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/
The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out/Screws Fall Out
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you've been hoping this year will be better than the last
You said you've been waging a war against the loneliest of nights
With the strongest drinks and longest lines, it's not that big of a surprise
That you're feeling more dead than alive
You're feeling more dead than alive
So I'll let you know if you need
I'll be listening when you call
And I'll be there if you fall off
If you need someone to believe in you I'll let you know I will
You said the hole in your head has gotten bigger than the whole that's in your chest
And you're stuck between the past and present tense
Said you've been waging a war against so many years of lies
With stronger drinks and longer lines, it's not that big of a surprise
That you're feeling more dead than alive
You're feeling more dead than alive
So I'll let you know if you need
Somewhere to go
I'll be listening when you call
And I'll be there if you fall off
If you need someone to believe in you I'll let you know I will
But sometimes you've gotta let it go
So this pen is starting to become
A pipe bomb and these songs
Have turned to anthems again
To everything that's changed and to everything that's gone away
Here are my condolences to the future I never met
It's gone and never coming back
It's never coming back
So don't hold onto your past
You've gotta let it go
Cause friends leave as time fades away
The people and the places along the way
Without a doubt
Screws fall in and screws they fall out
Tomorrow's gone up in smoke
And I wonder when I'm alone
Where did my convictions go?
So to everyone that's gone away
Or fades away or stays the same
Here are my apologies to the person that I used to be
Before I burned down every bridge and every inch
Of everything I used to know
I gotta let it go
Friends leave as time fades away
The people and the places along the way
So don't hold onto your past
No, it's never coming back
You've gotta let it go
The song is about a person who feels lost and overwhelmed by the difficulties of life. They speak of waging a war against the loneliest of nights and feeling dead on the inside. The lyrics are powerful and relatable, particularly for those who felt like they are struggling in life. The chorus is an offer of support, reminding the person that they are not alone and that the singer is ready to be there for them if they call or fall off.
Line by Line Meaning
You told me that your 20 years have gone by much too fast
The singer's friend expressed that they feel like time has passed too quickly in their life.
And you've been hoping this year will be better than the last
The friend hopes for improvement in their life.
You said you've been waging a war against the loneliest of nights
The friend has been struggling with feelings of loneliness and sadness.
With the strongest drinks and longest lines, it's not that big of a surprise
It's not unexpected that the friend has been resorting to alcohol to cope with their troubles.
That you're feeling more dead than alive
The friend feels emotionally numb and drained.
So I'll let you know if you need
Somewhere to go
I'll be listening when you call
And I'll be there if you fall off
If you need someone to believe in you I'll let you know I will
The singer offers to be there for their friend if they need emotional support.
You said the hole in your head has gotten bigger than the whole that's in your chest
The friend feels mentally overwhelmed and burdened.
And you're stuck between the past and present tense
The friend is struggling to come to terms with their past and current circumstances.
Said you've been waging a war against so many years of lies
The friend has been dealing with a lot of deceit and falsehoods in their life.
With stronger drinks and longer lines, it's not that big of a surprise
Again, it's not unexpected that the friend has been resorting to alcohol to cope with their troubles.
That you're feeling more dead than alive
The friend continues to feel emotionally drained and possibly even suicidal.
So I'll let you know if you need
Somewhere to go
I'll be listening when you call
And I'll be there if you fall off
If you need someone to believe in you I'll let you know I will
Once again, the artist reiterates that they want to be there for their friend.
But sometimes you've gotta let it go
The singer acknowledges that there comes a time when holding onto the past and one's troubles becomes detrimental to their well-being.
So this pen is starting to become
A pipe bomb and these songs
Have turned to anthems again
To everything that's changed and to everything that's gone away
The singer is using writing and music as a way to express their angst and process their changes and losses.
Here are my condolences to the future I never met
It's gone and never coming back
It's never coming back
The singer mourns the future that they will never have, but accepts that it's gone.
So don't hold onto your past
You've gotta let it go
The artist advises their friend (and listeners) to let go of their past and move forward in life.
Cause friends leave as time fades away
The people and the places along the way
Without a doubt
Screws fall in and screws they fall out
People and things in life come and go, and it's just a natural part of the changing world.
Tomorrow's gone up in smoke
And I wonder when I'm alone
Where did my convictions go?
The singer reflects on the passing of time and how it has eroded their sense of purpose and values.
So to everyone that's gone away
Or fades away or stays the same
Here are my apologies to the person that I used to be
The singer apologizes to those they have lost touch with, and acknowledges that they have changed as a person.
Before I burned down every bridge and every inch
Of everything I used to know
I gotta let it go
The artist acknowledges that they have ruined relationships and surrounded themselves with negativity, and need to let go of these things to move forward in life.
No, it's never coming back
You've gotta let it go
The song ends with a repetition of the idea that the past is gone and it's time to move on.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind