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)
Jig
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How could you ever be sad?
Nobody ever gets what they want and that's too bad
I'm so happy I could kill you (kill kill)
I'm so sick, I could save the world
This songs for the little girl
I'm so happy I could kill you (kill kill)
I'm so sick, I could save the world
There's your song and I hope you're happy
And it gave you some hope
Cause in the end it's all...
I'm so happy I could kill you (kill kill)
I'm so sick, I could save the world
The lyrics of Reel Big Fish's song Jig is a satirical take on the idea of happiness and contentment. The song starts with a bold statement, "This song's gonna make you happy, How could you ever be sad?" which shows that the song is trying to uplift the mood of the listener. The lyrics go on to say that nobody gets what they want in life, which is a harsh reality. However, the tone of the song remains upbeat and jolly. The line "I'm so happy I could kill you (kill kill)" is ironic and contradicts the idea of happiness, as it shows that being overly happy can also be a negative thing.
In the next few lines, the lyrics talk about saving the world and how the little girl is sweet. This can be seen as a playful reference to the typical hero's journey narrative, where the singer saves the world and finds their happy ending. The song then goes back to the chorus, where the contradiction of being happy and sick is still prevalent. The overall message of the song is that happiness is relative and that it comes and goes in waves.
Line by Line Meaning
This song's gonna make you happy
The intention of this song is to bring joy to the listener
How could you ever be sad?
It's impossible to feel sad when listening to this song
Nobody ever gets what they want and that's too bad
Life is unfair and people often don't receive what they most desire
I'm so happy I could kill you (kill kill)
I am ecstatic to the point where it could be dangerous
I'm so sick, I could save the world
I am so passionate about making a difference that I am willing to go to great lengths to achieve it
This songs for the little girl
The song is dedicated to a young, innocent girl
Oh she's so sweet
The young girl is kind and endearing
There's your song and I hope you're happy
This song is for the listener and it is the artist's desire that it brings happiness to them
And it gave you some hope
The song instilled a sense of optimism and positivity in the listener
Cause in the end it's all...
Ultimately, the song's message is that happiness and hope are the most important things in life
Contributed by Madison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
dont