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)
Awesome
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alright!
A-W-E-S-O-M-E! so A-W-E-S-O-M-E!
Like tattered sails,
The shreds of my heart in your fingernails
It never fails, a bed of roses, and coffin nails
I hold my breath 'cause I'm scared to death
We try to lie, and deny
but our secret isn't safe.
You're Awesome! So Awesome! You're everything I want in a girl
You're Crazy! Amazing! I'm everything that's wrong with the world
You're great, filled with hate and I can't escape
My lips are sore,
My heart is black to the very core.
This life of crime, I'll get used to it in time.
We keep it low, but I think they know
And out secret isn't safe.
You're Awesome! So Awesome! You're everything I want in a girl
You're Crazy! Amazing! I'm everything that's wrong with the world
Don't wait, procrastinate, it's not too late
You're radical!
You're radical!
You're radical!
You're radical. Yeah!
So so so so awesome.
So so so so awesome.
You're Awesome! So Awesome! You're everything I want in a girl
You're Crazy! Amazing! I'm everything that's wrong with the world
Don't wait, procrastinate, it's not too late
You're great, filled with hate,
And I can't escape!
And I can't escape!
And I can't escape!
So awesome!
The song "Awesome" by Reel Big Fish is a satire on destructive and unhealthy relationships. The lyrics showcase how we tend to stay in a toxic relationship even though it may be emotionally and mentally harmful. The singer in the song seems to be stuck in a relationship with someone they describe as "Awesome" and "Crazy" but also "filled with hate". They are unable to get out of this relationship even though their partner is not good for them, and they are both living in denial about the situation.
The opening lines of the song, "Like tattered sails, the shreds of my heart in your fingernails," metaphorically describe the pain and hurt that the singer feels in the relationship. The line, "I'm everything that's wrong with the world," reflects the singer's low self-esteem, and how they see themselves as the problem even though their partner is the one who is causing harm. The chorus of the song, "You're Awesome! So Awesome! You're everything I want in a girl," is sarcastic and highlights how the singer is trapped in this cycle despite knowing the negative consequences.
Overall, "Awesome" is a commentary on the dangers of toxic relationships, and how they can cause emotional and mental harm, leaving individuals feeling trapped and unable to escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Like tattered sails, The shreds of my heart in your fingernails
My heart is broken and you hold the pieces, like tattered sails which are worn and torn.
Open my mouth, but I can't get this out, It never fails, a bed of roses, and coffin nails
I can't express my feelings to you, it's like a bed of roses and coffin nails- a beautiful but deadly combination.
I hold my breath 'cause I'm scared to death, We try to lie, and deny, but our secret isn't safe.
I'm afraid of exposing our secret, we may try to deny or lie, but it's not a safe option.
You're Awesome! So Awesome! You're everything I want in a girl, You're Crazy! Amazing! I'm everything that's wrong with the world
You are an amazing girl, the epitome of awesomeness, and I'm the opposite- everything that's wrong with the world, crazy and messed up.
My lips are sore, My heart is black to the very core, This life of crime, I'll get used to it in time
I'm physically and emotionally tired, and I'm used to this life of doing wrong things, it's becoming a norm for me.
We keep it low, but I think they know, And out secret isn't safe
We try to keep our relationship secret, but I think people suspect us, and our secret isn't safe anymore.
Don't wait, procrastinate, it's not too late
Don't hesitate or delay, it's not too late to make things right.
You're radical! You're radical! You're radical! You're radical. Yeah!
You are absolutely amazing! You are radical, cool, and awesome. Yeah!
You're great, filled with hate, And I can't escape!
You are great, but at the same time, you have anger or resentment, which I can't escape from as well.
So awesome!
You are so awesome!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
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