This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I don't practice Santeria, I ain't got no crystal ball
Well, I had a million dollars but I, 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 want to know
Ah, baby, mm
What I really want to say
I can't define
Well it's love that I need
Oh, my soul will have to wait 'til 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 yeah huh
Well, I swear that I, well I really want to know
Ah, baby, what I really want to say, I can't define
That love, make it go, but my soul will have to
Ooh, what I really want to say, ah baby
What I really want to say is, "I've got mine
And I'll make it, ooh yes, I'm coming 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 want to know, my baby
Ooh, what I really want to say is there's just one way back
And I'll make it, yeah, my soul will have to wait
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, I had a million dollars but I, 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 want to know
Ah, baby, mm
What I really want to say
I can't define
Well it's love that I need
Oh, my soul will have to wait 'til 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 yeah huh
Well, I swear that I, well I really want to know
Ah, baby, what I really want to say, I can't define
That love, make it go, but my soul will have to
Ooh, what I really want to say, ah baby
What I really want to say is, "I've got mine
And I'll make it, ooh yes, I'm coming 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 want to know, my baby
Ooh, what I really want to say is there's just one way back
And I'll make it, yeah, my soul will have to wait
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Lyrics submitted by The Big Andowski, edited by EpicVlad
Santeria Lyrics as written by Eric John Wilson Bradley James Nowell
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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To all of those who say this song is about Brad's son I wholeheartedly agree. The whole song builds on itself digging deeper and deeper into Brad's problem
I don't practice Santeria I ain't got no crystal ball
He is saying he never could have predicted what happened to him and also the uncertainty that is his future.
Well I had a million dollars but I, I'd spend it all
On drugs presumably.
If I could find that heina and that Sancho that she'd found Well I'd pop a cap in sancho and I'd slap her down
The heina or girlfriend is him (or his mind) and Sancho is the drugs. He's trying but, deep down inside there is this part of his pysche that wants to cheat and do drugs.
What I really wanna know (my baby) What I really wanna say, I can't define Well it's love that I neeeeeed My soul will have to
"My baby" directly refers to his son Jake. This is it, this is the wake up call he despartely needs to get his life on track.
Wait till I get back Find a heina of my own Daddy's gonna love one and all
His new heina will be Jake. His son will be his motivation not to cheat and do drugs.
I feel the break, feel the break, feel the break And I gotta live it out Oh yeah un-huh Well I swear that I
The break is the personal divide the drugs are creating between him and those important to him. He is saying he can and will overcome the addiction for the good of himself and everyone around him.
What I really wanna know (my baby) What I really wanna say, I can't define Got love! Make it go My soul will have to...
Chorus but here he cites love (of Jake) as his driving force to overcoming addiction.
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 going up
Adds that he can and will do this.
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
This verse just shows the angst he has towards addiction when he is sober.
What I really wanna know (my baby) What I really wanna say, is there's just one way back And I'll make it My soul will have to wait
This is where I mean he builds upon each chorus through the song. He ends up saying that the only way to be complete is to kick the drugs and love his son.
Honestly, this is one of the most metaphorical songs I have ever heard. At the same time it also one of the most emotional songs I have ever heard. You can literally hear the emoition in Brad's voice as he sings the song. He not only WANTS this , he NEEDS this. This isn't some bullshit song about a girlfriend cheating on her boyfriend; it's much deeper than that. This is about a father cheating on his kid with drugs. Trouble is when he is sober he knows its cheating in the worst way and I believe that is how this song was written. The is a lot of pain and sadness in this song but, at the same time there is also a tremendous amount of hope. Hope that he can overcome his own demons and just love his son. Sad that is was not to be.
Wow, I absolutely love this. =D I always saw it differently, but I like your version better. "This is about a father cheating on his kid with drugs". It's true, there are too many songs about bf/gf cheating. This kind of cheating is just so sad for both parties involoved. =(
Very interesting. Thanks for your take on the song.
Why does this interpretation have so many likes? Bradley didn't promise to stop doing heroin. He kept doing it, and it killed him before this song even came out.<br /> <br />
@osuturfman @cbingham<br /> <br /> Damn right he did and it's sad that was the way it went down. As I said when I wrote this many years ago, I believe the song was written during a period of sobriety for Brad. He was an addict but, incredibly self aware and introspective. You're right, he couldn't stay clean and that's what killed him. Sad that we'll never know how much further he could have taken his song writing and his life.
@osuturfman Look at his past.. He often sang about a cheating girlfriend in "Doin' Time", obviously "Santeria", "Pool Shark", "Right Back", "Lets go get stoned", "Hope", "Angelo", "Mic Control", "New Realization." Plus, Bradley was so strung out during the recording oof this album I very seriously doubt this is about Jakob Nowell. I believe its about the loss of someone's true love & how a person would do anything to get them back. "What I really wanna know, my baby, what I really wanna say is there's just one, way back, and I'll make it yea, my soul will have to wait... yeeeeea yeeeeeeaaaaaa yea." You could even interpret this song for his longing for heroin during his recovery... Think of it from a junkie's perspective.. This could be Bradley talking to a dealer wanting his fix, how he would spend all of his money to get his fix & what he would do to "slap her down" on his arm.." His heina is heroin and what he would do for it. I seriously doubt this was about Jakob. I think this was about his past relationships, MARY?. How he has overcome them "What I really wanna say, my baby, What I really wanna say is Ive got mine & Ill make it, yes I'm coming up!!" What I really wanna know, my baby, what I really wanna say is there is just one, way back, and my soul will have to wait.. yea yea yea." Your forgetting his past & present before he died. How many times he was cheated on, his addiction, his failures, and finally finding his true love. Your over thinking/ analyzing this song. Just look at his interviews, concerts, and stories before and during that time. His focus was troy, the band and heroin. "Thinking how things weren't so cool to me, my baby likes to shoot pool, I like lying naked in my bedroom tying off that dinosaur tonight, used to be so cool, now I've I got that needle and I can't shake, I can't breathe, I want more and more, one day im going to lose the war."
@osuturfman @a105479498 I appreciate your comment and maybe I'm over-analyzing but I don't think so if you look at the timeline and where Brad was from June 1995 and on once Jakob was born. It was a total mind-fuck for him. I've considered his state of mind and the lyrics you cited but, he was in a bad (good?) place when he wrote this song. <br /> <br /> Girls are tough but, cheating on your kids is a totally different kind of betrayal. Brad knew that, consciously or subconsciously.
@osuturfman @a105479498 I appreciate your comment and maybe I'm over-analyzing but I don't think so if you look at the timeline and where Brad was from June 1995 and on once Jakob was born. It was a total mind-fuck for him. I've considered his state of mind and the lyrics you cited but, he was in a bad (good?) place when he wrote this song. <br /> <br /> Girls are tough but, cheating on your kids is a totally different kind of betrayal. Brad knew that, consciously or subconsciously.
this song kicks ass and sublime is one of the best bands ever... its a real shame that brad had to die, he had a great voice and great ideas
Santeria is a carribean religion that combines elements of Catholicism and Voo Doo.
Hey PTW, your exactly why hardcore kids are thought of as fuckers by everyone else. You really need to broaden your horizons. Poison The Well happens to be one of my favorite bands. So is Sublime. It's not impossible.
Still listening to this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! R.I.P BRAD NOWELL!!!!!!!!
This song is about how you can never predict when a girl's gonna break your heart. He's saying that he doesn't practice Santeria, refering to the fact that he can't predict or see the truth about women. He says how hard it is for him to say that he loves someone, that sometimes he can't find the words to say it. He also gets mad at the guy that whoever the girl that he was talking about in this song ran off with. He says he wasn't to shoot the guy because of all the pain that he caused, and that he wants to show the girl the same pain that she caused him. In the end he says that his soul will have to wait to go to heaven until he finds love. In a way, he did predict the future, when he foung love an beautiful baby, he went to heaven. RIP to one of the greatest musicians of all times.
osuturfman got it right on the button... brad himself said this song was a metaphor, written in dedication to his son.
i love how a lot of the hate on this page is all "what a stupid song, about shooting somebody that sleeps with his girlfriend, how immature!"
haha, it just shows you how brilliant he really was, his metaphor is so well disguised that most people are completely oblivious to it. it can stand, quite well, as a song about a cheating girlfriend and him trying to get over her. but brad REALLY did write this as a promise to his son to stop doing heroin... read osuturfman's comment on page six for a full run down.
some of the most brilliant lyrics i have ever seen. seriously, these lyrics are john lennon-good, bob dylan-good even. absolutely genius metaphor... really, i can't fucking stress how amazing the lyrics to this song are. when i really thought about the sentiment of this song, it kinda brought a tear to my eye, and i'm a fucking dude!
it's too bad he couldn't live up to his promise.
that's why i will never touch heroin, or meth for that matter.
i give you mad props for your last comment "thats why i will never touch heroin or meth..."<br /> ^ I truly believe that now that Brad is gone his only true hope for his fans is to learn from his mistakes listen to his music and dont go down the road he did... I am proud of you and hope many people follow you in not doing drugs because of the subliminal messages he has left behind for us to decode. again, mad props !! Unfortunatley I can not say the same, and am too like Brad was, bound by my own personal addictions and demons.. <br /> As always , <br /> Rest in Peace Bradley James Nowell
Although I think osuturfman's analysis is pretty much perfect, I'd like to add something the first verse.
I don't practice Santeria, I ain't got no crystal ball.
So Santeria is this relegion where amongst other things these people do meetings etc where they dance to certain types of music and get into a trance where they believe an Orisha temporarily takes over their body. The crystal ball, I think, refers to the little thing you smoke meth through.
So that with the million dollar-line that follows should hint that this song is about drugs, he doesn't dance to get into a trance, he doesn't do meth, but if he had a million dollars, he'd spend it all, but doesn't say on what although it should be prett clear that drugs are what is being pointed at.
i love this song sooo much ...my fave by sublime.
i often to listen this song. it's have a beautiful melody.