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)

Uniform of Destruction
Reel Big Fish Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh my eye ... woah ho my eye
Proud to strip some unity
Oh my eye ... woah ho my eye
Uniform of destruction

chicken, fried steak, and spaghetti helps to
make the world seem right
food thats on my plate will never

put up any fight

Headed for the West
Headed for Seattle
can't control my life
while its slipping through my hands

Oh my eye ... woah ho my eye
Proud to strip some unity
Oh my eye ... oh ho my eye
Uniform of destruction

Barbecued beef and lasagna helps to
make the world seem right
Mention I look cool 'cuz we all
Chew our food ten times

Headed for the West
Headed for Seattle
Please come out tonight, baby
Please meet my demands
Lets Go!

Oh my eye ... woah ho my eye
Proud to strip some unity
Oh my eye ... woah ho my eye
Uniform of destruction

Peanut butter and jelly has the
flavor that I like
Give me my fair share
Of the chocolate milk that's spiked

Headed for the West
Headed for Seattle
Please give my regards
to my lover in the south

Headed for the West
Headed for Seattle
Headed for the West
Headed for Seattle

Headed for the West
uniform of destruction
Headed for Seattle
uniform of destruction

Headed for the West
uniform of destruction
Headed for Seattle

uniform of destruction
ha ha ha

Overall Meaning

The song "Uniform of Destruction" by Reel Big Fish appears to be a satirical take on the conformity and lack of control in society. The chorus, "Oh my eye ... woah ho my eye, Proud to strip some unity, Uniform of destruction" seems to suggest that by conforming to societal norms and standards, people are stripping away their individuality and contributing to the destruction of their own identity. The references to food in the verses may symbolize the comforts and distractions that people turn to in order to cope with this loss of control and individuality.

The references to traveling to Seattle may suggest a desire for escape or a new beginning, but the repeated "headed for the West, uniform of destruction" emphasizes the idea that no matter where one goes, they will still be part of the same destructive system. The final "ha ha ha" at the end of the song may indicate a sense of resignation or hopelessness towards the situation.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh my eye ... woah ho my eye
I'm excited, surprised, and overjoyed

Proud to strip some unity
I want to cause chaos and disrupt conformity

Uniform of destruction
I take pride in my ability to cause destruction while wearing a uniform

Chicken, fried steak, and spaghetti helps to make the world seem right
Comfort food makes me feel good and helps me cope with the world

Food thats on my plate will never put up any fight
I like my food submissive and easy to eat

Headed for the West Headed for Seattle can't control my life while its slipping through my hands
I'm losing control of my life and running away to Seattle won't solve my problems

Barbecued beef and lasagna helps to make the world seem right
More comfort food that makes me feel good

Mention I look cool 'cuz we all Chew our food ten times
I think I'm cool for chewing my food properly like a child would

Please come out tonight, baby Please meet my demands
I have unrealistic expectations and demand things from my partner

Peanut butter and jelly has the flavor that I like
I have simple tastes and don't like to try new things

Give me my fair share Of the chocolate milk that's spiked
I want what's mine, which is an alcoholic beverage

Please give my regards to my lover in the south
I'm saying goodbye to my southern lover before I leave for Seattle

Headed for the West uniform of destruction Headed for Seattle uniform of destruction
I'm excited to bring destruction with me to Seattle

ha ha ha
I'm amused by my own foolishness

Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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