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/
Negative Sides of Optimistic Eyes
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my lungs are filled inside this chest
And I've been helpless and I couldn't have cared less
Of anything that could or has been said
In the future, past and present tense
Been my own best friend
With clouds over my head
Decided that it's sink or swim
The waters coming in
Foundations wearing thin
Sometimes I wonder
If I'll ever be missed
If I swim with the ship again
Trying not to hold my breath
But my lungs are filled inside this chest
And I've been helpless and I couldn't have cared less
Of anything that could or has been said
What those words mean or just what they meant
In the future, past and present tense
Been my own best friend
With clouds over my head
Been on this sinking ship
Decided that it's sink or swim
The waters coming in
Foundations wearing thin
Sometimes I wonder
If I'll ever be missed
If I swim with the ship
Giving up inch by inch
In twenty words or less
I'll describe this mess
I've drank to forget
Full of hopelessness
Never cared what they said
And I'm on this edge in crisis
And I couldn't care less
Been my own best friend
With clouds over my head
Been on this sinking ship
Decided that it's sink or swim
The waters coming in
Foundations wearing thin
Sometimes I wonder
If I'll ever be missed again
Been my own best friend
With clouds over my head
Been on this sinking ship
Decided that it's sink or swim
The waters coming in
Foundations wearing thin
Sometimes I wonder
If I'll ever be missed
If I could swim with the ship
Giving up inch by inch
And I've lost my own best friend
The lyrics to "Negative Sides of Optimistic Eyes" by Less Than Jake tell a story of personal struggle and isolation. The singer is trying not to hold their breath, implying that they feel that they are suffocating under the weight of their problems. They feel helpless and isolated, "been my own best friend with clouds over my head." They have decided to take control of their situation, acknowledging that their foundations are wearing thin and that they are "on this sinking ship," but they wonder if anyone will miss them if they give up. The final line, "And I've lost my own best friend," drives home the feeling of isolation and despair.
Overall, this song is about feeling like you're drowning in your own problems and not seeing a way out. The lyrics use powerful imagery to convey this feeling, such as the sinking ship metaphor and the clouds over the singer's head. While the overall message is a bleak one, the song also offers a sense of agency - the singer has made a choice to swim with the ship and try to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
Trying not to hold my breath
Attempting to remain optimistic despite the circumstances.
But my lungs are filled inside this chest
Feelings of anxiety and worry that are unhealthy and overwhelming.
And I've been helpless and I couldn't have cared less
Being stuck and unable to take action, yet feeling indifferent towards the situation.
Of anything that could or has been said
Being disconnected from communication and the impact of words.
In the future, past and present tense
Feeling weighed down by the memories and expectations of the past, present, and future.
Been my own best friend
Relying solely on oneself to handle the hardships and difficulties.
With clouds over my head
Feeling negative, depressed, and pessimistic.
Been on this sinking ship
Being in a difficult or dangerous situation where failure is likely.
Decided that it's sink or swim
Realizing that there are only two outcomes and that a decision must be made to succeed or fail.
The waters coming in
Knowing that the difficulties are getting worse and the situation is becoming more dire.
Foundations wearing thin
Realizing that the support and stability of the situation is weakening, and failure is becoming more likely.
Sometimes I wonder
Questioning the possibilities and outcomes of the situation.
If I'll ever be missed
Wondering if one's presence, efforts, or contributions are appreciated or valued.
If I swim with the ship again
Considering whether to follow the same path despite the likelihood of sinking or failure.
Giving up inch by inch
Slowly losing hope and motivation to succeed or overcome the difficulties.
In twenty words or less
Summarizing the current situation in a brief statement.
I'll describe this mess
Acknowledging the difficulty, complexity, and frustration of the current situation.
I've drank to forget
Attempting to escape from the difficulties and hardships through substance abuse.
Full of hopelessness
Feeling completely devoid of hope and optimism.
Never cared what they said
Being indifferent to the opinions, advice, or criticism of others.
And I'm on this edge in crisis
Feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of collapse or failure.
And I couldn't care less
Continuing to feel indifferent towards the situation and potential outcomes.
And I've lost my own best friend
Feeling alone and without any support or comfort from oneself.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind