This song uses an extended metaphor of the states Arizona, California, and New Mexico to describe a love triangle between a woman who leaves her partner for another man. At the end of the song, another metaphor is used to describe the love triangle’s resolution, this time using a game of Rock, Paper...
[Verse 1]
Arizona curled up with California
Then she tried to hide the whole thing from New Mexico
Who knew before he saw them making out in Yuma
That she had been loving someone new
But California, not California, how could you?
[Verse 2]
The bully loved her cactus
The underdog her pine
But she would only love one at a time
New Mexico had always hated California
And though he knew that Arizona wore the pants
He got loaded and he started throwing punches
The poor Injun never had a chance
[Verse 3]
Scissors cut paper
Paper covers rock
Rock crushes scissors
Scissors falls apart
Arizona was written by David Bazan.
Pedro The Lion released Arizona on Tue May 25 2004.