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Wrong Way
Sublime Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Annie's twelve years old, in two more, she'll be a whore
Nobody ever told her it's the wrong way
Don't be afraid with the quickness, you get laid
For your family, get paid
It's the wrong way

I gave her all that I had to give
I'm gonna make it hard to live
Salty tears running down to her chin
It ruins up her makeup and never wanna give

A cigarette pressed between her lips
But I'm staring at her tits
It's the wrong way
Strong if I can but I am only a man
So I take her to the can
It's the wrong way

The only family that she's ever had
Is the seven horny brothers and a drunk-ass dad
He needed money so he put her on the street
Everything was going fine till the day she met me

Happy are you sad, want to shoot your dad
I'll do anything I can it's the wrong way
We talked all night and tried to make it right
Believe me shit was tight
It was the wrong way

So run away if you don't want to stay
'Cause I ain't here to make you, oh no
It's up to you what you really want to do
Spend some time in America
Dubstyle

She'll give you all that she got to give
But I'm gonna make it hard to live
Big salty tears running down to her chin
And it smears of her makeup and never wanna give
So we ran away
And I'm sorry when I say that straight to this very day
It was the wrong way
She took a hike it don't matter if I like it or not
Because she only wants the wrong way

I gave her all that I had to give
She still wouldn't take it, whoa no
Her two brown eyes are leaking like a sieve
It still ruins her makeup and never want to give

Overall Meaning

The song "Wrong Way" by Sublime is a powerful and controversial piece that delves into the harsh reality of Annie, a 12-year-old girl who turns to prostitution to provide for her family. The lyrics highlight the fact that Annie never had anyone in her life to guide her towards the right path and instead, she turns towards the wrong way. The chorus repeats and emphasizes this message, stating that it is the wrong way to turn to prostitution and that quick fixes will only lead to more problems in the end.


Further, the lyrics burst with vivid imagery that adds to the overall tone of the song. The line "Salty tears running down to her chin, and it ruins up her makeup and never wanna give" shows that Annie is in pain and is struggling to cope with her situation. The line also highlights the fact that being a prostitute is not glamorous or easy, but instead, it is a demeaning and difficult profession. The song even goes on to depict how she is often mistreated, and the images of "runaways," "drunk-ass dads," and "horny brothers" point towards a life of danger and abuse for many people who turn to prostitution.


Line by Line Meaning

Annie's twelve years old, in two more, she'll be a whore
Annie is currently twelve years old, and if she continues on this path, she will become a sex worker in just two years. Her situation is alarming.


Nobody ever told her it's the wrong way
Annie has received no guidance in life and does not understand the consequences of her actions. No one has taught her she's heading for trouble.


Don't be afraid with the quickness, you get laid For your family, get paid It's the wrong way
Annie has been taught that she can make money quickly through sexual activities. The lyrics point out that even if it's for her family, this is still not the right path for her to take.


I gave her all that I had to give I'm gonna make it hard to live Salty tears running down to her chin It ruins up her makeup and never wanna give
Despite giving her all he has, the artist knows deep down that he's damaging Annie's life. The pain that results makes her cry, and her makeup runs. Even after this, she does not want to give up this harmful lifestyle.


A cigarette pressed between her lips But I'm staring at her tits It's the wrong way Strong if I can but I am only a man So I take her to the can It's the wrong way
The artist is weak and unable to resist Annie's sexuality. He ends up taking advantage of her. The entire situation is twisted and inappropriate, and he knows it.


The only family that she's ever had Is the seven horny brothers and a drunk-ass dad He needed money so he put her on the street Everything was going fine till the day she met me
Annie has a terrible home life, with abusive brothers and father who pushes her towards sex work. Everything was going as planned for her and her family until she met the singer, who further led her astray.


Happy are you sad, want to shoot your dad I'll do anything I can it's the wrong way We talked all night and tried to make it right Believe me shit was tight It was the wrong way
The singer knows that Annie's life is full of pain and desperation. They spend a night talking, but even though it feels right, the path they're on is wrong. They both know it.


So run away if you don't want to stay 'Cause I ain't here to make you, oh no It's up to you what you really want to do Spend some time in America Dubstyle
The artist tells Annie she should run away if she wants to escape her current lifestyle. He admits that he has no power over her actions and that it's her choice whether or not she wants to stay. They both dream of a happier life in America.


She'll give you all that she got to give But I'm gonna make it hard to live Big salty tears running down to her chin And it smears of her makeup and never wanna give So we ran away And I'm sorry when I say that straight to this very day It was the wrong way She took a hike it don't matter if I like it or not Because she only wants the wrong way
Annie is willing to give everything she has, even if it harms her. The artist admits to making things harder for her and knows that the situation has caused Annie a great deal of pain. They both ran away together, but the artist knows it was still the wrong thing to do. Annie remains trapped in this harmful way of life, even if he cannot understand why she would want to endure such pain.


I gave her all that I had to give She still wouldn't take it, whoa no Her two brown eyes are leaking like salty tears It still ruins her makeup and never want to give
Even after everything he's given her, Annie still refuses to change her ways. The artist sees her crying and knows that he's contributed to causing her pain once again. Her makeup continues to run, and she refuses to give up this self-destructive lifestyle.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bradley James Nowell, Eric John Wilson, Floyd I. Gaugh IV

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@SatansYardsale

Sublime and The Offspring are among the few bands who wrote songs about horrible shit that were completely upbeat and are in total contrast to their subject matter.

@thedude5599

Pumped UP KICKS Bro. !!!!!! But yes you are right in your assesment,.

@j.ames_

@@thedude5599 that’s a one off song by foster the people I’m pretty sure as most of their other songs seem to be just usual indie rock and folklore

@salliemander1

I'm old...The Smiths

@decapitronboy45

Rammstein and Gwar

@uhidk6871

Green day as well in my opinion

13 More Replies...

@29perdana

sublime knows how to tell a dark story with style...

@mintybagels5244

what is the dark story?

@KoolAidDinkyTV

@@mintybagels5244 you are so young

@franciscovelozveloz3125

😊😊

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