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)
Give It To Me
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
You got to give it up
You got to give it up
You got to give it to me
You're so slick honey, know every trick now
You know what I need, I'll get it somehow
Come on baby please believe it
Come on baby please!
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
You been buggin' me, every night now
You say you want it, you want it right now
I can't get through it, I can't get to it
Come on baby please!
You got to give it up (give it up)
You got to give it up (give it up)
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
You got to give it to me
Why leave me cold when it's so warm inside?
Come on baby, you're love is too good to hide!
One two three four!
Hey guess what
You got to give it up
You got to give it up
You know what else
You got give it to me
You got give it to me
You got give it to me
You got give it to me
Whoo!
The lyrics of Reel Big Fish's "Give It To Me" are a playful and somewhat suggestive demand for attention and affection from a romantic partner. The repetition of the line "You got to give it to me" emphasizes this demand, suggesting a level of desperation and urgency in the singer's desire. The chorus is framed as a command, with the repeated phrase "You got to give it up" serving to further emphasize the singer's need for their partner to reciprocate their affections.
The verses of the song focus on the singer's frustration and impatience with their partner. They describe their partner as "slick" and savvy, but also suggest that they are not giving the singer the attention and affection they desire. The lines "You been buggin' me, every night now/You say you want it, you want it right now" serve to highlight this tension, suggesting that the singer's partner is making promises they are not keeping.
Overall, "Give It To Me" is a playful and fun song that emphasizes the importance of communication and mutual affection in a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You got to give it to me
I need you to give me what I want or need.
You got to give it up
You need to stop holding back from me and give me what I want.
You're so slick honey, know every trick now
You're very skilled and know how to get what you want from me.
You know what I need, I'll get it somehow
You know what I want or need, and you're determined to get it.
Come on baby please believe it
Please believe that I really need what you can give me.
You been buggin' me, every night now
You've been bothering me every night, asking for what I'm not giving you.
You say you want it, you want it right now
You're expressing that you want what you're asking for immediately.
I can't get through it, I can't get to it
I'm finding it difficult to give you what you want or need.
Why leave me cold when it's so warm inside?
Why are you withholding something I desire so strongly?
Come on baby, you're love is too good to hide!
Please don't hide your love from me, it's too valuable to keep hidden.
Hey guess what
Listen to this!
Whoo!
Expressing excitement or approval.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES SAMUEL III HARRIS, JAMES HARRIS III, ALICIA KNOTT, ALICIA RENEE KNOTT, TERRY LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
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