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
In "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out / Screws Fall Out," Less Than Jake addresses the struggles and frustrations that come with getting older and feeling lost. The singer's friend confides in them about feeling like life is passing them by too quickly and trying to drink and party their way out of loneliness. The friend is honest about feeling more alive than dead but comes to the singer for help and support in finding their way. The later verses of the song take on a more reflective and regretful tone, with the singer acknowledging that they too have burned bridges and lost their conviction. The song's ultimate message is that we must all let go of our past and try to find our way through life's uncertainties.
Line by Line Meaning
You told me that your 20 years have gone by much too fast
You expressed to me that time has gone by too quickly and you're not ready for what's next
And you've been hoping this year will be better than the last
You have hopes that this upcoming year will be an improvement from the previous
You said you've been waging a war against the loneliest of nights
You have been struggling to cope with the loneliness you feel at night
With the strongest drinks and longest lines, it's not that big of a surprise
It's understandable that you would resort to heavy drinking and long nights at bars to combat your loneliness
That you're feeling more dead than alive
You're feeling drained and hopeless
So I'll let you know if you need
I'll be there for you if you need me
Somewhere to go
If you need somewhere to go, I'll be there for you
If you need someone to believe in you I'll let you know I will
If you need someone to stand by you and support you, I'm willing to be that person for you
You said the hole in your head has gotten bigger than the whole that's in your chest
The emotional turmoil you're experiencing in your mind has surpassed the physical pain in your chest
And you're stuck between the past and present tense
You're having difficulty moving on from the past and living in the present
Said you've been waging a war against so many years of lies
You've been struggling to come to terms with all the deceit and dishonesty in your life
But sometimes you've gotta let it go
Sometimes, in order to move on, you have to let go of the past
So this pen is starting to become
As I write, my pen is transforming into something else
A pipe bomb and these songs
My writing has the potential to become destructive and explosive, like a pipe bomb
Have turned to anthems again
My writing has taken on a more powerful, rallying tone
To everything that's changed and to everything that's gone away
My writing reflects my feelings towards everything that has been lost or altered in my life
Here are my condolences to the future I never met
I mourn for the things that may have been, but never will
It's gone and never coming back
What's done is done, and cannot be undone
So don't hold onto your past
Don't live in the past, or it will consume you
Cause friends leave as time fades away
People grow apart and move on as life goes on
The people and the places along the way
As life progresses, we encounter new people and lose connection with old ones
Without a doubt
Beyond any question or concern
Screws fall in and screws they fall out
Change is inevitable and things will not always stay together
Tomorrow's gone up in smoke
The potential for tomorrow has been lost or squandered
And I wonder when I'm alone
When I'm by myself, I ponder about what could have been
Where did my convictions go?
I question where my beliefs and principles have disappeared to
So to everyone that's gone away
To all the people that have left my life
Or fades away or stays the same
Whether they disappear gradually or continue to remain present
Here are my apologies to the person that I used to be
I am apologizing to my past self for my mistakes and regrets
Before I burned down every bridge and every inch
Before I ruined every relationship and every aspect of my life
Of everything I used to know
All of the familiar people and places I once had in my life are gone
No, it's never coming back
None of it will return to the way it was before
You've gotta let it go
You need to accept that you can't change the past, and move forward
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind