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)
Turn The Radio Off
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hate my records, I hate CDs
I hate everyone at shows, and I hate that Rock and Roll
'Cause I know that machine sucked out my soul
Turn it off,
Turn it off,
Turn the radio off
I hate the music business,
It's filled with greed
It's run by old men who don't know what I need
I'm getting older fast, I hope this anger lasts
So I can have the strength to keep fighting back
Turn it off,
Turn it off,
Turn the radio off
Don't you know we're turning into zombies
Turn it off,
Turn it off,
Turn the radio off
Try thinking for yourself for once in your life.
Blah blah blah
Another song about the radio
Always complaining that we hate the radio
Well it's time to start the war, now here we go
Our first mission: just don't listen
Turn it off,
Turn it off,
Turn the radio off
Don't you know we're turning into zombies
Turn it off,
Turn it off,
Turn the radio off
Try thinking for yourself for once in your life
Turn it off,
Turn it off,
Turn the radio off
Try thinking for yourself for once in your life.
Reel Big Fish's "Turn the Radio Off" is a punk rock protest song that addresses the band's disillusionment with the music industry and the homogenization of popular music, which they blame on the corporate machine. The lyrics express a sense of contempt for the music industry, the artists who participate in it, and the fans who blindly follow the trends dictated by the industry. The song is a rallying cry for individuality and for taking a stand against the forces that seek to control artistic expression.
The first verse makes it clear that the singer hates everything associated with the music scene: the records, CDs, shows, and even rock and roll itself. The line, "Cause I know that machine sucked out my soul," paints a picture of an artist who feels creatively drained by the demands of the music industry. The chorus, "Turn it off, Turn it off, Turn the radio off, Try thinking for yourself for once in your life," is a call to action, urging listeners to turn off their radios and start thinking for themselves.
The second verse continues the theme of disillusionment with the music business, highlighting its greed and the fact that it's run by people who don't understand the needs of artists. The lines, "I'm getting older fast, I hope this anger lasts, So I can have the strength to keep fighting back," suggest that the motivation behind the song is a desire to create change and resist the status quo. The final verse is a direct challenge to the listener to join the fight against the music industry and take a stand against what the singer sees as the brainwashing effect of the radio.
Overall, "Turn the Radio Off" is a forceful, angry protest song that taps into the frustration many people feel with the music industry and the mainstream pop culture it propagates.
Line by Line Meaning
Hate music, I hate the scene
I feel genuine disgust and contempt towards the type of music and social circle that are popular right now.
I hate my records, I hate CDs
I'm not happy with my own music choices or how we consume them.
I hate everyone at shows, and I hate that Rock and Roll
Even though I'm involved in the scene, I don't like most of the people that go to shows, or the culture around the type of music we play.
'Cause I know that machine sucked out my soul
The music industry (or 'machine') has stripped me of my true artistic self and replaced it with a more marketable version of myself.
Turn it off,
I don't want to experience or engage with this 'machine' or its products anymore.
Turn it off,
I need to emphasize again the importance of disengaging from mainstream music and the industry behind it.
Turn the radio off
The radio is one of the most pervasive mediums through which the 'machine' spreads its influence, so it's especially important to avoid it.
Try thinking for yourself for once in your life
Instead of passively consuming whatever is presented to you, you need to be an active participant in deciding what kind of music you enjoy.
I hate the music business,
The industry is inherently corrupt and incentivizes greed over artistic integrity.
It's filled with greed
The people in power in the music industry are more interested in wealth and status than they are in making good music.
It's run by old men who don't know what I need
The people who are making decisions about what kind of music is released and promoted are out of touch with what young people actually want to hear.
I'm getting older fast, I hope this anger lasts
As I continue to age, my disgust with the industry and the mainstream music scene seems to be deepening rather than dissipating, and I hope it stays that way.
So I can have the strength to keep fighting back
I want to be able to stand up to the corrupt people and institutions that are trying to control the music I hear and make.
Blah blah blah
I'm mocking how people dismiss my complaints about the music industry and what's popular right now as just complaining.
Another song about the radio
I'm aware that this song is a bit repetitive and that I'm just adding my voice to a chorus of people who are complaining about the same thing.
Always complaining that we hate the radio
Even though it's true that we hate the radio, people are dismissive of our critiques because they see them as just more of the same.
Well it's time to start the war, now here we go
Despite the sense of futility that plagues us, we need to stand up and fight back against the music industry and everything it represents.
Our first mission: just don't listen
We need to start our resistance by simply not engaging with the music that's being presented to us by the forces that are trying to control us.
Try thinking for yourself for once in your life
This line is repeated to emphasize the importance of individualism and independent thinking when it comes to music.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AARON BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krish Shanmugam
on Everyone Else is an Asshole
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