Their debut album, "Everything Sucks" (1995), was an underground hit and led to a deal with Mojo Records (see also Mojo), an indie label. "Turn the Radio Off" (1996) established the band in the underground music scene, and they began touring throughout the USA. After the single "Sell Out" began breaking into the mainstream, including MTV, the album made an appearance on the charts. The ska revival was short-lived, however, and "Why Do They Rock So Hard?" (1998) did not lead the group to the mainstream.
Reel Big Fish released "Cheer Up" (2002) which began a movement into harder rock and pop sounds, with much less ska than the previous albums. The song "Where Have You Been?" was aimed at a wider audience, trying to drop the less popular ska sound, but was met with little mainstream success, despite the video. Their second most recent studio album was "We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy" (2005).
They recently released "Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album" (2006) which includes 2 discs worth or their own tunes and a few covers of popular songs along with a DVD. They have worked on the soundtrack to BASEketball, which included a cover of A-Ha's Take On Me.
In 2006, they split from Jive records, who produced a "Best of" album against the will of the band, who could not prevent the release. The band has made a campaign to try and stop people buying the album.
Their 7th album "Monkeys For Nothing and the Chimps For Free" (2007) includes some songs that were previously recorded and released on other albums. It was also the first album with the band's new label, Rock Ridge Records.
In 2009, they released "Fame, Fortune, and Fornication" an album composed of covers of older songs, including "Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty, and "Nothin' But a Good Time" by Poison.
In 2012, Reel Big Fish released "Candy Coated Fury", which is their second album on Rock Ridge Records. This album was met with heavy amounts of criticism from fans and reviewers alike. PunkNews.org gave the album a 2/10.
in 2014, they released "Happy Skalidays", a holiday themed EP.
Their current release is 2018's "Life Sucks... Let's Dance!", which gained generally positive reviews from fans and critics.
Current members:
Aaron Barrett - guitar, lead vocals (1992–present)
Dan Regan - trombone, backing vocals (1994–present)
John Christianson - trumpet, backing vocals (2004–present)
Ryland Steen - drums (2005–present)
Derek Gibbs - bass guitar (2007–present)
Past members:
Ben Guzman - vocals (1992–1994)
Zach Gilltrap - keyboards/synthesizers (1992–1994)
Lisa Smith - guitar (1992–1994)
Eric Vismantes - trumpet (1994)
Stephan Reed - saxophone (1994)
Robert Quimby - trombone (1994–1995)
Adam Polakoff - saxophone (1994–1995)
Grant Barry - trombone (1995–1998)
Andrew Gonzales - drums (1992–1998)
Tavis Werts - trumpet (1994–2001)
Carlos de la Garza - drums (1999–2003)
Tyler Jones - trumpet (2001–2004)
Justin Ferreira - drums (2003–2005)
Matt Wong - bass, backing vocals (1992–2007)
Scott Klopfenstein - trumpet, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1995–2011)
A Little Doubt Goes A Long Way
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gotta go gotta go gotta go before I do something lame
I know it's your fault that I'm in the mess I'm in
And you think I'm cool but I don't man
Maybe its too soon but I think it's too late
And things like bad timing just won't wait
Maybe it's not right (I have a girlfriend) made a friend tonight (who is a girl and)
I just wanted to talk you but then I started wondering if she's the one, or not
So I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go before I do something stupid
I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go before I do something lame
I know that flirting is nothing and it should be where it ends
But I know yes I know that I want you for more than a friend
Maybe it's not right (I have a girlfriend) made a friend tonight (who is a
girl and) I just wanted to talk you but then I started wondering if she's the one
So I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go before I do something stupid but I know,
I know it's too late
The lyrics to Reel Big Fish's song "A Little Doubt Goes a Long Way" deal with the inner struggle of a man who finds himself attracted to another woman while in a committed relationship. He acknowledges that his feelings for this other woman may stem from bad timing or simply wanting to talk with her, but the temptation is still there. He realizes that he needs to leave before he does something he regrets or do something that could hurt his current partner. He tries to justify his actions by saying he "just wanted to talk," but deep down, he knows that the feelings he has for this other woman go beyond just friendship.
The song highlights the common difficulties of navigating one's emotions while in a committed relationship. It showcases how simple conversations or connections with others can lead to feelings of attraction or temptation. The man in the song acknowledges how his actions will have consequences, and he chooses to leave before things escalate further.
Overall, "A Little Doubt Goes a Long Way" is a cautionary tale about the importance of being faithful and honest in relationships. It highlights the dangers of giving in to temptation and the regret that can come with actions that go against commitment and trust.
Line by Line Meaning
I gotta go gotta go gotta go before I do something stupid I gotta go
I need to leave before I make a foolish decision
Gotta go gotta go gotta go before I do something lame
I have to exit before I do something uncool
I know it's your fault that I'm in the mess I'm in
I blame you for the predicament I'm in
And you think I'm cool but I don't man
You believe I'm impressive, but I don't agree
Maybe its too soon but I think it's too late
It could be too hasty, but I believe it's too tardy
And things like bad timing just won't wait
Issues like unfortunate timing cannot be postponed
Maybe it's not right (I have a girlfriend) made a friend tonight (who is a girl and)
Perhaps it's not ethical (I have a partner) since I made a female friend tonight
I just wanted to talk you but then I started wondering if she's the one, or not
Initially, I only wanted to converse with you, but now I'm questioning if she's the one
So I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go before I do something stupid
I must depart before I make an irrational decision
I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go before I do something lame
I need to leave before I do something uncool
I know that flirting is nothing and it should be where it ends
I comprehend that flirting is meaningless and should not go beyond that
But I know yes I know that I want you for more than a friend
However, I acknowledge that I desire to be more than friends with you
Maybe it's not right (I have a girlfriend) made a friend tonight (who is a girl and) I just wanted to talk you but then I started wondering if she's the one
Perhaps it's not ethical (I have a partner) since I made a female friend tonight, and now I'm doubting if you're the one
So I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go before I do something stupid but I know, I know it's too late
I have to leave before I make a foolish decision, but I'm aware that it's already too late
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AARON BARRETT, CARLOS F. GARZA, DAN REGAN, MATT WONG, SCOTT ALLEN KLOPFENSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
dont