"Pawn Shop" is based on a 1984 Wailing Souls song called "War Deh Round a John Shop." They were a roots reggae band straight out of Jamaica. This can be heard in the song's reggae beat.
This six-minute song extolls the virtues of pawn shops, those places where you can get some cash in a hurry if you're willing to part with some of your worldly possessions. The band had ties to pawn shops - lead singer Brad Nowell used to pawn his guitar for drug money. Producer and friend Miguel had to go buy it back before shows.
"Pawn Shop" is part of Sublime's self-titled third album, their first on a major label and their big breakthrough. Unfortunately, Brad Nowell didn't live to see it: He died of a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996, two months before it was released. With the band no longer extant, it looked like the album would just fade into the ether, but the songs were just too good. Radio stations started playing "What I Got," generating interest in the band. Every few months another Sublime song would roll out: "Santeria," "Wrong Way," "Caress Me Down." The album ended up selling over 5 million copies.
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