Although all of REEF have west country connections, especially to the Glast… Read Full Bio ↴Although all of REEF have west country connections, especially to the Glastonbury area of Somerset, England, it wasn't until they all independently moved to London that the band was formed.

In 1993 while Gary and Jack were looking for band members, Kenwyn had met up with Dominic Greensmith in London and discussed forming a band. So, the foursome got together, got a house in West London and started to jam.

After recording a couple of tracks, the band spent much of 1994 touring and building up a fan base. They signed to S2, an off-shoot of Sony and supplied them with "Naked" which was used in a TV advert for the Sony Minidisc in which a record company executive hears the track on Minidisc, throws it out of the window disapprovingly, but a young man outside picks it up, listens to it and likes it (demonstrating the format's durability). It would have been very easy for Reef to cash in on this and release Naked, although they would probably have gone the way of Stiltskin and been a one-hit-wonder. Instead, they took their time and a few months later, released "Good Feeling", then "Naked" and then a non-album track "Weird". All of these singles were top 20.

In 1995 Reef released their now Gold debut album "Replenish".

"We wanted our first album, ‘Replenish’, to be a really honest statement. Four people playing in a room and getting something that’s totally their own. It was recorded in the most basic way possible. Minimal room sounds. Up until recently, all I used for effects was a wah-pedal and I only used that on two songs." Kenwyn House.

The follow up to "Replenish" was "Glow", which was more diverse, with the band using different instruments and creating a more interesting style. It spawned the hit singles "Place Your Hands", "Come Back Brighter", "Consideration" and "Yer Old" which increased Reef’s profile in the UK and abroad. On the week of its release, "Glow" went straight to number 1 in the UK album chart.

In 1999 Reef released their third album "Rides". They have even swapped instruments on some tracks with Gary and Dom playing guitar and Jack singing on one song.

"Set The Record Straight" is the highlight of Getaway (Sony, 2000), their fourth album and most commercial work yet.

In total they have had 8 UK top 20 singles.

Place Your Hands remains a party and compilation favourite many years later.

They also headlined at the Reading festival in 1999.

In 2004 Reef took a long break from their constant touring.

Gary appeared at Bristol Academy as a guest DJ on the 28th of February.

Kenwyn House formed a new band called McArthur, while Dominic Greensmith started touring with his new band, Kubb.

Gary and Jack play in rock band THEM IS ME

Gary Stringer, Jack Bessant, Kenywn House & Dominic Greensmith are back together for six live shows in April 2010.

weird
Reef Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In my arms and my legs and my hips and my shoulders
And my neck to my feet in my brain lets
Must I shout to be heard
Heard by you and your kind
In your offices all around listen up for a
It's a weird feeling friend
I can't understand it at all
Speak of me when I'm dead with your hand on my face

All those memories that besot you where's a life looser?

It's a weird fucking feeling friend
And I don't wish it upon no one
In the morning when we wake
We go down to the place
When we get there we kick a ball
We kick a ball in the car
Said it'd make me feel alright

Said it'd make me feel alright. Feel alright
Put a little smile on my face

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Reef's song Weird seem to convey a sense of frustration, isolation and a desire to be heard or understood. The opening line talks about how the feeling encompasses the entirety of the singer's body, from their arms to their feet and even their brain. The singer is looking for someone to listen to them in this seemingly empty space, where people are working in their offices but not really engaging with the world around them. The singer seems to be grappling with a feeling of being different or not understood, hence the repeated use of the word 'weird' in the song.

The second part of the song talks about someone speaking about the singer when they are dead and gone, and going down to a place to kick a ball. This could possibly be interpreted as a metaphor for how in life we try to find joy through activities even if we don't fully understand our place in this world. The final lines of the song suggest that something as simple as kicking a ball can bring about some level of happiness, enough to put a smile on the singer's face.

Overall, the lyrics in this song convey a deep sense of unease and a desire to be understood. The song portrays a longing for connection and a fear of being alone or misunderstood.

Line by Line Meaning

In my arms and my legs and my hips and my shoulders
I am feeling this in every part of my body.

And my neck to my feet in my brain lets
This feeling is consuming me completely.

Must I shout to be heard
I feel like I have to scream to get anyone to listen.

Heard by you and your kind
I want to be heard by those who think like you do.

In your offices all around listen up for a
I hope someone like you, in a position of power, will pay attention.

It's a weird feeling friend
I cannot fully comprehend this unsettling emotion.

I can't understand it at all
This feeling is beyond my understanding.

Speak of me when I'm dead with your hand on my face
I want to be remembered when I am gone.

All those memories that besot you where's a life looser?
What happened to the person who was living their life before they became consumed by memories?

It's a weird fucking feeling friend
This is an incredibly strange and uncomfortable sensation.

And I don't wish it upon no one
I wouldn't want anyone else to experience this.

In the morning when we wake
At the start of each day,

We go down to the place
We have a routine we follow.

When we get there we kick a ball
We engage in a simple and enjoyable activity.

We kick a ball in the car
We bring the ball with us, even when we're driving.

Said it'd make me feel alright
I thought this activity would make me feel better.

Said it'd make me feel alright. Feel alright
I hoped it would improve my mood and make me happy.

Put a little smile on my face
It brings a small amount of joy to my life.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: DOMINIC JOSEPH GREENSMITH, GARY PAUL STRINGER, JOHN DAVID BESSANT, KENWYN JOHN HOUSE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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