Sublime: Badfish Meaning

Badfish Lyrics

when you grab a hold of me.
tell me that i never be set free.
but im a parasite.
creep and crawl i step in to he light.
2 pints of booze.
tell me are you a badfish too.
aint got no money to spend.
i hope the night will never end.
lord...

1. anonymous

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   Oct 10th 2011 !⃝

   There was a story about Bradley high on heroin, and he was trying to get more, but his dad wouldn't let him. His dad just grabbed him and bear-hugged him to restrain him until Bradley was to exhausted and came down from his high. Not sure if that is true can't verify from any legitimate source, but that first line backs up that story. "When you grab a hold of me, tell me that I will never be set free"
2. anonymous

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   Oct 6th 2009 !⃝

   Mistake!
   When he says "When you grab a hold of me
   Tell me that I'll never be set free " (He's saying he doesnt want the feeling to go away)
   Srry.
   
   Bradley Nowell
   R.I.P. 1996
3. anonymous

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   Oct 6th 2009 !⃝

   Ok Im going to put the lyrics with my interprataions.
   When you grab a hold of me
   Tell me that I'll never be set free
   (He's saying when he use's heroine that he never wants it to stop)
   But I'm a parasite creep and crawl I step into the night.
   (He's describng what he's become as a heroine addict)
   Two pints of booze
   Tell me are you a badfish too? Are you a badfish too?
   (A "Badfish" is someone who exposes someone els to heroine for the first time)
   Ain't got no money to spend
   (He spent all his money on heroine, but aint got no money to spend)
   I hope the night will never end
   (He doesn't want the heroine to wear away)
   Lord knows I'm weak
   Won't somebody get me off of this reef
   (He's saying he can't kick the addiction; he's asking for help)
   Baby your a big blue whale
   (Heroine)
   Grab the reef when all duck diving fails
   (When he's in a tough spot he goes to heroine)
   I swim but I wish I've never learned
   (He does heroine, but doesn't want to)
   The water's too polluted with germs
   I dive deep when it's ten feet overhead
   (He goes to heroine when the going gets tough)
   Grab the reef underneath my bed
   It's underneath my bed
   Ain't got no quarrels with God Ain't got no time to grow old
   Lord knows I'm weak
   Won't somebody get me off of this reef
   
   Ain't got no quarrels with God. Ain't got no time to get old
   Lord knows I'm weak
   Won't somebody get me off of this reef
   
   
   R.I.P. Bradley Nowell
   Thats all I interpreted.
4. anonymous

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   Jul 15th 2009 !⃝

   I can't believe no one has done badfish yet. Totally about addiction like "poolshark". Maybe not as obvious but still pretty easy to grasp. This is probably my favorite anti drug song excluding "drugs don't work". Example: "lord knows I'm weak won't somebody get me off of this reef...baby your a big blue whale grab the reef when all duck diving fails..I swim but I wish I'd never learned waters too polluted now with germs." The "lord knows I'm weak" refers to his inability to quit using. "won't somebody get me off of this reef" is his cry for help with opiate abuse. "baby your a big blue whale" refer to the blue whale being the biggest animal in the sea...goes along with heroin being the biggest part or problem in his life. "I swim but I wish I never learned" I believe refers to the fact that he wishes he never learned how to use (particularly injection style) the drug with "too many germs" either referring to diseases that can come from intervenious drug use or the bad people involved in acquiring the drug.

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