The band's name derives from a bird Vinnie had while growing up, which was treated better than the rest of the family. It's also a reference to the phrase "everything is jake," which is an old phrase meaning everything is cool.
Less Than Jake released their debut album, Pezcore, in 1995, following a series of independent seven-inch single releases. The band's subsequent two studio albums, Losing Streak (1996) and Hello Rockview (1998), were released on major label, Capitol Records, leading to increased exposure. The band's fifth studio album Anthem (2003) was their most commercially successful to date, featuring the singles, "She's Gonna Break Soon" and "The Science of Selling Yourself Short".
In 2008 the band founded its own label, Sleep It Off Records, and released its seventh full-length album, GNV FLA. The band has recently stated its preference for EP releases, and independently issued Greetings from Less Than Jake (2011) and its counterpart, Seasons Greetings from Less Than Jake (2012). In late 2012, the band combined the two to create the compilation album, Greetings and Salutations (2012) Their eighth studio album, See the Light, was released on November 12, 2013.
Miscellaneous Info:
Vinnie was previously the owner of the independent record label Fueled by Ramen, as well as a toy company called Wünderland War (formerly Monkey Vs. Robot). This label has signed bands such as Fall Out Boy, Punchline, The AKAs, Gym Class Heroes, Panic! At The Disco and Days Away. Roger, meanwhile, is in a second band, called Rehasher, for whom he composes lyrics and plays guitar. JR played sax on the last track of Off Key Melodies. JR works with a promoting company called the CT Mafia, as well as composing solo music. He contributed one track to the Drive-Thru compilation tribute to Bob Dylan, using the band name The Stay At Home Joneses (Roger sang backup for this track).
Roger and Vinnie have an unexplained fetish for Pez candy and they reportedly have sizeable dispenser collections. This love for Pez goes so far as to name one of their albums, Pezcore (parodying of the way in which many bands are described as [something]-core, starting with hardcore) and Pez dispenser motifs are a common feature of their merchandise.
Roger's employment history includes a smoke shop in the band's hometown Gainesville, Florida known as Knuckleheads which has since been transformed into a similar establishment named Smoke. Band member haunts have included Eddie C's, the Hardback (which was transformed into the Lyric), and Insomnia (which used to be the Covered Dish, and is now the new location of Common Grounds).
The members of Less Than Jake also served as backup musicians for Asian Man Records owner Mike Park in the B.Lee Band (once called "the Bruce Lee Band", changed for legal reasons).
The track "Look What Happened" appeared on two of their albums, "Borders & Boundaries" (2000) and "Anthem." (2003) The "Anthem" version is completely re-recorded, and has eschewed the brass at the beginning of the song that was featured in the previous recording. The re-recording features guest vocals from Teen Idols/Bullets To Broadway's Heather.
They have also re-recorded many other songs, including "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts," "Jen Doesn't Like Me Anymore" and "Shotgun".
They recorded the main theme song "We're all Dudes" for the 1997 film "Goodburger" based on the sketch from the Nikelodeon TV show "All That." The song features Kel Mitchell (main character, Ed, in the movie). The song is based off of the jingle "Ed" would always sing while waiting for the next situation to come up in the Goodburger sketches. At the end of the song Mitchell says "Ah, Ed and Less than Jake, oh, uh... no?"
In 2004, Less Than Jake appeared on the Projekt Revolution Tour, joining such artists as The Used, Snoop Dogg, Korn, and the headlining band: Linkin Park.
Lineups:
Chris DeMakes - vocals and guitar (1992–present)
Roger Lima - vocals and bass (1993–present)
Buddy ''Goldfinger'' Schaub - tenor trombone and backing vocals (1993–present)
Peter ''JR'' Wasilewski - tenor saxophone and backing vocals (2000–present)
Matt Yonker - Drums (2018–present)
Past members:
Jessica Mills - alto saxophone (1993–1998)
Derron Nuhfer - tenor and baritone saxophone (1995–2000)
Pete Anna - tenor and alto trombone (1998–2001)
Vinnie Fiorello - drums (1992–2018)
Website: http://www.lessthanjake.com/
Dopeman
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To sell it to you or anyone he can
Because this is much better than minimum wage
And no matter how things they can
Because dopeman's reasons will always stay the same
And for some people it's the only way to stay sane
Think about it for a minute more
It's a life of crime or hanging round the liquor store
When the city comes down what would you do
Take a welfare state
Or a dopeman's fate
And keep the cycle spinning around
The lyrics of Less Than Jake's song "Dopeman" reflect on the harsh realities of living in poverty and the choices one is forced to make in order to survive. The song talks about the "Dopeman's" big plan to sell drugs to anyone and the benefits it has compared to minimum wage. The lyrics suggest that for some people, selling drugs is the only way to make ends meet and stay sane.
Less Than Jake highlights the fact that the Dopeman's reasons for selling drugs will always stay the same, while people who are struggling in poverty have to make difficult choices every day. The lyrics ask listeners to "think about it for a minute more" and consider the other options for survival such as living on welfare or hanging around liquor stores, which can ultimately lead to a cycle of poverty.
The song is a commentary on the economic system that leaves people in poverty with limited options and the consequences that follow. It's a powerful statement on the harsh realities of living in a society where the system is rigged against some people.
Line by Line Meaning
Dopeman's got another big plan
The drug dealer has come up with another scheme to make money illegally.
To sell it to you or anyone he can
His goal is to sell drugs to anyone who is interested and even those who are not.
Because this is much better than minimum wage
He prefers selling drugs because it earns him more than what he would make on minimum wage.
And no matter how things they can
Regardless of what happens or how difficult things get, he will continue selling drugs.
Because dopeman's reasons will always stay the same
The drug dealer's motivations for selling drugs will never change.
And for some people it's the only way to stay sane
Some individuals believe that buying and using drugs is a way for them to cope with their mental health issues.
Think about it for a minute more
Take a moment to consider the long-term impact of drug use and the consequences that come with it.
It's a life of crime or hanging round the liquor store
Without a legitimate source of income, one is either forced to turn to criminal activity or remain jobless and waste their life away elsewhere.
Or a quick drug fix just to get you through
Drug users often resort to drugs as a way to temporarily alleviate their problems and challenges faced in everyday life.
When the city comes down what would you do
In times of crisis, when law enforcement is cracking down on drug trafficking and drug users are being arrested, drug dealers and users must decide how to respond.
Take a welfare state
One could opt to accept government-provided aid, such as welfare, as an alternative to illegal activities.
Or a dopeman's fate
Alternatively, they may choose to continue selling and consuming drugs, risking arrest or even death.
And keep the cycle spinning around
By choosing to continue the cycle of drug trafficking and drug use, individuals perpetuate the negative effects these activities have on society and the individuals involved.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andre Romell Young, Andrew Noland, Gregory Allen Webster, Leroy Bonner, Marshall Eugene Jones, O'Shea Jackson, Ralph Middlebrook, Walter Junie Morrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind