Through the years, the band went through many line-up changes, with Ben and John being the only constant members since the band's inception. Screeching Weasel officially broke up for (roughly) the third - and allegedly final - time on July 6, 2001.
The band did a few surprise shows between 2001-2009.
Ben Weasel reformed the group in March 2009 with a new line-up, and without John Jughead. Ben had released solo albums that were the same just in his name. John finally settled for T-Shirt money for being an original member of the band and a royalties for a handful songs he co-wrote, and let Ben play as Screeching Weasel with the hundreds of song lyrics and music has written.
Former Members include renowned punk rock record producer Mass Giorgini on bass guitar, Dan Panic (born Dan Sullivan) on drums, and Danny Vapid (born Dan Schafer,on guitar or bass, depending on the band's necessity. Dan is currently fronting The Methadones and formerly of Sludgeworth)
Members of Screeching Weasel have gone on to form bands such as: The Methadones, The Mopes, Even in Blackouts, and Sweet Black And Blue.
Screeching Weasel has also included members of Green Day, Sludgeworth, Common Rider, Squirtgun, and Teen Idols.
During one of the band's many break-ups, Weasel and Vapid also formed the Riverdales. Additionally, Ben Weasel released a solo record in 2002 entitled Fidatevi.
In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout! Records in the wake of long-running financial and personal conflicts. The masters were subsequently licensed to and reissued by Asian Man Records.
On December 7, 2010, it was announced that Screeching Weasel will release a new album on March 15, 2011, the band's first album in eleven years. The album will be titled First World Manifesto and will be released on Fat Wreck Chords. It will contain 14 new songs and is produced by Mike Kennerty of The All-American Rejects. It was announced that the label will also be releasing the back catalogs of Screeching Weasel, the Riverdales, and Ben Weasel.
On March 18, 2011, during Screeching Weasel's South by Southwest Festival performance at the Scoot Inn in Austin, Texas, Foster reached from the stage and slapped a female audience member who had spit on him several times. This sent off a fire storm web frenzy from all of the self -righteous non Screeching Weasel fans. Ben apologized for his actions, but all of the perfect people who never loose there cool were not satisfied.
Ben and his hired band had a falling out. He found out who his true friends and fans were. After over a year of spending time with his family and raising a new baby, he released Carnival of Schadenfreude EP in 2011 with huge interest and has resumed his music career again full swing.
Ain
Screeching Weasel Lyrics
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The guys are strutting proudly showing off their weenies
Top 40 garbage spewing expensive radios
As they primp their pampered bodies
And put schnozzguard on their nose
This ain't Hawaii
This ain't Hawaii
This ain't Hawaii
Prep school blonds and musclemen with perfect heinies
There's more money on this beach than all the tea in china
These girls all look like Nancy Drew, the boys like Jim McMahon
And their fat, white, ugly parents look like Morey Amsterdam
This ain't Hawaii
This ain't Hawaii
This ain't Hawaii
This ain't Hawaii
In droves they hit the beach in Porches and Ferrari's
The sun has cooked their brain they're on a surf safari
The Lake is full of creepy snobs, I stare to get annoyed
This isn't Honolulu, this is Illinois
They're surfing in Wilmette
The first verse of the song “This Ain’t Hawaii” by Screeching Weasel paints an unflattering picture of affluent people, who are privileged and indulge in a high-end lifestyle. They are shown to be at the beach, wearing string bikinis and showing off their bodies, while listening to Top 40 songs on their expensive radios. The lyrics also describe how they put on sunscreen on their already-pampered bodies along with schnozzguard on their noses, which accentuates the absurdity of their actions. The repeated phrase of “This ain’t Hawaii” serves as a commentary on their inability to escape their boring and uneventful surroundings by attempting to recreate the feeling of being in a tropical paradise.
The second verse continues to mock the people at the beach, specifically the blonde prep school girls and musclemen with perfect bodies. The parents of these individuals aren’t spared either, being described as fat, white, and ugly, comparing them to Morey Amsterdam. The use of Nancy Drew and Jim McMahon reinforces the idea of privileged white people who are out of touch with reality. The description of the expensive cars such as Porsches and Ferraris further reinforces their privileged nature, while also providing an ironic and humorous imagery of them surfing in Wilmette, Illinois, which is nowhere near Hawaii.
Line by Line Meaning
The girls are on the beach in their string bikinis
The beach is filled with young ladies in tiny swimwear.
The guys are strutting proudly showing off their weenies
The guys are showing off their bodies as they walk around the beach.
Top 40 garbage spewing expensive radios
The radios are playing the latest, overplayed pop music on expensive sound systems.
As they primp their pampered bodies
The beach-goers are taking time to beautify themselves.
And put schnozzguard on their nose
They put on sunscreen to protect their skin from being burnt.
This ain't Hawaii
Despite the effort to create a perfect beach image, this is not Hawaii.
Prep school blonds and musclemen with perfect heinies
The beach is full of wealthy, fit people with attractive figures.
There's more money on this beach than all the tea in china
The beach is filled with people who have a lot of money.
These girls all look like Nancy Drew, the boys like Jim McMahon
The girls resemble a popular detective character, while the boys resemble a famous football player.
And their fat, white, ugly parents look like Morey Amsterdam
The older generation present are overweight, unattractive, and resemble a well-known comedian.
In droves they hit the beach in Porches and Ferrari's
People are arriving at the beach in expensive sports cars.
The sun has cooked their brain they're on a surf safari
The heat has made the beach-goers a bit crazy and obsessed with surfing.
The Lake is full of creepy snobs, I stare to get annoyed
The lake is full of unpleasant, stuck-up people that cause the singer to become agitated.
This isn't Honolulu, this is Illinois
Despite the image of a perfect beach, this is just a regular beach in the Midwest.
They're surfing in Wilmette
People are trying to surf and enjoy the beach in Illinois, which isn't an ideal place for either activity.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: BENJAMIN M. FOSTER, BENJAMIN M FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind