They began touring the Texas punk circuit in the early nineties, creating a fan base and becoming regulars of punk venues like Slipped Disc and The Jumpin' Java Joint. In this time they opened for such bands as Swervedriver, ALL, and The Poster Children.
A demo tape was released and quickly became an underground hit. It followed the pattern of punk band The Descendents, with tracks like "Tallman" (about the middle finger) and "Marry Me" (a Lyon- composed love song). This was punk to have fun to, and it appealed to the Dallas punk scene at the time, which was composed mainly of suburbanites who would drive downtown on the weekends and had no time for politics.
Then grunge happened. Being fans of Seattle, WA's Mudhoney and the Northwestern punk sound, a decision was made to augment the band with a richer sound. Tensions between drummer Banning Lyon and the Blair brothers was mounting. Lyon was feeling used for his friendships with major punk bands. Zach and Donnie Blair felt used on account of their mother's wealth. Lyon left the band in 1992. John Fromme, formerly of the band "Pee Pee" joined in on drums. Another guitarist, "Camper" was added to fill out the sound. This lineup pushed the band into new territory, and the fans really liked it, but the band was winding down. The rampant drug abuse of lead singer James Newhouse, Camper, and Fromme ran counter to the "2 out of 3" straight edge of the brothers Blair. So they left, bringing with them the Hagfish name.
The third incarnation of the band, vocalist George Reagan III, brothers Doni and Zach Blair, and drummer Tony Barsotti decided to record their first studio album, Buick Men, on Dragon Street Records in 1993.
Hagfish then signed with London Records and released the 1995 album, ...Rocks your Lame Ass. This went on to become their most commercially successful album. In 1996 Hagfish was voted best Alternative Rock/Pop act by the Dallas Observer. After numerous arguments about the follow-up to ...Rocks your Lame Ass, London dropped Hagfish, and they returned to the independent scene. Their self-titled album Hagfish, was released on Honest Don's in 1997, but did not see any real commercial success. Several breakups soon followed, and the bands touring stopped. The last release made by the band was a live album, That was Then, This is Then, which was released in 2001.
Since the official break up in 2001, the band members have gone on to other projects. George has moved on to a homegrown Hip-Hop band The Brothers. Doni has participated in several bands including the instrumental band The Mag Seven, Armstrong, and his current project Only Crime. Zach also currently plays in Rise Against, as well as having played with the Burden Brothers, GWAR, Only Crime, Adventures of Jet and Armstrong.
Happiness
Hagfish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pull over
Pull over and talk to me
Yes
I know you're much to young to spend all your time with me
And I want to drag you into my car
I want to give my love to you
Don't need your help
Don't need your help
Don't need your help
Don't need your help
I need your happiness
I need your happiness
I need
Whoa
I need your happiness
Pull over
Pull over
Pull over and talk to me
Yes
I know you're much too young to spend all your time with me
And I want to drag you into my car
And I want to give my love to you
I want to give my time to
Don't need your help
Don't need your help
Don't need your help
Don't need your help
I need your happiness
I need your happiness
I need
Whoa
I need your happiness
Pull over
Pull over
Pull over
In the lyrics of Hagfish's "Happiness," the singer is addressing someone who is much younger than them, perhaps even underage. The singer is expressing their desire for the younger person's companionship and affection, wanting to "drag [them] into [their] car" and give them their love and time. However, the singer specifically states that they don't need the younger person's help, but rather they need their happiness.
The last two lines of the chorus are repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's need for the younger person's happiness. This suggests that the singer may be lonely or unhappy themselves and believe that the younger person's happiness can provide a sense of fulfillment or meaning in their life. However, the song does not explore the potential issues with seeking validation or happiness through the attention and affection of someone much younger.
Overall, the lyrics of "Happiness" are somewhat unsettling and raise questions about the intentions and motives of the singer. It's possible that the song is meant to be a commentary on the predatory behavior of some older individuals towards minors, or a cautionary tale about the dangers of seeking happiness through questionable means.
Line by Line Meaning
Pull over
The singer is pleading with someone to pull over and talk to them.
Pull over
The singer repeats their request for the person to pull over and talk to them.
Pull over and talk to me
The singer is asking the person to stop and have a conversation with them.
Yes
The singer is affirming that they want to have a conversation with the person.
I know you're much too young to spend all your time with me
The singer acknowledges that the person they are speaking to is younger than them and may not want to spend all their time together.
And I want to drag you into my car
The singer expresses a desire to bring the person they are speaking to into their car.
I want to give my love to you
The singer wants to express their affection to the person they are speaking to.
And I want to give my time to
The singer is willing to dedicate their time to the person they are speaking to.
Don't need your help
The singer expresses that they don't need assistance from the person they're speaking to.
I need your happiness
The singer confesses that what they really need is the person's happiness.
Whoa
An exclamation of strong emotion from the singer, perhaps emphasizing their desire for the person's happiness.
I need your happiness
The singer repeats their confession that they need the person's happiness.
Pull over
The singer again requests for the person to pull over and talk to them.
Pull over
The singer repeats their request to pull over.
Pull over
The singer repeats their request once more.
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.