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)
Don't Let Me Down Gently
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you have to let me down at all
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
I ain't callin' you familiar
I don't know your face that well
Not like that shavnig mirror hanging up inside your cell
I didn't call you here to tell ya
I didn't call you here at all
Cause I'm talkin to myself again
And you're talkin' to the wall
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
It would be great to die together
On the first day of the year
Cause then we'd be quite legendary
Could you volunteer
I don't think of you
Do you ya think of me
Is that often or not at all
Well if you have to let me down
Then kick me to the floor
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
I'll say it's not true
The things they say we do
Oh, how can I explain
The pleasure and the pain
They're callin' us insane
Oh the miles of blood
The bad the good
Do you think you could
d-d-d-d-d-d-d woooo!
Ooooo!
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to let me down at all
[x5]
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Oh no!
At all
The Reel Big Fish's song "Don't Let Me Down Gently" has an overall theme of dealing with disappointment and rejection. The lyrics talk about how the singer doesn't want to be disappointed in any way, even if he has to be let down. The first few lines emphasize this notion, and the repetition of the phrase "don't let me down gently" reinforces the message. The singer, who seems to be addressing someone, goes on to say that he doesn't know the addressee that well and is not particularly interested in their company or opinion. He expresses his desire to be spoken to and to be heard but feels powerless when others don't seem to reciprocate that same desire. The lyrics "Cause I'm talkin to myself again, And you're talkin' to the wall" communicates the idea of how the singer, has nobody to talk to, and feels isolated.
The mood shifts to a more melancholic one as the lyrics talk about how it would be great to die together, as it would make them legendary, implying that they don't think they will be remembered for anything significant in their current lives. This thought process is continued in the following lyric, "I don't think of you, Do you think of me, Is that often, or not at all." The singer recognizes the possibility that their existence might not be meaningful, and it doesn't matter if they fade away into oblivion.
The lyrics "Oh, how can I explain, The pleasure and the pain, They're callin' us insane," seem to encompass the inconsistent range of emotions that follow a failed relationship. The singer recognizes that there were good times, but the pain of it's end cannot be ignored. The repetition of "don't let me down" emphasizes how important it is for the singer not to feel disappointed, especially regarding rejection.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't let me down (Gently)
If you have to disappoint me, don't do it in a way that's too soft or easy
If you have to let me down at all
If you have to disappoint me, do it swiftly and bluntly
I ain't callin' you familiar
I'm not claiming to know you very well
I don't know your face that well
I'm not very familiar with your appearance
Not like that shaving mirror hanging up inside your cell
You know yourself better than anyone else knows you
I didn't call you here to tell ya
I didn't invite you for the purpose of delivering news or a message
I didn't call you here at all
I didn't ask you to come over
Cause I'm talkin to myself again
I'm lost in thought and speaking to no one in particular
And you're talkin' to the wall
You're not paying attention to what I'm saying or you're ignoring me
It would be great to die together
It would be a good ending to have a joint demise
On the first day of the year
New Year's Day would be a fitting time to depart
Cause then we'd be quite legendary
Our simultaneous death would be noteworthy
Could you volunteer
Would you be willing to die with me?
I don't think of you
You're not really on my mind
Do you ya think of me
Do you give me any thought at all?
Is that often or not at all
Do you think of me frequently or hardly ever?
Well if you have to let me down
If you have to disappoint me
Then kick me to the floor
Do it in a way that's harsh and forceful
I'll say it's not true
I'll deny that the rumors are accurate
The things they say we do
The actions that people claim we're guilty of
Oh, how can I explain
It's difficult to describe
The pleasure and the pain
The mixture of enjoyable and unpleasant experiences
They're callin' us insane
Others are labeling us as crazy
Oh the miles of blood
There's been a lot of bloodshed
The bad the good
Both negative and positive events have occurred
Do you think you could
Do you believe you're capable of
D-d-d-d-d-d-d woooo!
An expression of excitement or enthusiasm
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Don't let me down
Oh no!
Repeating the earlier plea not to disappoint, now with added urgency
If you have to let me down at all
Reinforcing the idea that if they must deliver bad news, it's better to just do it without being gentle
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MALCOLM ROY TREECE, MARTIN RICHARD GILKS, MILES STEPHEN HUNT, ROBERT JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
dont