I heard that payback's a mother fuckin' bitch
But I won't stress and I won't switch
And I would not take my life
Glory please, my God, the only thing on my mind
Takes up all of my time
And I said, ooh!
Running from a gun
Or some brain that ways a ton
And my God, it hurts to get so low
Searchin' through the cars
Cold, still searchin' through the night
I think I will run, to you
But I refuse to fuss and fight
And God may find a reason
Well I'm sure you'll find a rhyme
Because it takes up nearly all my time
He who stands for freedom
God knows I've got the number
But maybe I just use too much
I was sitting in that bar
I'm sittin' in that stolen car
Cold, still rollin' down the boulevard
Saw you with a gleam
And the microphone scene
Think I will run, to you
But I know I won't live for me
Cause I know God's got both
The reason and the rhyme
Please tell me, why he takes up all my time
I've been drinking, just like you
And baby, you've got something I can use
Payback's a mother fuckin' blast
But I won't stress and I won't blast
And I would not take my life
Glory please, my God, comin' from heaven above
Takes up all of my time
And I said
'Why must I feel like that'
Running from a gun
And some brain that ways a ton
You know, I did that line for Flava' Flave
But, all the DJ's do it
All the DJ's use it
I would run, I would switch
But I wanna be the same
And I know I'll find a reason
'Cause I always bust a rhyme
Because it takes up nearly all my time
The "T" here stands for treason
The "D" hear stands for dove
And maybe I just use too much
Maybe I'm just used too much
But I won't stress and I won't switch
And I would not take my life
Glory please, my God, the only thing on my mind
Takes up all of my time
And I said, ooh!
Or some brain that ways a ton
And my God, it hurts to get so low
Searchin' through the cars
Cold, still searchin' through the night
I think I will run, to you
But I refuse to fuss and fight
Well I'm sure you'll find a rhyme
Because it takes up nearly all my time
He who stands for freedom
God knows I've got the number
But maybe I just use too much
I'm sittin' in that stolen car
Cold, still rollin' down the boulevard
Saw you with a gleam
And the microphone scene
But I know I won't live for me
Cause I know God's got both
The reason and the rhyme
Please tell me, why he takes up all my time
I've been drinking, just like you
And baby, you've got something I can use
But I won't stress and I won't blast
And I would not take my life
Glory please, my God, comin' from heaven above
Takes up all of my time
And I said
'Why must I feel like that'
Running from a gun
And some brain that ways a ton
You know, I did that line for Flava' Flave
All the DJ's use it
I would run, I would switch
But I wanna be the same
And I know I'll find a reason
'Cause I always bust a rhyme
Because it takes up nearly all my time
The "T" here stands for treason
The "D" hear stands for dove
And maybe I just use too much
Maybe I'm just used too much
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Ok let me set the record straight on this one cuz a lot of you are talking some weird stuff on this one. first, yes this song is about heroin. and i don't know what the T and the D stand for, but I can shed some light on this song, which is one of the illest, deepest, and darkest sublime songs...
When Bradley started getting famous, he saw that other famous musicians and frontmen were heavy into drugs. Drugs were extremely glamorized, especially heroin. Bradly had grown up of course smoking weed and drinking - regular stuff. But when he started getting famous he decided he needed to be like the other famous musicians. So he dedicated a year of his life to do all the drugs he'd never done - just to see what they were like. unfortunately, during that year, he got addicted to heroin.
in this song, he's talkig to heroin - the thing that's always on his mind and takes up all his time. he who stands for freedom is the drug dealer. when he's in the car, he's cold cuz he needs a hit and he's searching for it, wanting to run to it.
then he says "thought you was a gleam and the microphone scene" he's talking about heroin being glamorized on the music scene. "think i will run to you but i know i wont live for me" - he wants to try the drug but he's worried that it will take over his life and he'll only live for the drug.
"i been drinking just like you and baby you got something i can use" - he finds a girl with some heroin so he can get a hit"
the next part where the music starts climbing "paybacks a motherfucking blast" - he's taking the heroin hit - "glory please my god, coming from heaven above takes up all my time". the music here represents the heroin rush, then it gets spacey to represent the next level of the drug.
ok, no idea about the flavor flav reference, but the next part of the song is the most telling, and the part that most of you got wrong. when he says DJ, he's not talking about Disc Jockeys or Dope Junkies. In the reggae world, DJ is actually the MC. the guys who spin records are known as selectors. When Bradly talks about DJs, he's talking about other frontmen...other singers, rappers. in this song he broadens the metaphor to mean other people in the music industry. and they all use it. "all the DJs do it, all the DJs use it, i would run, i would switch, but i wanna be the same." that says it all. he wants to be like all the other musicians, hence his 1 year experience that got him addicted to heroin.
sad, ill, crazy...this is my favorite sublime song.
Before I knew the lyrics of this song it was always just a fun song for me, something to sing along to in the car. Then I heard the slang for injecting heroin (blast) in the lyrics, and I stopped to listen. This song is about the extreams someone will go to for heroin. People are after him, he's stuck looking and searching for heroin, and even sleeps with a girl for a blast. Thoughout the song, though, he is pleading with God for it to be differnt, that he doesn't need that hit, but at the same time he's to arogent to trust God to help him clean up. He's also scared of what may happen after he quits. "I would run, I would switch, but I wanna be the same." is talking about how he gets insperation for his lyrics from the drug. He's doesn't know how he will go on without that infuential power. The song, to me, is what one would write in a journal, or think outloud to themselves. This song will never be the same to me, now that I know the dark and horrible meaning to the lyrics. (I love you Brad and miss you deeply!)
this song sounds amazing and the lyrics just depress me and on top of that, the way Bradley sings it... he just sounds so sad. and as if that's not enough, he's dead. R.I.P. brad
Yeah. It may be sad, but the dope can get anyone. Thats a reason i like sublime. brad is a real dude. He had real problems. Not like a lot of bands that are all hollywood.
so true man, thats wtaht made them who they were, the realness they had as people
so true man, thats wtaht made them who they were, the realness they had as people
the solo is mindblowing. the pinch harmonic makes my brain peak. (i think it's actually the emptiness between the notes... wtf.)
I have to say that this song is by far one of their best-sounding songs, and it has such a deep and dark meaning in relation to heroin. Even before I knew this song was about heroin, it resonated with me on such a deep level. It seems like most of his songs about heroin (albeit indirectly), such as Badfish, Pool Shark, Pawn Shop, and this song, are among this band's very best. It's sad that he knew he was going to die from this, and that he let this drug ruin his life to the point...
I have to say that this song is by far one of their best-sounding songs, and it has such a deep and dark meaning in relation to heroin. Even before I knew this song was about heroin, it resonated with me on such a deep level. It seems like most of his songs about heroin (albeit indirectly), such as Badfish, Pool Shark, Pawn Shop, and this song, are among this band's very best. It's sad that he knew he was going to die from this, and that he let this drug ruin his life to the point he was dead. But if he never did those drugs, his music probably would have been some bland, corporate mechanism, instead of the deep realizations he had about his own addiction. Bradley Nowell was much smarter than people give him credit for. I mean, some people would look at his lyrics and think that they don't mean anything, but the deeper you dig, the more you find. Amazing song, and it is actually very telling of what addiction is like, with a smooth groove.
This is one of the best Sublime songs by far, and before I knew what it was about, I just kind of liked the sound of it, the bass, the singing, but now that I know what it is about, it takes on a whole other meaning, and while it is sad that he died, he probably would have never written this song if he wasn't on drugs. So, we can thank drugs for Sublime's profound lyrics and sound. I'm just glad Bradley didn't burn out too soon before he put out enough material to satisfy me. Sure, he died too young, but he sure made a ton of music in that time, which says a lot about the guy and his bandmates. This song just has that "awesome" factor to it. It sounds bootleg, and has Bradley sounding at his best voice-wise, although the sound quality isn't that good. Either way, a song I will probably listen to until the day I die.
Here's my take on this song. First of all, it sounds amazing, even though the sound quality is a little off. It's smooth and has a solo that is so good, there aren't words to describe it. It is about drugs, but I don't know for sure if it is about heroin. He supposedly didn't do heroin up until a certain point, but the title is New Song, so it could have been a late addition to the CD, after he started heroin. Either way, we all know it is about some kind of drugs, but it's also a double-meaning, talking about busting rhymes and how that also takes up all his time.
Bradley suffered from depression, and was most likely bipolar. That's why he self-medicated. He also felt like he had to be larger than life. He was leading his band, his fans, and he felt he had to live up to all the expectations of sex, DRUGS, ROCK AND ROLL. He did drugs because he thought it would make him more creative, and for the most part it did. But heroin killed him. Thank God they finished the self-titled album (Killin' It) before he died, or else he may have never gotten the recognition he deserved.
If he was still alive today, who knows how many great albums would be out there? But, anyway, everyone should spread Sublime's music throughout the world. Especially the songs that DIDN'T appear on MTV, or whatever. Just to show the range and variety of influences he had. If you delve deep, you'll see quite clearly that Bradley was the BOSS DJ, no question. Nobody could touch his sampling ability, his covering ability, and how he could take a good song by someone else and flip it on its head and make it amazing.
fuckin great song, still depressing tho, espeically that hes gone r.i.p b.n
yeah i like the volume changes and theres also a bit where the guitar goes off key. Sounds good to me anyways. Doesn't DJ stand for something drug related too?!cant remember what. payback i take it refers to paying back a drug dealer for all the drugs they've got from them.
"Doesn't DJ stand for something drug related too?!cant remember what."
uhh...DJ stands for "Disc Jockey".
great song though. love the melody, but i agree, weirdass volume changes. that doesnt change the fact that it's yet another sublime masterpiece. RIP BN.