Reel Big Fish ("RBF") is a ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California,… Read Full Bio ↴Reel Big Fish ("RBF") is a ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, United States who broke into the mainstream in the mid to late 1990s, formed in 1992.

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)

Nothin
Reel Big Fish Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every time I try so hard I get nothin' (nothin')
They say try and you won't fail I get nothin' (nothin')
I did all that I could I got nothin' (nothin')
I tried so hard for nothin' (nothin')
I never wanted it that way guess there was nothin' I could say
I don't know what I want
But I know I don't want this
I give up I give in I know I'm never gonna win

I know it's really not your fault
I'm gonna blame you anyway
You say you're sorry but I know it won't do no good
I give up, I give in, I know I'm never gonna win.

I don't fuckin' care, I don't fuckin' care
I don't fuckin' care anymore

It's gonna be all right
Cause I don't fuckin' care anymore.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Nothin'" by Reel Big Fish talk about the frustration of failure despite giving all efforts to achieve something. The song talks about trying so hard to accomplish something, but ending up with nothing. The phrase "I tried so hard for nothin'" is repeated multiple times in the song, highlighting the feeling of disappointment that comes with trying really hard but not achieving the desired outcome. The lines "I don't know what I want, but I know I don't want this" convey a sense of confusion and the realization that maybe the struggle isn't worth it anymore.

The chorus of the song, "I don't fuckin' care, I don't fuckin' care, I don't fuckin' care anymore, It's gonna be all right, 'Cause I don't fuckin' care anymore," showcases a sense of detachment and apathy towards the struggle. The idea that "it's gonna be all right" seems to be a consolation for the disappointment, but it's also an acceptance that things aren't going to change.

Overall, the song captures the feeling of trying really hard but still encountering failure, the frustration and disappointment that comes with it, and the sense of detachment and apathy towards the situation.

Line by Line Meaning

Every time I try so hard I get nothin' (nothin')
Despite putting in a lot of effort, I end up with no results or progress.

They say try and you won't fail I get nothin' (nothin')
People encourage me to keep trying, but it doesn't lead to any success.

I did all that I could I got nothin' (nothin')
Despite doing everything within my capacity, I still end up with nothing.

I tried so hard for nothin' (nothin')
I put in a lot of effort, but it doesn't lead to any significant outcome.

I never wanted it that way guess there was nothin' I could say
I didn't intend for things to turn out this way, but there was no way to change the situation.

I don't know what I want
I'm uncertain and lack clarity about my desires.

But I know I don't want this
Despite the confusion, I know for sure that I don't want the current situation.

I give up I give in I know I'm never gonna win
I've lost hope and feel defeated. I believe that I won't achieve my goals no matter how hard I try.

I know it's really not your fault
I acknowledge that the situation is not caused by you.

I'm gonna blame you anyway
Despite the previous statement, I'll still hold you accountable in some way.

You say you're sorry but I know it won't do no good
Although you apologize, it doesn't make things better or change the end result.

I don't fuckin' care, I don't fuckin' care
I've reached a point of apathy where I don't care about the outcome anymore.

I don't fuckin' care anymore
The situation has gotten so bad that I've lost all emotional investment and don't care about the result.

It's gonna be all right
Despite the despair, I believe that things will eventually improve or resolve themselves.

Cause I don't fuckin' care anymore.
Reinforcing that the lack of caring is the dominant emotion now.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Walt Disney Music Company, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD COLLINS, SCOTT DURBIN, DAVID POCHE, SCOTT SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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