Santeria (song)

"Santeria" is a ballad[5] by American ska punk band Sublime from their third self-titled album (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 considered the band's signature songs.

This article is about the Sublime song. For the Pusha T song, see Daytona (album).

"Santeria"
US promotional single
Single by Sublime
from the album Sublime
ReleasedJanuary 7, 1997
Recorded1996
Genre
Length3:03
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Sublime singles chronology
"What I Got"
(1996)		 "Santeria"
(1997)		 "Wrong Way"
(1997)

Composition and context

The song includes the bassline and guitar riff from Sublime's earlier song "Lincoln Highway Dub" off the 1994 album Robbin' the Hood.[6] Santería is an Afro-Cuban religion, practiced in Cuba, South Florida, and exported to other areas in the Caribbean.

The song tells the story of a jealous ex-boyfriend who is planning to take revenge on the man who stole his girlfriend. 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 to "slap her [the original girlfriend] down." 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

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. 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

"Santeria" was a moderate U.S. crossover hit, 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

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 and This is 40.

Charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 90
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[11] 43
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[12] 3
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[13] 38

Notes
  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. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  7. "What does sancho mean? sancho Definition. Meaning of sancho.and sancho is the man that is cheating with a mans woman behind his backOnlineSlangDictionary.com". Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  8. "What does heina mean? heina Definition. Meaning of heina.thats not true hiena its a way to call the gf or a woman as the cheater 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.
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