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)
Say Goodbye
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Working for a dream that isn't even yours
Pleasing everybody but yourself
Wouldn't you rather be
Somewhere else with someone else
There's no reason to stay together
'cause it's all pain and no pleasure
To say good-bye
When I'm with you I want to die
And all that time
Was such a waste
I never want to see your face
I just want to get the fuck away
We are falling apart
Lost our soul and we lost our heart
We can't be saved by being smart
We are falling apart
There's no reason to keep this up
Because it just hurts too much
It would feel so good
To say good-bye
When I'm with you I want to die
And all that time
Was such a waste
I never want to see your face
I just want to get the fuck away
Maybe someday I will look back
And see the best days of my life
Maybe someday I will miss you
But for now the end feels right
It would feel so good
To say good-bye
When I'm with you I want to die
And all that time
Was such a waste
I never want to see your face
I just want to get the fuck away
I know you feel like a whore
Working for a dream that isn't even yours
In this song, Reel Big Fish explores the idea of being trapped in a relationship where you feel unfulfilled and unhappy. The opening lines express sympathy for the person the singer is addressing, recognizing that they feel like a "whore" because they are working towards a dream that is not truly their own. The singer suggests that this person is putting others' wants and needs before their own, leading them to feel unfulfilled and unsatisfied.
The chorus of the song expresses a desire to end the relationship despite the pain of doing so. The singer admits to feeling like they want to die when they are with the person and that they feel like all the time spent together was wasted. They express a desire to simply "get the fuck away" and move on with their life. The second verse continues the theme of falling apart and recognizing that there is no saving the relationship. The singer sees no reason to keep trying because it only causes more pain.
In the bridge, the singer briefly considers the possibility that they might someday look back on the relationship as the best days of their life, or they might even miss the person. However, in the end, they feel that it is best to end things and move on.
Overall, "Say Goodbye" is a poignant exploration of the difficulty of ending a relationship, even when it is clearly not working. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and sadness but also a sense of hope that moving on can ultimately lead to a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you feel like a whore
I understand that you feel like you're selling yourself short.
Working for a dream that isn't even yours
Putting in effort for a goal that you don't even truly desire.
Pleasing everybody but yourself
Prioritizing others' happiness over your own.
Wouldn't you rather be somewhere else with someone else
Don't you want to be with someone who makes you happier and more fulfilled, somewhere far from here?
There's no reason to stay together 'cause it's all pain and no pleasure
Our relationship is causing only agony and not providing any enjoyment, so we should separate.
We are falling apart
Our romance is disintegrating, and we're not holding up.
Lost our soul and we lost our heart
We've lost our way and have no more passion for each other.
We can't be saved by being smart
We can't mend our relationship through intelligence or wisdom alone.
There's no reason to keep this up because it just hurts too much
Maintaining this relationship brings nothing but agony, so we should stop.
Maybe someday I will look back and see the best days of my life
Perhaps in the future, I'll fondly reminisce on the amazing memories we shared.
Maybe someday I will miss you but for now the end feels right
While I might miss you in the future, as of now, separation is the best course of action.
I just want to get the fuck away
I need to distance myself from this relationship as soon as possible.
And all that time was such a waste
Every moment that we spent together only turned out to be fruitless.
When I'm with you I want to die
Spending time with you brings me nothing but despair.
It would feel so good to say good-bye
Separating from you would be the best thing that's happened to me in a while.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: HANS FLORIAN ZIMMER, JAMES MICHAEL DOOLEY, JAMES LEVINE, RYELAND GRAY ALLISON, THOMAS NEWMAN, HEITOR PERIERA, EVANGHELOS: SEE "VANGELIS" PAPATHANASSIOU, MARK ALLEN MOTHERSBAUGH, DAVID ROSE, JOHN BARRY, DONALD BLACK, MORTON STEVENS, ELMER BERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
dont