I can't imagine how they felt playing this song under these circumstances. Such a sad loss for the music world and The Ziggens lost a great friend to them as well. I mean, the co-founded Skunk Records. Glad the Ziggens lived on, although it's very rare to catch them live anymore. Maybe 15 times a year, but they've still got it. Bradley, you will be missed. I'm just glad so many bands have picked up the torch, like Slightly Stoopid, Matisyahu, Dirty Heads, Pepper, LBDA, and the newly formed Perro Bravo with Michael Happoldt, formerly of Sublime. Sublime's music will always live on in everyone's heart and on everyone's mp3 player or stereo. Truly timeless music that was mostly created on a very low budget (except the self-titled album of course). Support the bands that are carrying the torch of this amazing band that never gets the mainstream recognition it deserves. They don't even have a top 500 album on Rolling Stone, which is a tragedy in itself. I'd say both 40 oz. and self-titled deserve a spot on that list, and I hope one day Sublime and Bradley are recognized like the Jim Morrisons or the Kurt Cobains because he really was THAT GOOD. RIP Bradley. I know you're jamming up there with Hendrix as I type this.
Bert died recently. I’m sure they are playing their songs together again. I saw the ziggens a while back at south by southwest and it was my favorite concert ever. RIP Bert.
Wow the sound quality is terrible but you can tell this was incredible live. RIP Bradley, I still cry that you are gone and I never even met you but you changed my life. Thank you to the Ziggens for sharing this. I really wish you would realize a studio version I know it would be beyond great.
you couldnt have said it better. at first i thought it was about surfing, then alcohol, but it can be about addiction in any form, Bradley was soooo talented incredible unique. He touched our souls in a way nobody else could or will ever again
This song is about surfing, drugs, or whatever you think it is about. We make our own meanings to songs sometimes. It could be about alcohol as well. Who knows for sure? Brad knows, possibly other members of Sublime know, but not many others. I'm sure it became about heroin after his addiction, but I think Pool Shark was a more direct reference to his heroin addiction. I would say Badfish uses surfing metaphors to talk about ADDICTION, in all its forms.
@bryan I'm basing it off of Brad's friends and family in numerous interviews. They all said he started his "experiment" after 40oz to Freedom failed to gain recognition as quickly as he had hoped. This puts his initial use AFTER 40oz was released. Since Badfish was one of the band's original tracks going back almost ten years before that time...I think it's safe to say the song came before his heroin use. If you talk to anyone that knew him in the old days, they will tell you he was clean.
@poolshark98 Most of robbin the hood was recorded in a crack house, Troy nowell claims that. And according to Jim Nowell, the first time badfish was sung was to his step mom after he finished writing it in his room. (or mom) Theres no way that badfish is about heroin, it makes absolutely no sense.
Sad Fact: a "Badfish" is a tainted drug. Between this song, and "Poolshark" Bradley knew his fate from his addition. Also fun fact; I was in 9th Grade in 96. Sublime became my favorite band. And of all the drugs I got addicted too, Heroine was not one of them I was merely a weed and shroom dude. Nothing beyond that. as I always thought about Bradley
ya, his amazing way to make letter for songs it was so different that we use to hear in other bands. if you like sublime lot you need to hear now the band pepper, its not the same talent sublime got but this guys are starting in this age with a cool music SUBLIME STYLE
badfish does mean someone who does heroin or someone who turned someone onto heroin. I would say that his friends tried getting him to do it and which led to this song because around this time he didn't try heroin yet.
A "Badfish" is someone who drinks a lot or gets others to drink. "Two pints of booze, tell me are you a badfish too?" And "Lord knows I'm weak, won't somebody get me off of this reef?" had to do with pot. He wasn't doing heroin at the time and this song is about drugs and alcohol in general. Whoever has been spreading this misinformation needs to stop. We've all heard the term "drinks like a fish." A song he obviously wrote about heroin is Pool Shark. Badfish was written in 1990 or 1991, before Jah Won't Pay the Bills came out, so it's definitely not about heroin.
Badfish is about Brad wanting to kick his addiction. He's asking why it had to happen so fast. Now he's stuck in this shithole of an addiction, and hes pleading for help. "wont somebody get me off of this reef"
ya- hes like second cousin or something- hes my moms cousin- it trips me out to this day that people have heard of them- like one day i was in big bear snowboarding, and this girl was out there with ziggens stickers all over her board! and i was like whaaaaaat?
@mikek21216 i think robbin the hood was even recorded in a dope house ur right badfish is more just about depression or drinking not heroin but when i did dope i could easly relate to badfish
who gives a fuck what the song was written about? music is about the individual's interpretation of a song.. how it touches us personally. we will never fully understand the beauty and power of sublime's music. it is simply an art for us to be mystified by until we pass onto the other side and gain comprehension of everything.
@mikek21216 i never said its about heroin. Have you ever seen the original lyrics to this song? They are displayed at The Hardrock in Hawaii in Brads lyric book.
@almightyseancore Wrong. He started using heroin around 92'-'93. Many years after he wrote badfish. His reasoning was a "year long experiment" to help his creativity. Notice how STP and poolshark are both on their second album? Thats because HE STARTING USING HEROIN. Stop spewing your bullshit about badfish being about heroin, because it has no relation.
