Public Enema Number One' is another politically motivated song, which seems to be pointing out the "enema" that the public is getting from the current state of the world. For those who are not familiar with medical terms, an enema is, according to the dictionary, "the injection of liquid into the rectum through the anus for cleansing, for stimulating evacuation of the bowels, or for other therapeutic or diagnostic purposes." Basically and crudely speaking, it's about "getting it up the arse". Even though it's political, it is a stronger song than 'Holy Smoke', with great but too short guitar solos. It's one of the better songs on the album.

It's actually about... green hypocrites. It's about a big guy with his fast car, and he's leaving the city in a cloud of smoke leaving the children crying in fear. He's got a one-way ticket out of here. Fine, see ya. Because he can afford it, he's left everyone else behind and in the cities there is over crowding, guns and riots and it seems like everything is gonna snap. The politicians just lie to save their own skins, gamble that they are gonna do the right thing, and they give the press scapegoats all the time. The whole thing is based on a cross between New York and LA and I just hope the kids of today have more brains than the frazzled remains of the Sixties and the Seventies generations... California dreaming as the earth dies screaming! That's what it's about, people talking about the environment and not doing anything.

Bruce Dickinson