Time again for the song of the week from my iPod.

SublimeSublime was an American reggae ska punk band from Long Beach, California. The members of the group were Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums and percussion) and Eric Wilson (bass guitar). The group lasted from its founding 1988 until 1996 with the death of Nowell from a heroin overdose.

The group had released two albums with success in California but it wasn’t until they appeared on the Warped Tour that they reached a larger audience. The group’s behavior on the tour however, including arrests for marijuana possession and the constant presence of their dogs who were noted for biting fans got them thrown off. Demand for the group from the fans convinced tour management to bring them back and increased pressure from their record company for a new album. After the album was complete but two months before the release in 1996, Nowell died from a heroin overdose in a motel in San Francisco. The group achieved mainstream success with their self-titled third and last album. Worldwide, Sublime has sold over 17 million albums, including about 10 million in the U.S. alone.

“Santeria” is one of the most popular songs by the group. The song has that “white guy trying to be tough” ska/punk lyrics that are common in this music form. But the song has a great bass line and guitar riff.

Santeria
I don’t practice santeria
I ain’t got no crystal ball.
I had a million dollars but I’d,
I’d spend it all.
If I could find that heina and that sancho that she’s found,
Well I’d pop a cap in sancho and I’d slap her down.

What I really wanna know,
My baby, what I really want to say I can’t define.
Well it’s love,
That I need, oh ,
But my soul will have to,
Wait till I get back and find heina of my own.
Daddy’s gonna love one and all.

I feel the break,
Feel the break,
Feel the break and I got to live it up,
Oh, yea huh, well I swear that I
What I really wanna know, baby,
What I really want to say, I can’t define.
That love make it go,
My soul will have to…

What I really wanna say,
My baby,
What I really wanna say is I’ve got mine.
And I’ll make it, yes, I’m comin up.

Tell sanchito that if he knows what is good for him
He best go run and hide.
Daddy’s got a new .45.
And I won’t think twice to stick that barrel
Straight down Sancho’s throat.
Believe me when I say that I got something for his punk ass.
What I really wanna know, my baby,
What I really wanna say is there’s just one,
Way back,
And I’ll make it, yeah,
But my soul will have to wait.
Yeah, yeah, yeah

The video for the song was made after Nowell’s death. He appears in the video as a spirit using stock footage.