Heroin Harmonies

Sublime has been one of my favourite bands for the longest time. I have listened to their entire catalog over n' over and never tire of their funky beats.  Unfortunately, lead singer Bradley Nowell was another rock n' roll cliché. His life was cut short when he o.d.'d on heroin in '96 at the age of 27. What a waste. His death came shortly before Sublime's self-titled major label debut. (Most of you might at least be familiar with their hit "(Love Is) What I Got".) Remaining members of the band picked up the pieces went on to form the equally fabulous Long Beach Dub All Stars.


Anyway, yesterday I finally got around to transferring Sublime's Robbin' the Hood c.d. to mp3's and have been listening to it while I paint. On the album, there are these tracks titled Raleigh Soliloquy I, II, and III, where a bizarre character named Raleigh goes on these completely psychotic, sometimes funny rants about random nonsense. It's totally insane! I've always wondered who this dude was because it sounds like he might be a real person who possibly lives in a prison or an institution.


So I finally looked it up and learned that Raleigh Theodore Sakers was actually a mentally disturbed man who lived at a half-way house that a former band member's brother worked at. He has since achieved a bit of underground fame, as there is even a brand of clothing named after him.


Jeez... suddenly his nutty rants seem that much more... I don't know... fascinating and sad. 


If you're curious, have a listen to this one where the orderly comes in and tells him to cool it (and then proceeds to edge him on a little). 





Anyway, while researching Raleigh, I also learned that Robbin' the Hood was mostly recorded in a crack house in Long Beach, California. Yup. This groovy reggae album I adore... written and recorded in a crack house. That certainly paints a different picture, doesn't it?


And finally, I read that the mellow little ditty Pool Shark, that I've listened to a hundred thousand times - but apparently completely glossed over the lyrics for - describes Bradley's heroin addiction. Listening to it again, it is so obvious. I can't believe I've never given the words any thought as I've hummed along. He even predicts that "one day I'm going to lose the war". 

Here it is, with the lyrics below. 

Lyin' in my plastic bed,
Thinkin' how things weren't so cool to me.
My baby likes to shoot pool,
I Like lyin' naked in my bedroom.
Tryin' on the dinosaur tonight,
It used to be so cool too.

Now I've got the needle,
And I can shake,
But I can't breath.
I take it away, but I want more and more.
One day I'm gonna lose the war.

Such a pretty little song tainted by hopelessness. 


Kinda reminds me of the band Jane's Addiction (which is a pretty blatant reference) and their catchy tune "Jane Says". 


Years ago I read an interview in Spin Magazine where the band share the stories behind many of their songs. "Jane Says" is about the lead singer Peter's ex-roomate Jane, who wanted to quit heroin so that she could save her money and join her family who had moved to Spain. She never managed to do it, and instead would always be calling up her dealer Sergio, and telling her friends "I'm gonna kick tomorrow." 


Apparently one day the band was playing that song on the front steps of their house, and Jane said, "Now play a sad song." To which Peter replied, "But Jane, that's the saddest song we know." Kinda poignant. 


And now here it is... Another lovely melody framing bleak subject matter.