Screeching Weasel is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They wer… Read Full Bio ↴Screeching Weasel is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They were formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel (aka Ben Foster who also used to be a columnist for the punk fanzine Maximum Rocknroll) and John Jughead (aka John Pierson). The band gained prominence in the early 1990s after signing to East Bay punk label, Lookout! Records and are cited to be a major influence over many bands playing that style of punk music.

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In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout!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.

Pretty Girls Don
Screeching Weasel Lyrics

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Pretty girls oh oh yeah see them walking down pretty street
But you know pretty girls oh oh yeah never want to talk talk to me
Pretty girls pretty girls pretty girls pretty girls
don't talk to me
Pretty girls pretty girls pretty girls
don't talk to me

Oh yeah I'm getting old and fat and it seems

That everywhere I turn pretty girls just pass me by and stare
right through me

Pretty girls...

Pretty girls oh oh yeah look fresh and bright and pure and so clean
But you know pretty girls oh oh yeah would never associate
with scum like me

Pretty girls...

Pretty girls don't talk to me [x4]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Screeching Weasel's song "Pretty Girls Don't Talk to Me" convey the frustration and despair of a protagonist who feels excluded and neglected by pretty girls. The opening lines set the scene by describing the sight of pretty girls walking down the street, seemingly unapproachable and out of reach. The repetition of "oh oh yeah" reinforces the singer's impression of their allure and perfection, which only serves to deepen his sense of inadequacy and inferiority. The chorus echoes this sentiment, as it repeats the phrase "pretty girls don't talk to me" over and over again, like a mantra of loneliness and rejection. The singer is fully aware of his limitations and shortcomings, which he attributes to his age and physical appearance. He feels like an outcast, like someone who doesn't belong in the same world as the pretty girls he admires from afar. The second verse expands on this theme by contrasting the singer's low status with the idealized image of pretty girls as pure, fresh, and clean. He knows deep down that he doesn't deserve to be associated with them, that he is "scum" in their eyes. The song ends on a bittersweet note, as the final refrain of "pretty girls don't talk to me" emphasizes the hopelessness of the singer's situation, but also the resilience of his spirit, which keeps him going despite the odds.

Overall, the lyrics to "Pretty Girls Don't Talk to Me" are a poignant reflection on the universal human desire for connection and validation, and the painful reality of social exclusion and isolation. The song captures the feeling of being an outsider in a world that values beauty and popularity above all else, and the emotional toll that such exclusion can take on one's self-esteem and sense of worth.

Line by Line Meaning

Pretty girls oh oh yeah see them walking down pretty street
I observe attractive women walking confidently on a beautiful street.

But you know pretty girls oh oh yeah never want to talk talk to me
However, despite their appearance, it is a common occurrence for these women to avoid engaging with me.

Pretty girls pretty girls pretty girls pretty girls
I can't help but notice the abundance of gorgeous women around me.

don't talk to me
Yet, they all seem to ignore my presence and not give me a chance to interact with them.

Oh yeah I'm getting old and fat and it seems
I acknowledge my aging body and physical changes that occur with age.

That everywhere I turn pretty girls just pass me by and stare
Despite my struggles with self-image, these women only glance at me before moving on, not giving me a chance to prove myself.

right through me
Their dismissive reactions make me feel invisible and insignificant.

Pretty girls oh oh yeah look fresh and bright and pure and so clean
Again, I am struck by the beauty and allure of these women, as they possess an almost heavenly quality.

But you know pretty girls oh oh yeah would never associate
However, it is clear to me that these women are not interested in associating or being associated with someone like me.

with scum like me
I use strong language to describe how unworthy and less than these women make me feel.

Pretty girls don't talk to me [x4]
I repeat the chorus to drive home the point that these women refuse to engage with me, no matter how much I desire it.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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