When performed live, "Scarlet Begonias" would often be paired with "Fire on the Mountain", resulting in what would be nicknamed "Scarlet>Fire".[2] Throughout the 1970s, the Grateful Dead were accompanied by Donna Godchaux during the performance of this song, lending an earthier feel to the vocal work.
When Keith and Donna Godchaux left the Grateful Dead in 1980 they formed the Heart of Gold Band which took its name from a line in "Scarlet Begonias."
Sublime's reworking of the track alters how the story in the lyrics ends and adds a beat sampling "Funky Drummer" by James Brown.
Scarlet Begonias
Sublime Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a chill to the window but a little to the air
From another direction she was calling my eye
It could be an illusion but I might as well try
Might as well try
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes
And I knew without asking she was into the blues
She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls
I knew right away she was not like other girls, like other girls
Well I ain't never been right as I ain't never been wrong
As everything works out the way it does in this song
'Cause once in a while you get shown in the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
It was the summer of love and I thank the stars above
Because the women took a lovin' over me
And just to gain her trust, I bought a microbus
Because I sold off all my personal property
A tie-tie-dyed dress, she was a psychedelic mess
We toured to the north, south, east and west
We sold some mushroom tea,
We sold some ecstasy,
We sold nitrous, opium, acid, heroin and PCP
And now I hear the police coming after me
Yes now I hear the police coming after me
The one scarlet with the flowers in her hair
She's got the police coming after me
Well there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves
All scarlet begonias and a touch of the blues
And there ain't nothin' wrong with the love that's in her eyes
I had to learn the hard way just to let her pass by, let her pass by
Oh just let her pass by
The opening lines of Sublime’s “Scarlet Begonias” transports the listeners to the Rub-a-dub Square where the singer captures the attention of a woman who appears to have mystical energy. The rest of the song interweaves the singer’s world with the woman who is not like other girls for she wears scarlet begonias kept in her hair which indicates a mystic spirit. The song continues with the controversial verse that speaks of the summer of love, where the singer mentions substances that he had sold, including heroin and PCP. The song ends with a bittersweet note of having had to let the woman with the scarlet begonias pass by, even though she had caught his eye.
The overall vibe of “Scarlet Begonias” is a thrilling sense of adventure and the desire to immerse oneself in the world of freedom and exploration. The song encapsulates the theme of the counterculture that existed in the 1960s and early 70s. The reference to the “summer of love” explicitly reflects the hippie movement, on which the song is based. In this way, the song offers a snapshot of the carefree and rebellious spirit of a whole generation.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was walkin' down rub-a-dub square
I was casually walking down a street.
Not a chill to the window but a little to the air
The weather was not too cold but a little chilly.
From another direction she was calling my eye
A woman caught my attention from a different direction.
It could be an illusion but I might as well try
I wasn't sure if she was just a figment of my imagination but I decided to take a chance and approach her.
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes
The woman was adorned with rings and shoes that jingled as she walked.
And I knew without asking she was into the blues
I could tell without even asking that she was a fan of blues music.
She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls
She had flowers called scarlet begonias in her curly hair.
I knew right away she was not like other girls, like other girls
From her appearance, I could tell that she was unique and different from other women.
Well I ain't never been right as I ain't never been wrong
I'm never quite sure if I'm right or wrong in my decisions.
As everything works out the way it does in this song
Things in life have a way of working out, just like how things happen in a song.
'Cause once in a while you get shown in the light
Sometimes life presents you with opportunities that give you a different perspective.
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
You can find enlightenment even in the most unexpected places, with the right mindset.
It was the summer of love and I thank the stars above
The time period was known as the summer of love and I'm grateful for it.
Because the women took a lovin' over me
I had a lot of attention and affection from women during that time period.
And just to gain her trust, I bought a microbus
I made an effort to win her trust by buying a microbus.
Because I sold off all my personal property
I got rid of all my possessions to have the means to buy the microbus.
A tie-tie-dyed dress, she was a psychedelic mess
The woman I was interested in wore a tie-dyed dress and her overall style was psychedelic.
We toured to the north, south, east and west
We traveled across various areas in different directions.
We sold some mushroom tea,
We sold a type of tea made from mushrooms.
We sold some ecstasy,
We sold a drug called ecstasy.
We sold nitrous, opium, acid, heroin and PCP
We sold a variety of illegal drugs, such as nitrous, opium, acid, heroin, and PCP.
And now I hear the police coming after me
I became aware that the police are looking for me and possibly for drug-related offenses.
Yes now I hear the police coming after me
It's confirmed that I'm being pursued by the police.
The one scarlet with the flowers in her hair
The woman I was interested in is the one with the scarlet begonias in her hair.
She's got the police coming after me
Because of my involvement with the woman, the police are directly pursuing me.
Well there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves
The woman has graceful movements that are enjoyable to watch.
All scarlet begonias and a touch of the blues
She has a unique combination of beautiful features and a melancholic personality.
And there ain't nothin' wrong with the love that's in her eyes
There is nothing wrong with the love I see in her eyes.
I had to learn the hard way just to let her pass by, let her pass by
It was difficult for me to learn to let her go and move on from her.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerome J. Garcia, Robert C. Christie Hunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@santolds
Scarlet Begonias Lyrics
[Chorus 1]
As I was walking down rubadub square
Not a chill to the weather but a nip to the air
From another direction she was caught in my eye
It could be an illusion, but I might as well try
Might as well try
[Chorus 2]
She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes
And I knew without asking she was into the blues
She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls
I knew right away, she was not like other girls
(Like other girls)
[Bridge]
Well, I ain't never been right, as I ain't never been wrong
It seldom works out the way it does in this song
(Hey)
'Cause once in a while you get shown in the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
[Rap Verse]
It was the summer of love, and I thank the stars above
Because the woman took the lovin' over me
And just to gain her trust, I bought a microbus
Because I sold up all my personal property
A tight tie-dyed dress, she was a psychedelic mess
We toured to the north, south, east and west
We sold some mushroom tea
We sold some ecstasy
We sold nitrous, opium, acid, heroin and PCP
And now I hear the police coming after me
Yes, now I hear the police coming after me
The one Scarlet, with the flowers in her hair
She's got the police coming after me
[Chorus 3]
Well, there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves
All scarlet begonias and a touch of the blues
And there ain't nothin' wrong with the love that's in her eye
I had to learn the hard way just to let her pass by
Let her pass by
Oh, just to let her pass by
@d1vorces
love hearing older people talking about how they loved this song as a teen. as i am rn 16 and in love with this song and sublime
@hannasolo7005
I’m so glad that a 16 yo likes this song. I loved this whole album when I was your age. Take care, enjoy life!
@HowlingWolves
@@hannasolo7005 same situation here
Me and my stepdad used to listen to sublime before he passed away, and now it's all I listen to
Sublime has a special place in my heart and I get to remember the days where we would listen to it together
@sarahsunshine8455
You have a great ear lil one! As you enjoy us reminiscing, I enjoy the fact you have been introduced to this exceptional band and the man who WAS sublime. Brad will live on through you!
@iap6647
This original is from the Grateful Dead.
@d1vorces
@@iap6647 i know, was just saying i like sublimes version
@FrederickBarbarossa1977
I choose Sublime as my soundtrack of life
@devilsoffspring5519
@@scottalleman4564 The extra verse is a riot eh :)
@DirtygardenCA
growing up in LB in the early 90s, it was mine
@FrederickBarbarossa1977
@@DirtygardenCA Hollister, CA, still is