"What I Got" is a song from American band
Sublime's
self-titled third album (1996). It was the band's biggest radio hit, posthumously after singer
Bradley Nowell's death in 1996 from a
heroin overdose
An opioid overdose is toxicity due to excessive consumption of opioids, such as morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, tramadol, and methadone. This preventable pathology can be fatal if it leads to Hypoventilation, respiratory depression, a lethal ...
. It was the second single to be released by the band, following "
Date Rape
Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...
" (1991). The song's chorus is a lift from "Loving" by Half Pint. The song's melody is similar to
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
' "
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. In March 1968, it was released as a mono single, backed with "The Inner Light". The song was recorded on 3 a ...
".
"What I Got" reached the number-one spot on the US ''Billboard''
Modern Rock Tracks chart and was also a radio hit, peaking at number 29 on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100 Airplay
The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States acro ...
chart. In New Zealand, "What I Got" peaked at number 34 on the
RIANZ Singles Chart
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mu ...
; ''What I Got: The Seven Song EP'' charted higher, reaching number 33 on the same chart. Elsewhere, the single reached number two on the Canadian
''RPM'' Alternative 30 chart and number 19 in Iceland. It is ranked on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" at number 83.
Music video
The video for "What I Got", shot after Nowell's death, mainly contains a collage of archive videos and photos of him, as a tribute to the singer. The video includes images of Long Beach, California, where the band met their success, as well as live footage from a Sublime show at
The Capitol Ballroom
Nation (formerly The Capital Ballroom) was a live music/club venue, located at 1015 Half Street SE, in the Navy Yard/Near Southeast neighborhood, of Washington, D.C.
It was larger than any other club in the D.C. area, with three levels indoors an ...
in Washington, DC.
Track listings
Australian and European CD single
# "What I Got" – 2:51
# "Saw Red" – 1:57
# "Jailhouse" (live) – 4:40
# "What I Got" (demo version) – 2:39
UK CD single
# "What I Got" (Super No Mofo edit) – 2:51
# "
Rivers of Babylon
"Rivers of Babylon" is a Rastafari song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The lyrics are adapted from the texts of Psalms 19, and 137 in the Hebrew Bible. The Melodia ...
" – 2:29
# "All You Need" – 2:45
# "What I Got" (reprise) – 3:02
UK 7-inch single
:A. "What I Got" (Super No Mofo edit) – 2:51
:B. "Rivers of Babylon" – 2:29
''What I Got: The Seven Song EP''
# "What I Got" (Kahne radio edit) – 2:48
# "40 oz. to Freedom" – 3:18
# "D.J.s" – 3:05
# "All You Need" – 2:45
# "Same in the End" – 2:38
# "Work That We Do" – 2:37
# "Doin' Time" (Marshall Arts Remix featuring the Pharcyde) – 4:12
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
{{Authority control
1996 singles
1996 songs
Bret Michaels songs
MCA Records singles
Song recordings produced by David Kahne
Songs written by Bradley Nowell
Sublime (band) songs