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In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout!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.
Kathy
Screeching Weasel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She opens her window and sits on the roof whenever she is feeling bad
She's sick of these rules
And she's sick of this world
And she's totally sick of her life
She says the mundane fries like eggs on her brain
And now we all think she's lost her mind
Kathy's on the roof again
She's going down
Eating too little and sleeping too much
She was manic and now she's depressed
She ought to be with her peer group
Indeed she just needs to get things off her chest
They prod and they probe they sedate and they shock
They can't seem to get through to that girl
She only speaks about once every week
And then all she'll say is fuck the world
Kathy's on the roof again
She's going down
Her mother says she's crazy
And her sister says she's not
But everybody thinks she's flaky
We've gotta figure out just what's wrong with her
It's time to look into the cabinet
And make sure Kathy is taking her meds
It's time to prop Kathy in front of the TV
And wipe the drool off her dress
The sound of the Mexicans cutting the lawn
Again was buzzing throughout the whole house
We couldn't find her so we looked outside
And saw Kathy all over the ground
The song "Kathy" by Screeching Weasel deals with mental illness and the difficulties that come with trying to help someone who is struggling with it. The lyrics describe Kathy's feelings of disillusionment and frustration with the world around her, which seem to be taking a toll on her mental and emotional health. She copes by isolating herself from others, particularly when she is feeling sad or overwhelmed.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that Kathy's behavior is cause for concern. She is not eating properly, is sleeping too much, and alternates between manic and depressive states. The people around her are worried and trying to help her by encouraging her to take her medication and get help from professionals. However, despite their efforts, they seem unable to reach her or get through to her when she withdraws into herself.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of helplessness and desperation in the face of Kathy's struggles. Despite the love and concern of those around her, the fact remains that she is still suffering and in pain. The final lines of the song, which describe her lying on the ground outside, suggest a tragic ending to her story.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got a place to go when she gets sad
Kathy has a place where she goes to when she feels sad.
She opens her window and sits on the roof whenever she is feeling bad
When Kathy feels bad, she goes to the roof and opens her window to sit there.
She's sick of these rules
Kathy is tired and annoyed with abiding by the rules imposed on her.
And she's sick of this world
Kathy is disheartened by the current state of the world.
And she's totally sick of her life
Kathy is entirely dissatisfied and fed up with her life.
She says the mundane fries like eggs on her brain
Kathy believes that performing mundane tasks is like frying eggs in her brain, i.e., it's boring and unstimulating.
And now we all think she's lost her mind
Kathy's behavior has led to others perceiving her as having gone insane.
Kathy's on the roof again
Kathy is currently on the roof again.
She's going down
The situation with Kathy is deteriorating.
Eating too little and sleeping too much
Kathy is not taking care of herself and is not eating enough or sleeping too much.
She was manic and now she's depressed
Kathy was previously manic and is now in a state of depression.
She ought to be with her peer group
It would benefit Kathy to be in the company of people her own age.
Indeed she just needs to get things off her chest
Kathy needs to talk about her thoughts and feelings to someone to feel better.
They prod and they probe they sedate and they shock
Kathy is being subjected to various medical procedures to determine what's wrong with her.
They can't seem to get through to that girl
Despite trying different methods, doctors are unable to communicate with and treat Kathy effectively.
She only speaks about once every week
Kathy speaks very rarely, only once a week.
And then all she'll say is fuck the world
When Kathy does speak, she expresses her resentment towards the world.
Her mother says she's crazy
Kathy's mother believes she's mentally unstable.
And her sister says she's not
Kathy's sister disagrees and thinks Kathy is not crazy.
But everybody thinks she's flaky
Even if some people don't think she's crazy, everyone thinks she's flaky or unreliable.
We've gotta figure out just what's wrong with her
Everyone is trying to determine the root cause of Kathy's behavior and find a solution.
It's time to look into the cabinet
It's time to inspect the medicine cabinet to ensure Kathy is taking her prescribed medication.
And make sure Kathy is taking her meds
Kathy needs to consistently take her prescribed medication for treatment.
It's time to prop Kathy in front of the TV
To keep Kathy occupied, it's time to put her in front of the TV.
And wipe the drool off her dress
We need to clean the drool off Kathy's dress.
The sound of the Mexicans cutting the lawn
The noise of the Mexicans mowing the lawn can be heard.
Again was buzzing throughout the whole house
The sound of the lawn-mower is audible everywhere in the house.
We couldn't find her so we looked outside
Kathy wasn't inside the house, so we searched for her outside.
And saw Kathy all over the ground
We saw Kathy lying on the ground outside.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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