Sublime released three studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums (one of which also contains never-before released material), three EPs, and one box set. Although their first two albums—40oz. to Freedom (1992) and Robbin' the Hood (1994)—were quite popular in the United States, Sublime did not experience major commercial success until 1996 with their self-titled third album, released two months after Nowell's death, which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the single "What I Got", which remains the band's only No. 1 hit single (on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart) in their musical career. As of 2009, the band has sold over 17 million albums worldwide, including about ten million in the U.S. alone. Michael "Miguel" Happoldt and Marshall "Ras MG" Goodman contributed to several Sublime songs.
Following Sublime's dissolution, former members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh founded the Long Beach Dub Allstars in 1997, which also included many frequent Sublime contributors such as Michael "Miguel" Happoldt (former member of The Ziggens), Marshall Goodman "Ras MG" (former Sublime member), and Todd Forman (3rd Alley). LBDAS disbanded in 2002, due to several members of the band breaking a no-drug vow they had taken. In 2009, the surviving members attempted to reform the band with Rome Ramirez, a young guitarist and admitted Sublime fan from California. However, not long after performing at Cypress Hill's Smokeout Festival, a Los Angeles judge banned the new lineup from using the Sublime name as they needed permission from Nowell's estate, which owns the rights to the Sublime name. This prompted the lineup of Wilson, Gaugh and Ramirez to change their name to Sublime with Rome, which has since released three albums, although Gaugh left the group shortly after the release of their 2011 debut Yours Truly.
With the mainstream success of their self-titled album, going five times platinum and earning worldwide airplay, Sublime's influence persists to this day. Sublime was one of the most popular bands of the third wave of ska, specifically characterized as ska punk. Sublime often combined punk rock and hardcore punk with hip hop, heavy metal, dancehall, reggae, ska, funk, and (21st century) surf music. Sublime also has been described as 'reggae rock'.
Their signature sound and their songs are often associated with the beach and coastal areas of Southern California, such as San Diego, Orange County, Venice Beach and Long Beach as well as areas of Northern California like Eureka. Over two decades after Nowell's death and the band's breakup, Sublime remains immensely popular throughout North America, especially in its state of origin, California.
Sublime's songs have been featured via soundtrack in a variety of media. Los Angeles alternative rock radio station KROQ has listed Sublime at No. 3 in their annual "Top 106.7 biggest KROQ bands of all time" list for the past six years in a row, behind Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana, and No. 81 at the "Top 166 Artists of 1980–2008" list.
With over 17 million units sold worldwide, Sublime is one of the most successful, and "powerfully moving" ska-punk acts of all time influencing many modern reggae and ska acts.
04-Garden Grove
Sublime Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It smelled like Lou-dog inside the van, oh yeah
This ain't no funky reggae party, $5 at the door
It gets so real sometimes, who wrote my rhyme
I've got the microwave, got the VCR
I got the deuce-deuce in the trunk of my car, oh yeah
If you only knew all the love that I found
You're a fool, don't fuck around with my dog
All that I can see I steal, I fill up my garage
'Cause in my mind
Music from Jamaica, all the love that I found
Pull over there's a reason why my soul's unsound
It's you
It's that shit stuck under my shoe
It's that smell inside the van
It's my bed sheet covered with sand
Sitting through a shitty band
Getting dog shit on my hands
Getting hassled by the man
Waking up to an alarm
Sticking needles in your arm
Picking up trash on a freeway
Feeling depressed everyday
Leaving without making a sound
Picking my dog up at the pound
Living in a tweaker pad
Getting yelled at by my dad
Saying I'm happy when I'm not
Finding roaches in the pot
All these things I do
They're waiting for you
In "Garden Grove," Sublime takes listeners on a trip and shares with them the ups and downs of life. The first verse talks about taking a trip to Garden Grove with a friend and it smelling like Lou-dog (a strain of marijuana) inside the van. They realize it's not going to be a typical reggae party, and they might have to pay for entry. The singer then questions who really wrote their lyrics as he looks around at his surroundings. He mentions having a microwave, VCR, and a deuce-deuce (a 22 caliber gun) in the trunk of his car.
The chorus speaks to the struggles that the singer faces in life. He mentions how it's hard to keep his soul on the ground because of all the love that he has found. He warns people not to mess with his dog and admits that he steals things to fill up his garage. He mentions the music from Jamaica that inspired him, but then the song takes a darker turn. The singer blames the "shit stuck under his shoe," the "smell inside the van," and everything else wrong in his life on one thing - "it's you."
The second verse goes into more detail about the struggles that the singer faces in his life. He talks about waking up to an alarm, sticking needles in his arm, picking up trash on the freeway, and feeling depressed every day. He mentions getting yelled at by his dad and getting hassled by the police. Despite all of this, he still does all these things because he is waiting for someone.
Line by Line Meaning
We took this trip to Garden Grove
We embarked on a journey to Garden Grove
It smelled like Lou-dog inside the van, oh yeah
The van had a strong scent of marijuana, specifically "Lou-dog"
This ain't no funky reggae party, $5 at the door
The gathering did not have the expected atmosphere of a reggae party, and there was an admission fee of $5
It gets so real sometimes, who wrote my rhyme
Reality can be overwhelming at times, causing the artist to question their own creativity
I've got the microwave, got the VCR
The artist possessed both a microwave and a VCR
I got the deuce-deuce in the trunk of my car, oh yeah
There was a .22 caliber firearm in the singer's car trunk
If you only knew all the love that I found
If only you could understand how much love the singer has discovered
It's hard to keep my soul on the ground
It is difficult for the artist to stay grounded and not caught up in euphoria
You're a fool, don't fuck around with my dog
Don't act foolish and cause trouble for the artist's dog
All that I can see I steal, I fill up my garage
The artist acquires anything they can see and stores it in their garage through stealing
Music from Jamaica, all the love that I found
Jamaican music was playing, bringing to mind the love the singer had previously mentioned
Pull over there's a reason why my soul's unsound
Stop the car, as there is a cause for the artist's troubled soul
It's you
The cause of the singer's soul being disturbed is the listener
It's that shit stuck under my shoe
The source of discomfort for the singer is something unpleasant stuck under their shoe
It's that smell inside the van
The odor from the marijuana is the cause of the smell inside the van mentioned earlier
It's my bed sheet covered with sand
The artist's bed sheet had gotten covered in sand
Sitting through a shitty band
The artist had to endure a terrible band performance
Getting dog shit on my hands
The singer accidentally got dog feces on their hands
Getting hassled by the man
The singer is being harassed by authorities or oppressors
Waking up to an alarm
The artist wakes up to a loud alarm
Sticking needles in your arm
The act of injecting drugs via needles into the artist's arm is taking place
Picking up trash on a freeway
The artist is cleaning litter off the freeway road
Feeling depressed everyday
The singer experiences constant depression
Leaving without making a sound
The artist is exiting silently without anyone noticing
Picking my dog up at the pound
The singer has to retrieve their dog that ended up at the dog pound
Living in a tweaker pad
The singer resides in a residence that is regularly used by drug addicts, also known as tweakers
Getting yelled at by my dad
The singer is receiving verbal abuse from their father
Saying I'm happy when I'm not
The artist pretends to be happy despite feeling otherwise
Finding roaches in the pot
The artist discovered cockroaches in their marijuana
All these things I do
All the events described earlier are what the singer is currently going through
They're waiting for you
The listener is being urged to pay attention to and understand the singer's experiences
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRADLEY JAMES NOWELL, ERIC JOHN WILSON, FLOYD I. GAUGH IV
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@whateversclever909
Fuck yeah, I live in Garden Grove, and go to school next to where Bradley was buried. Gonna go leave him a 40 on his birthday for everything he's done for us all.
@jimmypittsburgh2914
I live next to Mac Miller. Stay leaving a blunt roach on his blacked out gravestone.
@joesickler5888
If I ever get to ct I’m gonna shit on gg’s grave.
@DONKEYKONG260
@@joesickler5888he wouldn't want it any other way. GG for life.
@BlueMountainBandit
Once a year for 12 years haha
@jenniferrosine5537
I was tripping one night on some beast shrooms, listened to this song. Up until this point I had been on a very dark road. Opiates daily. But this song, coupled with my altered state woke me up. Flushed my stash of pills, never looked back. I credit Bradley and the rest of the band, along with the psilocybin for saving my life.
@buddyguy2669
I useda listen to sublime when I was shooting mad dope and running hard, it's nice to listen to them clean now that shit is an epidemic everywhere
@nevrmyndmusic
I ask, have you taken opiates since you wrote this?
Remember, that if you lie, you're only lying to yourself;p
@TheStatuatoryApe
I think Opiates and Sublime go together from personal experience. It makes you think everything is just fiiiiiinne.
@randominternetguy13
Shrooms are really good for battling addiction and PTSD