Deep Thoughts: Top Ten Songs- Number five

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Top Ten Songs- Number five

Sublime is my favorite band. Greatest Hits is my favorite Sublime song. It is the end of April 2007, Bradley Nowell died 11 years ago this May. There are very few days where I don't find myself listening to one of Nowell's tunes. From me, that is a lasting tribute to his genius. The YouTube link below is of a live performance of Greatest hits. I like the studio version better, but you will get a feel for why this song is so good from the video.

This man, makin money,
How I know.
It wont be no man of me.
In my bed I watch t.v.
Im drunk by noon,
But that's o.k.
Ill be president someday.
Light my cigarette and
I think that bert susanka made me drink.
Load the box and then pump that shit.
Got my greatest hits.
Got my greatest hits.

Why?

I did not pay attention to Sublime when they were doing the local club scene. I was too busy working and being a dad to spend much time on live music when they were coming up.

When the album Sublime was released, I remember seeing the now iconic Sublime tattoo on the cover of the CD. I thought to myself - I'm not going to buy into that gang crap. My wife bought the CD instead.

She used it as her rollerblading music. She started singing Santeria around the house, I tried to ignore it. But something was starting to catch my attention. The lyrics rocked.

I dont practice santeria
I aint got no crystal ball.
I had a million dollars but id,
Id spend it all.
If I could find that heina and that sancho that shes found,
Well Id pop a cap in sancho and Id slap her down.

Driving home from work on afternoon, KROQ played What I got. I pulled over to listen to the song play out. The attitude of the song spoke to me. I was hooked. I took my wife's CD - she never got it back.

I was surprised to find that 40 oz to Freedom was a better album than Sublime. I eventually took both CDs with me when I moved to France for year without my family. I lived alone in Paris for a year, worked my ass off, smoked a bunch of... Cuban cigars, and listened to Sublime. They were my band then, they are my band now.