Annie's twelve years old, in two more, she'll be a whore
Nobody ever told her it's the wrong way
Don't be afraid with the quickness, you get laid
For your family, get paid
It's the wrong way

I gave her all that I had to give
I'm gonna make it hard to live
Salty tears running down to her chin
It ruins up her makeup and never wanna give

A cigarette pressed between her lips
But I'm staring at her tits
It's the wrong way
Strong if I can but I am only a man
So I take her to the can
It's the wrong way

The only family that she's ever had
Is the seven horny brothers and a drunk-ass dad
He needed money so he put her on the street
Everything was going fine till the day she met me

Happy are you sad, want to shoot your dad
I'll do anything I can it's the wrong way
We talked all night and tried to make it right
Believe me shit was tight
It was the wrong way

So run away if you don't want to stay
'Cause I ain't here to make you, oh no
It's up to you what you really want to do
Spend some time in America
Dubstyle

She'll give you all that she got to give
But I'm gonna make it hard to live
Big salty tears running down to her chin
And it smears of her makeup and never wanna give
So we ran away
And I'm sorry when I say that straight to this very day
It was the wrong way
She took a hike it don't matter if I like it or not
Because she only wants the wrong way

I gave her all that I had to give
She still wouldn't take it, whoa no
Her two brown eyes are leaking like a sieve
It still ruins her makeup and never want to give


Lyrics submitted by The Big Andowski, edited by daystar07, Natalie21, ParanoidAndroid8

Wrong Way Lyrics as written by Eric John Wilson Bradley James Nowell

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Wrong Way song meanings
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92 Comments

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  • +10
    General Comment
     Wrong Way by Sublime is the story of a fourteen year old prostitute, who was put on the streets by her poor father. “Annie's 12 years old, in two more she'll be a whore.

    Nobody ever told her it's the wrong way.” She never second guessed what she was doing, until one of her customers got to know her. As he learned of her past, he wanted to take Annie away from her father. He wanted her to leave for America with him. If she didn’t want to go he wasn’t going to force her, he just wanted a better life for her. “It's up to you what you really wanna do spend some time in America.” Annie and the man left for America, but on the way Annie ran from him. Her old life was the only way she knew and she had to go back. “She took a hike it don't matter if I like it or not Because she only wants the wrong way.” He repeats “It's the wrong way” because he knows what he’s doing is wrong, yet he continues his actions. EXPOS

    japan3groon December 12, 2008   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    to me this song is obviously talking about "the girl hes trying to save" but also taking her out back to bang her in the van...which he knows is the WRONG WAY. so in general its about how screwed up the world is...everyone talking about what they would like to do to make the world a better place but yet the still end up doing the wrong thing in some way.

    j_Anne9on May 01, 2002   Link
  • +3
    Song Meaning

    This song is sad, it's about a girl who doesn't want to be helped or rather can't be helped, she feels drawn to the wrong way all the time and doesn't feel she deserves him and his help or deserve to be rescued.
    He then just realizes that he's done all he can to try to save her but wants her so much that he takes advantage of her as everyone else does and she lets him.

    Some people are like this, they're auto-destructive and can't/won't be helped.

    Sublemonon March 13, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    im also a lil confused about murdering the dad, i mean, is that like a huge part or is that like just thrown in there? but 4 some reason i think he is tryin to be help emotionally. i love this song....even if like how it is totally about life being shitty, it just is one of those songs u get stuck in your head, and i love singing to this song!!!

    savedbymusicon September 02, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    haha i just wanted to say that i know this one bitch whose name is annie and she's fourteen...she's well on her way to becoming a whore, kind of like this song says. grr i hate her so much but this song kicks your donkey's ass! (about the aforementioned phrase....don't ask. i'm weird) and now i'm going to be trendy and say what everyone else says: r.i.p. bradley nowell!

    sparky the foolon July 02, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    the song has serious lyrics, but its so damn catchy!

    stupidpunkkidon July 31, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Alot of sublime songs Bradley talks about how he wants to change his ways, cause he knows that in the near future he will take everything into regret and wont be able to fix much...and in this song you can tell that he wants to help out this "annie" character, but he can't even change his ways, and he can't restrain himself, and as much as he loves her and her body...he knows that his not good enough for her and she deserves much better.

    rockindacurveson March 06, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Alot of sublime songs Bradley talks about how he wants to change his ways, cause he knows that in the near future he will take everything into regret and wont be able to fix much...and in this song you can tell that he wants to help out this "annie" character, but he can't even change his ways, and he can't restrain himself, and as much as he loves her and her body...he knows that his not good enough for her and she deserves much better.

    rockindacurveson March 06, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    these lyrics are all the "wrong way"

    first off, its quickness/laid, family/paid.

    secondly, the last line is "her two brown eyes only get larger still" what the fuck is "leaking like a seive"?

    thirdly, there's nothing trendy about saying r.i.p bradley nowell. he deserves so much respect for how original his music was and really doesnt get it, while when people like aaliyah die they become "legends" for writing lyrics 10 year olds listen to and become sluts and faggot wiggers. there should be more bradley nowells out there to save these people.

    rossxon March 10, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    haha i feel soo bad for liking this song because it's so funny but it is disturbing like someone else said. It's about child prostitution and how the guy wanted to help the girl out. She didn't want it so she still is a prostitute.

    that one girlon March 22, 2005   Link

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