But if you live in Arizona long enough, you may grapple with the heat and the weird politics and at one point decide you too would like to leave the state in a blazing inferno. Not ev- eryone goes through in slamming the eject button, however, and those that stay may find a newfound appreciation. (Or, if you do leave, you’ll likely feel the state’s rather hefty pull.) That’s a mostly novel phenom- enon, and Arizona is all the more >> p 18 17 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES FEB 10TH– FEB 16TH, 2022
