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)
Your Guts
Reel Big Fish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wrote this song about you
Just to let you know that I hate your guts
And I think you suck
I wrote this song about you
I wrote this song about you
Just to let you know that I hate your guts
And I think you suck
I hate the way you look
(You make me sick)
I hate the way you talk
(I want to punch you in the face)
I can't stand you at all
(You drive me insane)
Why won't you go away?
I wrote this song about you
I wrote this song about you
Just to let you know that I hate your guts
And I think you suck
This is your song
Congratulations
You're the inspiration
I hate you so much
That I wrote this song
Congratulations
You're immortalized
I hate so much
I hope you fuckin' die
In the song "Your Guts" by Reel Big Fish, the lyrics are a direct message to someone who has caused the singer a significant amount of agony. The opening lines "I wrote this song about you, just to let you know that I hate your guts and I think you suck" leave little to the imagination. It's apparent that the songwriter is trying to communicate their feelings of hostility towards this person. The song's lyrics reinforce the message by painting this individual as unattractive, irritating, and unbearable to be around. The lines "I hate the way you look" and "I hate the way you talk, I want to punch you in the face" showcase the singer's complete contempt for this person. The lyrics' final lines elevate the hate to another level, with the lines "I hope you fucking die" making it clear that the songwriter wants to see this individual experience some severe consequences.
The song's lyrics are striking on many levels. The combination of the song's upbeat melody and the harsh words adds a degree of complexity to the song. The dark and aggressive underlying message conflicts with the bouncy, cheerful music. This contrast can lead to listeners having important discussions about the role of music in our society and our expectations of creative individuals.
The song's lyrics and its contradictory upbeat musicality make it appear to be a satirical take on love songs. The song's punchy chorus and melody evoke an image of a classic love song. However, lead singer Aaron Barrett expresses complete contempt for the song's subject through his lyrics. This contrast between the music and the lyrics likely heightens the song's ability to captivate listeners with its unconventional message.
Beneath the surface of the song's lyrics, it appears to be a bit of an inside joke amongst the band members. They claim that they wrote the song about a long-forgotten childhood bully. This anecdote gives context to why such a seemingly hateful song would exist in their discography. The song is a therapeutic and cathartic release for the band members, as well as an amusing addition to their setlist.
Line by Line Meaning
I wrote this song about you
The singer chose to put their anger and frustration towards one person into a song as a way to express their hatred.
Just to let you know that I hate your guts
The purpose of the song is to make it clear to the subject that the singer strongly dislikes them.
And I think you suck
The singer thinks the subject is terrible as a person and does not value them at all.
I hate the way you look
The singer is repulsed by the physical appearance of the subject.
(You make me sick)
The sight of the subject causes a nauseating feeling within the singer.
I hate the way you talk
The voice of the subject annoys or frustrates the singer.
(I want to punch you in the face)
The anger towards the subject has reached a boiling point where the singer has violent urges towards them.
I can't stand you at all
The presence of the subject is unbearable for the singer.
(You drive me insane)
The actions or behavior of the subject is causing the singer to become mentally unstable.
Why won't you go away?
The singer wishes that the subject would leave and never come back.
This is your song
The entire song is centered around the subject and their impact on the singer's life.
Congratulations
The singer is being sarcastic and the word is used to emphasize the opposite of happiness or pride.
You're the inspiration
The subject's negative influence on the singer's life is the fuel for the song.
I hope you fuckin' die
The singer's hatred towards the subject is so strong that they wish for their death.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: Aaron Asher Barrett, Matthew Yung, Sang Wong, Scott Allen Klopfenstein, Travis Jeremy Werts, Adam Matthew Polakoff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Krakaton
When I was in high school, I always wanted to dj my school dance with ska music , and this song would've been perfect for that.
Tom
When I was in High school, I always wanted the DJ anywhere to play some Ska. None of them ever would.
SamuraiTacos
Tom Oosterbroek yep same here i love playing ska in bars and people look at me or are confused what is this shit
Ghost of Smokey Joe
I love how his voice gets more and more unhinged as he he nears the final line if the song.
ipetloudog
This is one of the greatest songs ever written.
xSweetieLizx
Tell me you didn't just picture that one person in your mind that you hate their guts while listening to this!! How did I just discover this song in 2021?!?!?!? I laughed at this far harder than I should have and it made me feel a little bit better.
india wahl
i played this on my ukulele to serenade my sister when she was being really annoying
Matt Rodas
This was so great live omg!
Beetle Master
Yeah my dad took me to their concert for my 10th birthday and it was great
Grant S.
just saw 'em in concert, it was sick