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/
Goodbye in Gasoline
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the cold from being outside.
And the windows in my car
Have started to fog up.
And it's colder then I remember it ever being in Florida.
My stomach's burning
And the stereo in this car is screaming so loud.
I'm just starting to wake up.
And it's darker then I remember it ever being in Florida.
The saddest song always plays
On the radio on the worst days,
So I'm saying goodbye in gasoline.
It's the only way I know
My head in spinning
And this engine is humming and clicking in time.
To the pounding in my head
And this heart on my sleeve
And it's quieter then I remember.
And it can go on forever.
Do you know how many times
How many times I've counted the signs of State lines
and roads I've known.
I know, this time, feels like goodbye.
My lungs are aching
From the cold from stading outside.
And it's no surprise that we're fucked up.
But you're colder then I remember
you ever being in Florida.
The lyrics of Less Than Jake's "Goodbye in Gasoline" portrays the unsettling feeling of being lost and directionless in life. The song starts with the singer feeling physically cold as he is standing outside while his lungs ache and the windows of his car are foggy. He expresses his feeling of being lost by saying it's colder than he remembers Florida being. The line "It's 3 in the morning, I'm just starting to wake up" portrays how the singer might be in a state of confusion or shock while being half asleep. As he tries to find comfort from his misery, he listens to loud music, but nothing seems to make him feel better.
The line "The saddest song always plays on the radio on the worst days" suggests that the singer is feeling so low that he can relate to every sad song playing on the radio. He then decides to say his final goodbye by igniting his car with gasoline. It's his way of saying goodbye to his old self, and he hopes that it will pave the way for a new beginning. The last few lines express how the singer is tired and exhausted from running away, and even the person he was with seems colder and distant than ever before. Overall, the song portrays the feeling of being lost, lonely, and directionless in life.
Line by Line Meaning
My lungs are aching
I feel discomfort in my chest as a result of standing out in the cold.
From the cold from being outside.
I'm experiencing the cold temperatures due to standing outside for an extended period of time.
And the windows in my car
The windows in my car are fogging up.
Have started to fog up.
Condensation has begun to appear on my car's windows due to the cold on the outside and warmth on the inside.
And it's colder then I remember it ever being in Florida.
The weather is colder than I anticipated, especially for the state of Florida where it's typically warm.
My stomach's burning
I feel a sensation of pain in my gut.
And the stereo in this car is screaming so loud.
The car's music system is playing incredibly loud.
It's 3 in the morning
The time is currently three in the morning.
I'm just starting to wake up.
I'm gradually coming to consciousness after having been asleep.
And it's darker then I remember it ever being in Florida.
The darkness outside is much more intense than any memory I have of Florida.
The saddest song always plays
I tend to hear the saddest music when I'm feeling the worst.
On the radio on the worst days,
The radio often plays depressing songs when I'm already feeling down.
So I'm saying goodbye in gasoline.
I'm using gasoline to signify my farewell.
It's the only way I know
This is my customary way of saying goodbye.
My head in spinning
I'm feeling lightheaded or dizzy.
And this engine is humming and clicking in time.
The car's engine is making sounds that fit in with the rhythms in my head.
To the pounding in my head
My headache is causing my head to throb.
And this heart on my sleeve
I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve, being open and honest about my feelings.
And it's quieter then I remember.
It's more peaceful than I remember it being.
And it can go on forever.
This state of peace could continue indefinitely.
Do you know how many times
I've repeated this process numerous times before.
How many times I've counted the signs of State lines
I've counted the number of State lines I've crossed on multiple occasions
and roads I've known.
I'm familiar with these roads I'm travelling on.
I know, this time, feels like goodbye.
This time in particular, I feel as though I'm saying goodbye for good.
My lungs are aching
Again, I'm experiencing discomfort in my chest.
From the cold from stading outside.
Standing outside in the cold is the cause of this pain.
And it's no surprise that we're fucked up.
I'm unsurprised that we're in a bad place emotionally.
But you're colder then I remember you ever being in Florida.
Your demeanor is even colder than I remember it being in a typically warm state like Florida.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENNETH GAMBLE, LEON HUFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind