Growing up, music wasn’t just background noise; it was the soundtrack to life’s most formative moments. For me, and countless others in the 90s, Sublime’s “What I Got” was more than just a catchy tune – it was an anthem. This song, with its laid-back vibes and poignant lyrics, became intertwined with my friendship with Kim, a bond forged in the small-town backdrop of Brentwood Bay.
My introduction to “What I Got” came courtesy of Kim, my effortlessly cool best friend since 1996. We were teenagers navigating the awkwardness of adolescence in a rural pocket of Vancouver Island. Kim possessed a natural coolness that seemed to bypass all the typical teenage insecurities. She never judged, and in a world often defined by superficiality, she embraced my less-than-polished self. Our shared love for Green Day cemented our friendship, and she quickly became my refuge, a constant source of support during a turbulent time.
Brentwood Bay, with its fields, cows, and the distant ocean, was our playground. High school classroom windows offered views of grazing cows, sometimes even mischievous bovine visitors making their way onto school grounds as pranks. Summers meant working at Butchart Gardens, a local tourist hotspot, a world away from our daily teenage lives, yet a part of our shared experience. It was in this idyllic yet somewhat isolated setting that Sublime’s self-titled album, featuring “What I Got,” arrived in 1996. Released posthumously after the tragic passing of lead singer Bradley Nowell, the album resonated deeply, especially “What I Got,” which became a defining song for our friendship.
The exact moment “What I Got” first entered my ears is hazy, but I know Kim was the conduit. It might have been through shared earbuds, navigating the clunky Discman technology, trying to keep the burned CD from skipping as we walked home from school. Our aimless wanderings through the neighborhood were punctuated by stops at a local coffee shop, where Italian sodas fueled hours of teenage chatter. Perhaps it was during a bus trip towards Thetis Lake, followed by a hike in impractical platform flip-flops, while we scanned the water for the local heartthrob hockey player.
By Grade 9, Sublime was on constant rotation, particularly in Kim’s boyfriend’s midnight blue lowrider truck. Crammed into the two-seater, either perched on Kim’s lap or squished beside her, we’d cruise around or park near the baseball field, the truck’s stereo blasting out the uneven bass of “What I Got”. These weren’t just listening sessions; they were rites of passage, soundtracks to our burgeoning adulthood, a world expanding beyond the confines of childhood.
Bradley Nowell’s voice, through “What I Got,” spoke directly to us. He sang about the fleeting nature of life, the insignificance of material possessions, the very essence of “you only live once” before YOLO was even a hashtag. It was a West Coast mantra of living in the moment, delivered by someone who was no longer able to. The lyrics, imbued with both hardship and a liberating sense of letting go, resonated deeply. “What I Got” became more than just a song; it was a feeling, a youthful philosophy.
Life inevitably took us in different directions after high school, geographically at least. Yet, the echoes of “What I Got” continued to surface in unexpected places. Hearing it in a dive bar in Brooklyn, amidst peanut shells and dim lighting, transported me back to summer nights spent on Kim’s trampoline, watching the moon traverse the sky. Driving through Malibu with a new puppy, the lyric “livin’ with Louie dog’s the only way to stay sane” felt like a personal affirmation.
Most recently, at a karaoke night in a grand palazzo in Palermo, surrounded by music industry elites, “What I Got” was, almost inevitably, on the song list. Announcing to the room, “I’m from Victoria, and we like this song a lot out there,” I launched into a slightly off-key but enthusiastic rendition. The song, decades later and continents away, still held that same spark, that same connection to youthful friendship and carefree days.
“What I Got” by Sublime is more than just a 90s hit; it’s a timeless reminder of friendship, simpler times, and the importance of cherishing the present. It’s a song that, for me, will forever be linked to Kim and the formative years we spent discovering life and music together in Brentwood Bay. And sometimes, in a world that often feels too serious, revisiting “What I Got” is the perfect antidote, a call back to those carefree days and the enduring power of music and friendship.
About Meghan
Meghan Mae is a holistic facialist and the owner of Cara Cara, based in Los Angeles and Montreal with her dog Orly.
Instagram @caracarastudio
Website caracara.studio
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