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)
She's Famous Now
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sick of waiting by the door in case she comes home
You won't believe it but don't you want to know
I let her go but I can't let her go
I don't want to hear it
I'm singin' too high tonight, I'm gonna lose my voice
I heard her on the radio don't want to sing along, but I've got no choice
She used to be my girl but now she's famous (she's famous now)
She used to be my girl but now she is famous (she's famous now)
She was just so sweet and now they're fallin' at her feet
She used to be my girl but now she's-
I eat the muscle and she eats the leaves
High cholesterol and heart disease yea
You'll never touch the way that I feel
Just for the record she got the deal
I don't want to hear it
I'm saying goodbye tonight, I just can't stand the noise
She's signin' autographs, don't want to say I know her but I've got no choice
She used to be my girl but now she's famous (she's famous now)
She used to be my girl but now she's famous (she's famous now)
She was just so sweet and now they're fallin' at her feet
She used to be my girl but now she's-
Well she's like me, just not as ugly
She used to be my girl but now she's famous (she's famous now)
She used to be my girl but now she's-
She was just so sweet
She was just so sweet
She was just so sweet and now they're fallin' at her feet
She used to be my girl but now she's-
Famous now
In Reel Big Fish's song She's Famous Now, the singer is expressing his frustration about the fact that his former girlfriend has achieved fame after leaving him behind. The lyrics are full of irony and sarcasm, as the singer tries to come to terms with his lost love while watching her success from afar.
The first verse compares the singer's current situation with his former girlfriend's success. He has "got the measles" while "she got the mumps," a play on the saying "grass is always greener on the other side." He is waiting by the door in case she comes home, but he is sick of it. He is jealous and frustrated that she has achieved fame and success, but he can't let go of his feelings for her. Despite his jealousy, he still wants to know more about her life, even though he knows it will only make him feel worse.
The second verse continues to express the singer's frustration with his former love. He is eating meat while she eats leaves, a reference to a vegetarian lifestyle. He feels like no one could ever understand the way he feels, and he is resentful of her for getting a deal that he never could. He wants to say goodbye to her and forget about her but can't overlook her success. He tries to console himself by noting that she is "just like me, just not as ugly."
Overall, the song is a satirical take on the jealousy that comes with a lost love's newfound fame. The singer is both envious and resentful of his former girlfriend, but he keeps reminding himself that despite her success, she used to be his girl.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the measles and she got the mumps
I am going through something painful and she's going through something painful too, but we are not going through it together.
I'm sick of waiting by the door in case she comes home
I am waiting idly by the door, hoping that she will come home, but it is making me physically and emotionally exhausted.
You won't believe it but don't you want to know
I have something to tell you, something that will surprise you, even though you might not think you want to hear it, but you do.
I let her go but I can't let her go
I made the decision to let her go, but it is still hard for me to let her go emotionally.
I don't want to hear it
I don't want to be confronted with the truth about her new life.
I'm singin' too high tonight, I'm gonna lose my voice
I am singing with too much force and energy, beyond my vocal range, and it is going to damage my vocal cords.
I heard her on the radio don't want to sing along, but I've got no choice
I heard her on the radio, but I don't want to sing along because it hurts too much, even though I have no choice in the matter.
She used to be my girl but now she's famous (she's famous now)
She used to be my girl, but now she's well-known and highly regarded, and I am no longer a significant part of her life.
She was just so sweet and now they're fallin' at her feet
She had a sweet personality and now people are literally and figuratively falling at her feet because of her fame.
I eat the muscle and she eats the leaves
I consume high-protein food, while she eats low-calorie greens.
High cholesterol and heart disease yea
My diet causes me to have a high level of cholesterol in my blood, which might lead to heart disease later on.
You'll never touch the way that I feel
You can empathize with me, but you will never truly know the depth of my emotions.
Just for the record she got the deal
Just to let you know, she got a big opportunity that has propelled her to fame.
I'm saying goodbye tonight, I just can't stand the noise
I am leaving tonight, because I can't take the sound of the crowd's excitement over her anymore.
She's signin' autographs, don't want to say I know her but I've got no choice
She is signing autographs for fans, and although I hesitate to admit it, I do know her, and therefore must interact with her in some way.
Well she's like me, just not as ugly
She has some qualities that I have, but she is not as physically unattractive as me.
She was just so sweet
She had a genuinely kind and likable personality.
She used to be my girl but now she's-
She used to be my girlfriend, but now our relationship is over.
Famous now
She has achieved a great amount of repute and fame in the entertainment industry.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AARON BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
dont