What I Got


"What I Got" is a song from American band Sublime's self-titled third album. It was released to modern rock and college radio on July 23, 1996. The song's chorus is a lift from "Loving" by reggae artist Half Pint, who is credited as a co-writer. The melody and pacing of the verses is identical to the Beatles' "Lady Madonna". It was released after singer Bradley Nowell's death in 1996 from a heroin overdose and became one of the band's biggest radio hits.
"What I Got" reached the number-one spot on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and was also a mainstream radio hit, peaking at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. In New Zealand, "What I Got" peaked at number 34 on the RIANZ Singles Chart; What I Got: The Seven Song EP charted higher, reaching number 33 on the same chart. Elsewhere, the single reached number two on the Canadian RPM Alternative 30 chart and number 19 in Iceland. Rolling Stone placed it at number 83 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" in 2008.

Music video

The video for "What I Got", shot after Bradley Nowell's death, mainly contains a collage of archive videos and photos of him including his infant son Jakob Nowell at the end, as a tribute to the singer. The video includes images of Long Beach, California, where Sublime met their success, as well as live footage from a Sublime show at The Capitol Ballroom in Washington, D.C.

Track listings

Australian and European CD single
  1. "What I Got" – 2:51
  2. "Saw Red" – 1:57
  3. "Jailhouse" – 4:40
  4. "What I Got" – 2:39
UK CD single
  1. "What I Got" – 2:51
  2. "Rivers of Babylon" – 2:29
  3. "All You Need" – 2:45
  4. "What I Got" – 3:02
UK 7-inch single
What I Got: The Seven Song EP
  1. "What I Got" – 2:48
  2. "40 oz. to Freedom" – 3:18
  3. "D.J.s" – 3:05
  4. "All You Need" – 2:45
  5. "Same in the End" – 2:38
  6. "Work That We Do" – 2:37
  7. "Doin' Time" – 4:12

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
US Mainstream Rock Tracks 46
US Modern Rock Tracks 50