Wrong Way

Wrong Way" is a song from Sublime's self-titled third album which fits squarely within the punk rock-inspired third wave ska movement of the 1990s. The lyrical content of the song refers to the life of a girl, named Annie, who was forced into prostitution by her family of "seven horny brothers" and her "drunk-ass dad." She is soon rescued from a life of prostitution by the narrator of the song; an ironic twist is added in the lyrical references hinting that the narrator saved her and then regreted mistreating her himself. A video was made starring Bijou Phillips, soon after the band's lead singer, Bradley Nowell, died. The video also features a cameo by Mike Watt of the bands Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Dos, and many others. Mike Watt was one of the biggest influences on bass player Eric Wilson.

[Verse 1] 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 [Chorus] I gave her all that I had to give I'm gonna make it hard to live Salty tears running down to her chin And it ruins up her makeup And never wan' 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 [Verse 2] The only family that she's ever had Is her seven horny brothers and a drunk ass dad He needed money, so he put her on the street Everything was going fine, until the day she met me Happy are you sad, wanna shoot your dad? I'll do anything I can, the wrong way We talk all night, tried to make it right Believe me, shit was tight It was the wrong way Don't run away, if you wanna 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 Dub style! [Trombone Solo] [Chorus] She'll give you all that she's got to give But I'm gonna make it hard to live Big, salty tears rolling down to her chin And it smears up her makeup An' never wan' give So, we ran away And I'm sorry when I say that straight to this very day It was the wrong way She did the hike, 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 And it still ruins her makeup, and never wan' give