Released May 25, 1997 Genre Ska punk Label MCA | Recorded 1996 Length 2:16 | |
Writer(s) Bud Gaugh/Bradley Nowell/
Eric Wilson | ||
"Wrong Way" is a 1997 single from Sublime's 1996 self-titled third album that fits squarely within the punk rock-inspired third wave ska movement of the 1990s. The song hit number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and it spent 26 weeks on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, peaking at number 3.
Song
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 regretted 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, porn producer Maestro Claudio plays the clown/dad, and many others. Mike Watt was one of the biggest influences on bass player Eric Wilson.
The song was featured in the video game Aggressive Inline, and is available as downloadable content for Rock Band 3 and Rocksmith 2014.
The trombone solo, played by John Blondell, contains an interpolation of the theme from George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".
The version of the song played on the radio typically edits a use of the word "tits," but does not remove it entirely, instead simply lowering the "I" sound so that what is being said is slightly less obvious.