Santeria (song)

1997 single by Sublime

"Santeria"

US promotional single

Single by Sublime
from the album  Sublime
Released| January 7, 1997
Recorded| 1996
Studio| Pedernales Studio (Austin, TX)
Genre|

* Ska[1]
* reggae rock[2]
* reggae[3]

Length| 3:03
Label| MCA
Songwriter(s)|

* Bradley Nowell
* Eric Wilson[4]
* Bud Gaugh

Producer(s)| Paul Leary
Sublime singles chronology
| "What I Got"
(1996)  | "Santeria"
(1997)  | "Wrong Way"
(1997)

|
|

Music video
"Santeria" on YouTube

"Santeria" is a ballad[5] by American ska punk band Sublime, released on their third album Sublime (1996). The song was released as a single on January 7, 1997. Although the song was released after the death of lead singer Bradley Nowell, "Santeria" along with "What I Got" are often regarded as the band's signature songs.

## Composition and context

[edit]

The song includes the bassline and guitar riff from Sublime's earlier song "Lincoln Highway Dub" off the 1994 album Robbin' the Hood.[6]

The song begins with the narrator stating that he does not practice Santeria, an Afro-Cuban religion. He tells the story of a jealous ex-boyfriend who is planning to take revenge on the man who stole his girlfriend and hit her too. The man then decides to find a new girlfriend, but expresses his desire to use violence as he describes his plans to "pop a cap in Sancho" and "stick that barrel straight down Sancho's throat" if he ever sees him again, and that "he best go run and hide". The lead singer of Sublime, Bradley Nowell, refers to the man as "Sancho" and his ex-girlfriend as "Heina". In Chicano culture, a man who steals another man's girlfriend is often referred to as "Sancho"[7] while a man's woman or girlfriend is referred to as "Heina", which is adapted from the word reina, meaning "queen" in Spanish.[8]

## Music video

[edit]

A music video was filmed after the death of lead singer Bradley Nowell, who makes a cameo via stock footage. During the video, his beloved Lou Dog is seen along with the other members of Sublime remembering him. The video was a visualization of the story told in the song in the form of a Western, and featured Tom Lister, Jr. as Sancho and Nowell's widow Troy as La Heina. Lister was bitten by Lou Dog on the lip in a particular scene where he gets too close to Lou Dog's face.

## Commercial performance

[edit]

"Santeria" was a moderate U.S. crossover hit, selling over 5 million copies and cracking the Top 5 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart as well as reaching number 43 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.[9]

## Media usage

[edit]

The song is a playable track on the 2008 video game Guitar Hero World Tour, and was released as a downloadable song for Rock Band 3 in 2012 as well as Rocksmith 2014 in 2014. The song was featured in the films Idle Hands, Knocked Up, Remember the Daze, This is 40 and the remake of White Men Can't Jump.

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (1997)  | Peak
position

|

Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] | 90
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[11] | 43
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[12] | 3
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[13] | 38

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[14] | Gold  | 30,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[15] | 6× Platinum  | 180,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Silver  | 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Rowley, Glenn (May 20, 2022). "Portugal. The Man Cover Sublime's "Santeria": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
2. ^ Cardenas, Federico (May 20, 2022). "The Man Covers Sublime's Iconic "Santeria"". mxdwn.com. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
3. ^ Sartini Garner, Marty (May 28, 2019). "Sublime's legacy is more complicated than the bros (and the haters) would have you think". AV Club. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
4. ^ BMI database
5. ^ Kemp, Mark (December 25, 1997). "Bradley Nowell: Life After Death". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
6. ^ "Santeria by Sublime Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
7. ^ "What does sancho mean? sancho Definition. Meaning of sancho. OnlineSlangDictionary.com". Retrieved March 15, 2016.
8. ^ "What does heina mean? heina Definition. Meaning of heina. OnlineSlangDictionary.com". Retrieved March 15, 2016.
9. ^ "Chart: Digital Songs" (PDF). Nielsen Soundscan. June 23, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
10. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3196." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
11. ^ "Sublime Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
12. ^ "Sublime Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
13. ^ "Sublime Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
14. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Sublime – Santeria" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
15. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Sublime – Santeria". Radioscope. Retrieved February 14, 2025. Type Santeria  in the "Search:" field.
16. ^ "British single certifications – Sublime – Santeria". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 6, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* "Santeria" music video on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Sublime

* Eric Wilson
* Bud Gaugh
* Jakob Nowell

* Bradley Nowell

Studio albums|

* 40oz. to Freedom
* Robbin' the Hood
* Sublime

Live albums|

* Stand by Your Van
* 3 Ring Circus – Live at the Palace
* $5 at the Door: Live at Tressel Tavern, 1994

Compilation albums|

* Second-hand Smoke
* Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends
* Greatest Hits
* 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Sublime
* Gold
* Everything Under the Sun

Singles|

* "Date Rape"
* "Badfish"
* "What I Got"
* "Santeria"
* "Wrong Way"
* "Doin' Time"

Other songs|

* "Smoke Two Joints"
* "Scarlet Begonias"
* "We're Only Gonna Die"
* "Rivers of Babylon"
* "54-46 That's My Number"
* "April 29, 1992 (Miami)"
* "Caress Me Down"

Tributes and legacy|

* Look at All the Love We Found
* Long Beach Dub Allstars
* Long Beach Shortbus
* Badfish

See also|

* Discography
* Sublime with Rome
* Skunk Records
* Miguel Happoldt

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