The Dark Story Behind Sublime’s “Santeria”

Sublime’s “Santeria” sounds like one of the most laid-back songs of the 1990s, but the story behind it is much darker than the sunny groove suggests. The song began as an instrumental called “Lincoln Highway Dub” before Bradley Nowell reshaped it into one of Sublime’s defining tracks. Behind the relaxed reggae-rock sound is a fictional revenge story, a chaotic recording period, and the tragic reality that Nowell died before the song became a massive hit. This is the story of how “Santeria” went from a buried instrumental to one of the strangest posthumous anthems of the 90s. #Sublime #Santeria #BradleyNowell #RockHistory #90sRock #SkaPunk #StoryOfTheSong #MusicHistory