The core members were Josh Clayton-Felt and Michael Ward who would play club dates in Los Angeles, California as a duo accompanied by programmed drums and bass. The band signed with Capitol Records in 1990, and released their first single on that same year on 7-inch vinyl. Their self-titled debut, School of Fish, was released in March 1991, followed by their first single, Three Strange Days. Also during the same year, they appeared on a KROQ concert disc called the Acoustic Christmas. Their second album, Human Cannonball, was released in 1993. The album did not sell very well and was not as successful as the self-titled album. Shortly thereafter, the band broke up.
Singer Josh Clayton-Felt died on January 19, 2000 at 32 of testicular cancer. In the six years after School of Fish, he had released solo albums entitled Inarticulate Nature Boy (1995), Felt Like Making a Live Record (1996), Beautiful Nowhere (1999), Spirit Touches Ground (2002), and Center of Six (2003).
Guitarist Michael Ward went on to play with John Hiatt and eventually became a member of The Wallflowers. Chad Fischer went on to form the band Lazlo Bane, most known for original opening credits of the TV show Scrubs. He also performed music in the Garden State movie soundtrack. Christopher MacDonald, who played bass with the band on tour, but did not play on any School of Fish recordings, records synthesizer space music under the name Telomere (label Evenfall).
Fountain
School Of Fish Lyrics
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The cameras always on it doesn't own the world
The statue?s looking tired though it would never say so
I'm standing in the cell but you could never tell
And if a mother tied me over and I'm falling down a mountain
And god is in the room and I'm floating in a fountain of watermakes sense
In a chair someone stares was found in an hour
The truth is almost here can only stay a minute
(repeat chorus)
Now I can find the lights
You said you would be right back
You know this candle only brings me down cause I see someone?slife
Underneath my own and it?s not what I am looking for anymore
(repeat chorus)
Will the world make sense
Will the world make sense for a little while
Will the world make sense
Will the world make sense for a little while
For a little while
For a little while
Oh oh oh
The lyrics to School Of Fish's "Fountain" are enigmatic, presenting a series of images and moments that are difficult to untangle on their own. Nevertheless, when taken together, they create an overall sense of desolation and uncertainty. The opening lines, "It's 7:22 took the yellow elevator, the camera's always on, it doesn't own the world," suggest an impersonal corporate environment where everyone is being watched, monitored, and controlled. The "statue looking tired" is likely a metaphor for the singer, who is trapped in a metaphorical "cell" but is trying to put on a brave face. The line "if a mother tied me over and I'm falling down a mountain, and god is in the room and I'm floating in a fountain of water" is particularly evocative, hinting at a sense of hopelessness and despair.
As the song continues, the second verse paints a picture of someone sitting in a chair, staring off into space with a "liquid smile." The "truth" is "almost here," but the singer suggests it can only stay for a moment. The repetition of the chorus ("will the world make sense for a little while") reinforces the sense of impermanence and uncertainty. The final lines, "Oh oh oh," suggest that the singer is not entirely sure what to make of the world and their place in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Its 7:22 took the yellow elevator
I checked the time and took the yellow elevator.
The cameras always on it doesn't own the world
There are cameras everywhere but the subject knows they don't have control over the world.
The statue?s looking tired though it would never say so
The statue looks like it needs a break but can't communicate its fatigue.
I'm standing in the cell but you could never tell
Although I feel trapped, it doesn't show on the outside.
And if a mother tied me over and I'm falling down a mountain
If someone trusted pushed me and I'm in a freefall.
And god is in the room and I'm floating in a fountain of water
In a moment of peace, I feel like I'm floating in water and aware of a higher power being present.
In a chair someone stares was found in an hour
Someone was found to be just sitting and staring for an hour.
With a kind of liquid smile that doesn't mean a thing
The person's smile doesn't hold any real emotions.
The truth is almost here can only stay a minute
The truth is almost revealed but it will only last momentarily before it disappears.
Now I can find the lights
I can see more clearly.
You said you would be right back
You promised to return.
You know this candle only brings me down cause I see someone's life
Seeing the struggles of others while using this candle brings me down.
Underneath my own and it's not what I am looking for anymore
Their struggles are different than my own and I no longer want to focus on them.
Will the world make sense
Will the world become understandable.
Will the world make sense for a little while
Will the world make sense temporarily.
For a little while
Only for a short time.
Oh oh oh
Closing sounds.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSHUA B. CLAYTON-FELT, MICHAEL B. WARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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