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)

The Kids Don't Like It / In the Pit
Reel Big Fish Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Got some words, I don't know,
Gonna sing 'em here I go,
Wanna try not to be lame,
Wanna make you feel the same,
I just wanna be someone,
Don't you know we tried to do something new,
It may sound real good, but I don't think we're getting through,

Because the kids don't like it (no, no),
The kids don't like it (no, no, no),
The kids don't like it, no they don't like it at all,
I said the kids don't like it (no, no),
The kids don't like it (no, no, no),
The kids don't like it, no they don't like it at all,
Anymore

Had a hit, famous? no,
Easy come, easy go,
Should be happy with what I got,
Should be happy but I'm not,
I just wanna be someone,
Don't you know we tried to do something new,
It may sound real good, but I don't think we're getting through,

Because the kids don't like it (no, no),
The kids don't like it (no, no, no),
The kids don't like it, no they don't like it at all,
I said the kids don't like it (no, no),
The kids don't like it (no, no, no),
The kids don't like it, no they don't like it at all,

I thought there'd come a day,
When I'd run out of things to say,
But I know now it's true,
No one listens anyway,
And all we wanted was to do somethin' new,
It doesn't sound so good and I know we're getting through,

Because the kids don't like it (no, no),
The kids don't like it (no, no, no),
The kids don't like it, no they don't like it at all,
I said the kids don't like it (no, no),
The kids don't like it (no, no, no),
The kids don't like it, no they don't like it at all,
I said the kids don't like it (no, no),
The kids don't like it (no, no, no),
The kids don't like it, no they don't like it at all,
Anymore.

----------

Got my wife beater on, steel toe Dr Martens on my feet yea
I run around in a little circle, I'm wonderin' who to beat
And you know it's really cool, cause I played football
In high school, gonna push some little girls tonight
Look out fag there's gonna be a fight

When I'm in the pit, im gonna punch and kick
When im in the pit, dont cha know?
Im gonna fuck up shit!

And you wanna be just like me, I wish I could be myself
And you wanna be just like me, I can't think
Of no one else and you know it's really great
To punch somebody right in the face
Gonna push some little girls tonight
Look out fag there's gonna be a fight

When I'm in the pit, im gonna punch and kick
When I'm in the pit I'm gonna fuck up shit!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Reel Big Fish's "The Kids Don't Like It / In the Pit" seem to focus on two different perspectives. In the first part of the song, the singer is expressing the desire to create something new and interesting, but they are met with resistance from the "kids." It's unclear who these kids are, but they seem to represent a larger force of those who are not interested in new things, and may even be hostile towards them. The singer is frustrated by this lack of reception, and it makes them question their own abilities.

In the second part of the song, the tone shifts dramatically. The singer is now adopting the persona of someone who is aggressive and violent in the pit at a concert. They use violent language and slurs to describe their actions, seemingly glorifying this behavior. The contrast between this perspective and the first part of the song is striking and leads one to question if the same "kids" that rejected their creativity are also the same ones who are embracing this kind of behavior at concerts.

Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the nature of creativity and rebellion in youth culture. While it can be difficult to create something new and be embraced by the mainstream, there is a danger in becoming too caught up in the aggressive aspects of youth rebellion.

The Kids Don't Like It / In the PitReel Big Fish Lyrics

Krish Shanmugam

on Everyone Else is an Asshole

The Kids Don't Like It / In the Pit
Reel Big Fish Lyrics