New York City Cops

When one encounters New York City Cops, it's inevitable to notice the raw energy it exudes. The song, written by Julian Casablancas, was born as a reaction to a specific event: the murder of Amadou Diallo in 1999 at the hands of four police officers. This backstory gives a layer of intensity and a particular point of view to the lyrics, with that direct chorus that says "New York City cops, they ain’t too smart". Originally, this piece was released as a double A-side along with Hard to Explain on June 25, 2001, in markets like Australia and Europe.

The story of New York City Cops took an unexpected turn. It was destined to be part of the international editions of The Strokes' debut album, Is This It, recorded between March and April 2001 at New York City's Transporterraum studio under the production of Gordon Raphael. However, after the events of September 11, 2001, the band decided to withdraw the song from the US edition of the album. The reason was the sensitivity of the moment and the respect they felt for the work of the city's police department during the tragedy. In its place, When It Started was included. Despite this, the band continued to play it live, and in a performance in Toronto in October 2001, Casablancas expressed his frustration and his vision of the situation in New York. Even in 2020, the song appeared at a political rally in Durham, New Hampshire, where the band played it after certain tensions arose during the event.