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)
Kiss Me Deadly
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I went to a party last Saturday night,
I didn't get laid I got in a fight
Uh huh, it ain't no big thing (really?)
Late for my job and the traffic was bad
Had to borrow ten bucks from tavis's dad
Uh huh, it ain't no big thing
I told you that story and I'll be alright
Uh huh, it ain't no big thing
But I know what I like
I know I like dancin' with you
And I know what you like,
I know you like dancin' with me
Kiss me once, kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Kiss me once, kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Had a few beers, gettin' high
Sittin', watchin' the time go by
Uh huh, it ain't no big thing
Nothin' to eat and no TV
Lookin' in the mirror don't do it for me
Uh huh, it ain't to big thing
But I know what I like
I know I like dancin' with you
And I know what you like
I know you like dancin' with me
(Dance with me!)
Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
(well I know you like dancin' with me)
Kiss me once, kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Kiss me once
Kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me
Come on pretty baby kiss me
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Kiss me deadly
Went to a party last night
I didn't get laid
(and I fell into the Jacuzzi)
The lyrics to Reel Big Fish’s song “Kiss Me Deadly” follow the familiar narrative of going to a party and having a less-than-stellar experience, both romantically and socially. The main character didn't get laid, and instead got into a fight; he even had to borrow money from a friend's dad. He reflects that none of these instances are a big deal.
Although his night out may not have been fantastic, the singer knows what he likes: dancing with a particular person that he's interested in. He and this person share a mutual fondness for one another and they kiss. The chorus repeats a few times, reiterating the sense of urgency for these characters to connect before the night comes to a close. The last line indicates that the singer fell into the Jacuzzi at some point during the evening, adding a humorous touch and contributing to the overall theme of a memorable evening.
The song is a prime example of ska punk, with its lively, upbeat tempo and horns as a major component. The instruments really drive home the jovial, celebratory nature of the chorus despite the character’s lackluster night out. “Kiss Me Deadly” demonstrates the relatable experience of partying and hoping for some sparks to fly, or at the very least the chance to enjoy yourself.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to a party last Saturday night,
I attended a social gathering last weekend
I didn't get laid I got in a fight
I didn't have sexual intercourse, but I did engage in physical altercation with someone
Uh huh, it ain't no big thing (really?)
It's not a significant event (although some may beg to differ)
Late for my job and the traffic was bad
I was running behind schedule for work and the vehicular congestion made it worse
Had to borrow ten bucks from tavis's dad
I had to obtain some money from Tavis's father
But I know what I like
I know I like dancin' with you
I am certain of my fondness of dancing with you
And I know what you like,
I know you like dancin' with me
I am aware that you enjoy dancing with me too
Kiss me once, kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Give me a smooch, one or two times, sweetheart, and make it intense
Had a few beers, gettin' high
Sittin', watchin' the time go by
I drank some beer and got mildly intoxicated; spent my time observing the clock's movements
Uh huh, it ain't no big thing
Nothin' to eat and no TV
Lookin' in the mirror don't do it for me
It's not that important; there's no food to be had and the television is absent; staring at myself in the mirror isn't fulfilling either
Kiss me once, kiss me twice
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Let's lock lips a couple of times, sweetie, and let it be electrifying
Come on pretty baby kiss me
Come on pretty baby kiss me
Come on pretty baby kiss me deadly
Kiss me deadly
Entreat me, darling, to give you a passionate kiss; a lethal one at that
Went to a party last night
I didn't get laid
(and I fell into the Jacuzzi)
I was at a gathering yesterday where sex didn't happen; however, I inadvertently tumbled into a Jacuzzi
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY IDOL, TONY JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Istrix
Little Known Fact: any song covered by Reel Big Fish actually then becomes a Reel Big Fish song. It's theirs now.
Much Horror Such wow
Much better than Litas. imo
TubeDude
But they do right by it tho
Alex MacKay
I love this song so much. It's a shame the version on Spotify seems to be a re-recording, and I feel kind of lacks a lot of the energy from this one. I wonder what happened.
MrMarconline
I remember this song during a gig in Basel (Switzerland) lots of years ago. I took the train from Italy with a couple of friends. It was crazy, everything. It was a crazy mess inside the mosh. I remember that on this song I caught a girl, we looked inside our eyes and we kissed. I didn't see her never ever. If you are reading and you see this message, it's me! Crazy but wonderful!
Soho Joe
Any lighthearted song in 4/4 time can be turned into ska.
In this case, it worked great!
Mortimer James
Still holds up
Phil Collins Hill
Shouldn't you and Snot be playing air guitar to Rush and Satriani?
fomori2
Awesome song by Reel Lita Big Fish Ford!!
rozzie101
my mechanic had a bunch of different songs playing, and this came on. I was like, what is this?!?!? Awesome...