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)
Another Beer Song
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh oh whoa
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh oh whoa
Gonna have myself a beer and maybe I'll feel better
Gonna have myself a beer and maybe I’ll feel alright
Gonna have myself a beer and then I will forget her
Gonna have myself a beer, I'm gonna be drinkin' all night
[Post-Chorus]
And if I pass out on the floor, please don’t bother me
If I pass out on the floor, well just leave me where I lie
If I pass out on the floor, just step over me
If I pass out on the floor, she won't bother me no more
[Chorus]
Gonna have myself a beer and maybe I'll feel better
Gonna have myself a beer and maybe I'll feel alright
Gonna have myself a beer and then I will forget her
Gonna have myself a beer, I'm gonna be drinkin' all night
[Post-Chorus]
If I pass out on the floor, please don't bother me
If I pass out on the floor, well just leave me where I lie
If I pass out on the floor, then just step over me
If I pass out on the floor, she won't bother me no more
[Outro]
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh oh whoa
Whoa-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh oh whoa
Whoa-oh-oh
The lyrics of Reel Big Fish's "Another Beer Song" revolve around coping with emotional pain and heartbreak through the consumption of alcohol. The repetitive nature of the chorus and post-chorus, with lines like "Gonna have myself a beer and maybe I'll feel better" and "then just step over me," suggest a cyclical pattern of seeking solace in drinking to numb the pain of a lost love. The singer uses beer as a means of escapism, hoping that by drinking enough, they can forget about their troubles and feel better, or at least numb their emotions for a while.
The post-chorus lyrics reveal a sense of resignation and self-destructive behavior, as the singer acknowledges the possibility of passing out from excessive drinking but asks to be left alone in their state. The repeated lines "she won't bother me no more" imply that the alcohol serves as a way to distance themselves from the pain caused by the person they are trying to forget. The imagery of passing out on the floor suggests a loss of control and a desire to escape reality temporarily.
Throughout the song, the theme of avoidance and avoidance of emotions is prominent, as the singer chooses to drown their sorrows in alcohol rather than confront their feelings head-on. The chorus's insistence on the act of drinking all night reflects a sense of desperation and dependence on alcohol as a coping mechanism. The lyrics convey a sense of self-medication and using alcohol as a crutch to navigate through the emotional turmoil of heartbreak.
In the end, the repetition of the outro serves to reinforce the cyclical nature of the singer's behavior and their reliance on alcohol to deal with their pain. The melodic and upbeat nature of the song juxtaposed with the dark undertones of the lyrics creates a poignant commentary on the destructive power of addiction and the ways in which people use substances to cope with life's hardships. The song captures the complexities of human emotions and the lengths some may go to in order to numb their pain, ultimately pointing to the self-destructive consequences of relying solely on alcohol to cope with heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna have myself a beer and maybe I'll feel better
I'll drown my sorrows in alcohol and hope to temporarily escape my troubles
Gonna have myself a beer and maybe I’ll feel alright
I'll drink in search of some solace and a sense of normalcy
Gonna have myself a beer and then I will forget her
I'll use alcohol to numb the pain of heartbreak and erase memories
Gonna have myself a beer, I'm gonna be drinkin' all night
I'll keep drinking excessively to distract myself from emotional turmoil
If I pass out on the floor, please don’t bother me
If I lose consciousness due to drinking, I don't want to be disturbed
If I pass out on the floor, well just leave me where I lie
If I end up on the ground from intoxication, don't try to move me
If I pass out on the floor, just step over me
If I collapse from excessive drinking, simply walk past me
If I pass out on the floor, she won't bother me no more
If I drink until I black out, I won't be haunted by memories of her
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: AARON ASHER BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
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