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Doin' Time

by

Sublime


Album "Sublime" by Sublime
Album: Sublime
Released: 1996
Charted:
87
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Songfacts®:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This is based on the George and Ira Gershwin song "Summertime," from the 1935 musical Porgy & Bess. They share the same first line, "Summertime and the livin's easy."
This was the final song on Sublime's third album, and it was their commercial breakthrough. It became a hit shortly after Sublime lead singer Brad Nowell died of a drug overdose. The band broke up when he died, but drummer Bud Gaugh and bass player Eric Wilson formed a new band called The Long Beach Dub All-Stars.
"Doin' Time" was originally in the lyrics but was replaced by "Summertime" at the last minute.
This contains a sample from the Beastie Boys' "Slow and Low" from their 1986 album License to Ill. The line is, "And when we do it like this, in the place to be."
The band's Dalmatian, Lou-Dog, makes an appearance on this. Lou got the band temporarily kicked off the first Warped tour in 1995 when he bit a skateboarder.
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Comments (15):

Altered lyrics to "Jump For Jah" by Ini Kamoze were included. It retains the final line from the original "show them now we've come off the shelf" but substitutes the previous couple lines with a reference to masturbation.
- Bob, Schenectady, NY
The band didn't break up, they have Rome now...?
- Mariah, New York, NY
sorry to correct ya but the scrapped title for mca's debut sublime album was " kilin' it " and then changed because of bradley's death.
- mic, tualatin, OR
They've remixed this song a looot of times. There used to be a whole "CD" of the different versions on the Sublime Archive but Universal shut the Sublime and LBDAS sections down. Also, Miguel Happoldt sings summertime at the beginning because Bradley had sung "doin' time" but Gershwin said no and then Brad died and they didn't get to change it so Miguel sings the beginning.
- Pedro, Chula Vista, CA
The self titled album Sublime was orignally called Doin' Time but was changed after Brad's death and before the album was released. Because. Doin' time is a reference to DOING HEROIN. "Me and my girl got this relationship" His heroin addiction. "I love her so bad, but she treats me like...." Being strung out. "on lockdown like a penitentiary" Addiction. It goes on with references about heroin being his creative fuel. The song ends with another reference "evil, i've come to tell you that shes evil" and so on, also talking about heroin.
- Bankhead, Atlanta, GA
when he sings to "on the microphone with ras MG" he is refering to Marshall goodman who co wrote the song
- Graham, sdfs, CO
They REALLY did a remix with Snoop Dogg for this song, it's on the "Everything Under the Sun" Box Set!
- Mariana, Annandale, VA
This song is dope. It reminds me of orange soda.
- Scott, Pittsburgh, PA
Is this the song where in the video there's an INSANELY creepy clown guy that gives the little boy icecream and scratches his chest... then he chases the kid on the slip n' slide? If it's not... then i'm a bit stupid but I've seen it before and it's funny stuff. (the clown's the dad from the "wrong way" video....)
- Jeri, Edmonton, Canada
There is also a remix I have of this song that was produced by Wyclef Jean of "The Fugees".
- Will, Kansas City, MO
This song was remixed almost a dozen times. One version did feature Snoop Dogg singing the hook and adding a short verse at the end.
- Carlo, Milwaukee, WI
I dont think they remixed this song with Snoop Dogg Jennie....They remixed it with the Pharcyde. The pharcyde are great though they had that sweet song Passin Me by.
- Derek, St.Clair Shores, MI
If you don't like Sublime, I think you might be either deaf or a little mental. (((Todos Santos Rules!!!)))
- Jeff, San Diego, CA
My Ex, Dave(2003-2004) & Summer of 2001 with Jasmin, Adrian & Rick! That's all I gotta say!
- Iris, El Paso, TX
They later did a remix of the song with Snoop Dogg (who is also from Long Beach, CA)
- Jennie, Jacksonville, FL
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