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In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout!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.
Havana Affair
Screeching Weasel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I kinda wanted to just hang out remind myself what it was all about about
Everything I thought I shattered and left laying there that didn't matter
Every now and then comes back to my eyes moving in a new direction I know if
You're not getting better you're getting worse but watching everybody else
It's getting harder to remind myself of what I've learned relying on another
Lame religion to validate our arrogant traditions and any day we're gonna
Teacher used to go to school with you and she was right and if for just a
Second I take off these colored glasses I can see it might just be a waste of
Time and I don't know everyday that passes it gets easier to walk off and it
Seems alright and everyday another person I used to call my friend just
Disappears from sight now I see that I'm all alone just like I always was from
The beginning and I think maybe that's the reason I'm not hanging around I see
Your face and wonder where you'll be five years from now and what it really
Means to you inside I can't explain the reasons why I can't hang out and bide
My time it just keeps going on and on and on and on and on and I don't know
The lyrics to Screeching Weasel's Havana Affair are introspective and contemplative, dealing with themes of nostalgia, growth, and the passage of time. The opening lines express the singer's desire to recapture the feeling of their past and regain a sense of understanding about everything that they left behind. However, despite their attempts to look at people and things with fresh eyes, they find that the memories of what they once shattered and abandoned return to them, leading them to question whether they are truly learning and growing.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's state of mind, as they reflect on the ways in which they have relied on others to validate their beliefs and how their own traditions may be contributing to their stagnation. The mention of a teacher who attended the same school as the singer serves as a reminder of how far they have come and how much has changed. The chorus echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the singer's sense of isolation and the difficulty they have in connecting with others in the present.
The lyrics of Havana Affair ultimately convey a sense of alienation and disconnection from the world, as the singer struggles to reconcile their past experiences with their present reality. Through its introspective tone and poignant lyrics, the song provides a powerful commentary on the human experience and the struggle to find meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked around alone last night and tried to look at people like I did back
Last night I took a stroll by myself and tried to see others the way I used to in the past.
Then I kinda wanted to just hang out remind myself what it was all about about
I had an urge to just chill and reminisce about the good old times.
Everything I thought I shattered and left laying there that didn't matter
All the things I believed were broken and unimportant, left behind and irreverent.
Every now and then comes back to my eyes moving in a new direction I know if
Occasionally, these thoughts come back to me in a different perspective, and I am aware of that.
You're not getting better you're getting worse but watching everybody else
Contrary to popular belief, you're not getting better; instead, you're getting worse by comparing yourself to others.
It's getting harder to remind myself of what I've learned relying on another
It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to remember what I've learned when I rely on someone else to validate it.
Lame religion to validate our arrogant traditions and any day we're gonna
We depend on a false faith to justify our prideful customs, and inevitably, we'll come to realize its shortcomings.
Wonder why we've been left behind this girl came up to me and said I think my
We'll soon ask ourselves why we're being deserted, but just then, a girl approached me and said something.
Teacher used to go to school with you and she was right and if for just a
She informed me that her teacher went to school with me and she was correct, and if just for a small moment,
Second I take off these colored glasses I can see it might just be a waste of
If I remove my rose-tinted spectacles, I can see that this might all be a waste of time.
Time and I don't know everyday that passes it gets easier to walk off and it
I'm not entirely sure, but every day that passes, it seems easier to walk away and give up.
Seems alright and everyday another person I used to call my friend just
It appears to be appropriate, and every day, another person formerly considered a friend just
Disappears from sight now I see that I'm all alone just like I always was from
Vanishes from my view - now I recognize that I'm on my own just like I always was since
The beginning and I think maybe that's the reason I'm not hanging around I see
The inception, and it occurs to me that that may be why I'm not hanging around. I see
Your face and wonder where you'll be five years from now and what it really
Your face appears, and I ponder where you'll be in five years from now and how that relates to what truly
Means to you inside I can't explain the reasons why I can't hang out and bide
Means to you on the inside. I cannot explain why I can't socialize and wait patiently for something more significant.
My time it just keeps going on and on and on and on and on and I don't know
My time continues to slip away, and I'm not sure what to do about it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings, Thomas Erdelyi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind