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)
It's Not Easy
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The neck of a crocodile
It sounds kind of strange
He's both a fish and a mammal
And I hope he'll never change
'Cause it's not easy
To find someone who cares
I'm glad I found him
I love him, I won't let him get away
'Cause it's not easy.
You say the head of a camel
The neck of a crocodile
And the ears of a cow!
It's clear that friends can be different
Yes, I understand you now
'Cause it's not easy
To find someone who cares
It's not easy to find magic in pairs
Now that you found him, hold him
Treasure him from day to day.
'Cause It's so easy.
Life is lollipops and rainbows
With the one you love
Someone you can always be with
Argue and agree with ...
Climb the highest tree with (tree with)
It's not easy to share somebody's dream
It gets easy
When you work as a team
You've got to tend it, and fan it
That's what I plan to do.
I had one friend by my side....
Now I have two...
Him and you...
Him and me...
And it's so easy.
Thats how the dragon talks ... in the movie, like that ...
The lyrics to Reel Big Fish's song "It's Not Easy" may seem nonsensical at first glance, but upon deeper inspection, they convey a message of finding true friendship and love. The chorus, "It's not easy to find someone who cares, it's not easy to find magic in pairs", speaks to the difficulty of finding someone who truly values and understands you. The singer expresses gratitude for having found this special someone, a "fish and a mammal" with "the head of a camel and the neck of a crocodile", who they hope will never change.
The second verse, where the listener chimes in with "the ears of a cow" and offers understanding, further emphasizes the importance of acceptance in relationships. The lyrics suggest that even if someone may seem strange or different, true connection can still be found through shared experiences and appreciation for each other's quirks.
The final verse shifts the focus to a more romantic love, with the imagery of "lollipops and rainbows" and the desire to "climb the highest tree" with one's partner. The lyrics acknowledge that love takes effort and requires nurturing, but the reward is worth it. The song ends with the singer expressing gratitude for having not just one, but two special people in their life.
Overall, "It's Not Easy" is a catchy and upbeat song that conveys an important message of finding and cherishing true friendship and love, no matter how unconventional or challenging it may seem.
Line by Line Meaning
He has the head of a camel,
This person being talked about has a camel's head
The neck of a crocodile
In addition to the camel's head, this person has a crocodile's neck
It sounds kind of strange
The combination of these features is not typical
He's both a fish and a mammal
This person has attributes of both a fish and a mammal, which is uncommon
And I hope he'll never change
Despite these differences, the artist values and accepts this person for who they are
'Cause it's not easy
It is difficult to find someone who truly cares and is a good match in a relationship
To find someone who cares
Finding someone who truly cares about you is challenging
It's not easy to find magic in pairs
It is rare to find a perfect match in a romantic relationship
I'm glad I found him
The artist is happy to have found their ideal partner
I love him, I won't let him get away
The artist is in love and wants to hold onto this person tightly
You say the head of a camel
The singer is addressing someone else who has observed this person
The neck of a crocodile
The artist is reiterating the description of this person to add emphasis
And the ears of a cow!
The singer is adding a new characteristic to this person's description
It's clear that friends can be different
Despite their differences, the singer values this person as a friend
Yes, I understand you now
The singer acknowledges the other person's point of view
Life is lollipops and rainbows
The artist is exemplifying the joys of being with a loved one
With the one you love
The artist is emphasizing the importance of being with a partner they love
Someone you can always be with
The singer values being able to spend time with this person whenever they want
Argue and agree with ...
The singer is acknowledging that disagreements can happen in a healthy relationship
Climb the highest tree with (tree with)
The artist values sharing experiences with their partner
It's not easy to share somebody's dream
It can be challenging to align one's own dreams with a partner's
It gets easy
As the relationship grows stronger, it becomes easier to share dreams and goals
When you work as a team
The singer emphasizes the importance of teamwork in a relationship
You've got to tend it, and fan it
The relationship must be nurtured and maintained in order to thrive
That's what I plan to do.
The singer aims to put in the work necessary for a successful relationship
I had one friend by my side....
The singer reflects on their past without this person
Now I have two...
The singer now has two friends in their life
Him and you...
The artist is addressing the person they're speaking to
Him and me...
The artist is referencing the person described at the beginning of the song
And it's so easy.
Despite some difficulties, the singer values their relationships and seems content with their current situation
Contributed by Alexis J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
dont