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Lyrics:The Ballad of Johnny Butt

2009-05-30T11:18:32Z

AmenazA:

{{Lyrics Header|[[Sublime]]|[[1996]]}}<pre>
Johnny Butt was a man with a real strong
Will to survive
He'd just keep pushing on
Even though he was barely alive

So...
Shoot it up
Shoot it up
It just don't matter

Johnny says he wants to go do it
Says he wants to kill a cop

We've got a brand new dance, it's called
We've got to overcome
We've got a brand new dance, it's called
We've got to overcome

So Johnny
Just keep pushing
'Cause the streets are yours
There'll come a day
When all that shit wont matter

So...
Shoot it up
Shoot it up
It just don't matter
When you're resisted anyway

We've got a brand new dance, it's called
We've got to overcome
We've got a brand new dance, it's called
We've got to overcome

So Johnny
You kept on pushing
The streets are yours
And there'll come a day
When all that shit wont matter

So...
Shoot it up
Shoot it up
It just don't matter
Resisted anyway

We've got a brand new dance, it's called
We've got to overcome
We've got a brand new dance, it's called
We've got to overcome

</pre>
{{Lyrics Footer}}

Official Releases

2009-05-25T11:29:09Z

AmenazA:

===Studio albums===
* [[Jah Won't Pay the Bills]] (1991)
* [[40oz. To Freedom]] (1992)
* [[Robbin The Hood]] (1994)
* [[Sublime Self-Titled]] (1996)

===Compilations and live albums===
* Badfish (EP) (1991)
* [[What I Got... (EP)]] (1997)
* [[Doin' Time (EP)]] (1997)
* [[Second-Hand Smoke]] (1997)
* [[Stand By Your Van]] (1998)
* [[Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends]] (1998)
* [[Sublime: Greatest Hits]] (1999)
* [[20th Century Masters - The Millenium Collection: The Best of Sublime]] (2002)
* [[Gold]] (2005)
* [[Everything Under The Sun]] (Boxset) (2006)

===Singles===
* Date Rape (1995)

What I Got... (EP)

2009-05-25T10:21:56Z

AmenazA:

What I Got... (EP)

2009-05-25T10:20:25Z

AmenazA:

{{ Infobox Single |
| Name = What I Got
| Cover = WhatIGot.jpg
| Artist = [[Sublime (band)|Sublime]]
| from Album = [[Sublime (album)|Sublime]]
| Released = [[August 27]], [[1996]]
| Recorded = 1995 & 1996
| Genre = [[Alternative rock]] [[Ska punk]]
| Length = 2:51
| Label = [[MCA Records]]
| Writer = Sublime
| Producer = [[David Kahne]]
| Chart position = * #37 ([[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]]) 
** #1 ([[Modern Rock Tracks|US Modern Rock Tracks]]) 
** #7 ([[Mainstream Rock Tracks|US Mainstream Rock Tracks]]) 
| Last single = "[[Date Rape (song)|Date Rape]]" (1996)
| This single = '''"What I Got"''' (1997)
| Next single = "[[Santeria (song)|Santeria]]" (1998)
}}
'''"What I Got"''' is a song from [[Sublime (band)|Sublime]]'s eponymous third album titled ''[[Sublime (album)|Sublime]]'' and was the band's biggest radio hit, posthumously after singer [[Bradley Nowell]]'s [[1996]] heroin overdose. This song was one of the most popular songs of [[1997]] and is still played on radio today. At the time of its release, it reached the #1 spot on the [[Modern Rock Tracks]] chart. It was also a mainstream [[Top 40]] hit, peaking at #29 on the [[Billboard Hot 100 Airplay]].<ref>Billboard
Book of Top 40 Hits, 7th Ed 2000, by Joel Whitburn. p. 611</ref>

It is ranked among the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone at #83.<ref>100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/20947527/page/41</ref>
The song is noted for carrying a melody almost identical to that heard on [[The Beatles]]' "[[Lady Madonna]]", while the song itself is an adaptation of the track "Loving" by [[Half-Pint]].<ref>Half Pint: Still Levelling the Vibes by Ryan A. MacMichael, Reggae Report, Vol. 16, #2,
1998.</ref> Half-Pint has since performed songs with the [[Long Beach Dub Allstars]], which includes the two surviving members of Sublime. It can be heard on the movie, ''[[Fun with Dick and Jane (2005 film)|Fun with Dick and Jane]]''. A shortened, clean version of the song was also included in the video game ''[[Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX]]''.

The guitar solo was played by Michael “Miguel” Happoldt, the founder of Skunk Records.<ref>Sublime: Stories Lies Tales and Exaggerations. 1:53</ref>

The song was covered by [[Michael Franti]] & Spearhead feat. Gift of Gab on the tribute album ''Look at All the Love We Found''.

The song contains a sample of the words "too short" from "Life Is... Too Short" by the American rapper [[Too Short]]. The song also contains a sample from a [[Richard Pryor]] quote, the same Richard Pryor quote that is used in [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]]'s [[Shimmy Shimmy Ya]].

The sentence "Never had to battle with no bulletproof vest" is taken from "Mona Lisa (Nappy Heads Remix)" by The Fugees.

==What I Got: The Seven Song EP==
===Track listing===
# "What I Got" (Kahne Radio Edit) (2:47)
# "40 oz. to Freedom" (3:03)
# "D.J.s" (3:18)
# "All You Need" (2:46)
# "Same in the End" (2:39)
# "Work That We Do" (2:35)
# "Doin' Time" (Marshall Arts Remix) feat. the Pharcyde (4:12)

== Music video ==
The video for "What I Got", shot after Nowell's death, mainly contains a collage of archive videos and photos of Bradley, as a tribute to the singer. The video includes images of Long Beach, CA, where the band met their success, as well as live footage from a Sublime show at [[The Capitol Ballroom]] in Washington, DC.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| before = "[[Novocaine for the Soul]]" by [[Eels (band)|Eels]]
| title = [[Modern Rock Tracks|''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks]] [[Number one modern rock hits of 1996|number-one single]]
| years = [[October 26]], [[1996]] - [[November 9]], [[1996]]
| after = "[[Swallowed (song)|Swallowed]]" by [[Bush (band)|Bush]]
}}
{{end box}}

{{sublimeband}}

[[Category:1996 singles]]
[[Category:Sublime songs]]
[[Category:Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one singles]]

Official Releases

2009-05-25T10:18:27Z

AmenazA:

* [[40oz. To Freedom]] (1992)
* [[Robbin The Hood]] (1994)
* [[Sublime Self-Titled]] (1996)
* [[Second-Hand Smoke]] (1997)
* [[What I Got... (EP)]] (1997)
* [[Doin' Time (EP)]] (1997)
* [[Stand By Your Van]] (1998)
* [[Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends]] (1998)
* [[Sublime: Greatest Hits]] (1999)
* [[20th Century Masters - The Millenium Collection: The Best of Sublime]] (2002)
* [[Gold]] (2005)
* [[Everything Under The Sun]] (Boxset) (2006)

Interpretations:Badfish

2009-05-25T10:07:05Z

AmenazA:

On occasion, when playing this song live, lead singer Bradley Nowell would sing: "Lord knows I'm weak, won't somebody get me off of this tweek?" which implies that the song is about trying to kick addiction, with the "Big, blue whale" being the drug, thus: "I swim, but I wish I'd never learned."