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In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout!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.
Regroup
Screeching Weasel Lyrics
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The lyrics to Screeching Weasel's song "Regroup" speak to the overwhelming sense of helplessness that can arise when looking at the state of the world. The singer implores for an objective view, recognizing that things have gone wrong and questioning what can be done to ease the suffering and pain. Despite the noise made by those who would profit from apathy, the singer declares that they must "regroup" and learn to live the words they speak, cleaning up their own backyard and changing themselves. They come to the realization that it is up to them to set examples for themselves and others, to see what's in front of them with as little prejudice and greed as possible, and to believe their own eyes rather than the lies for sale which are easier to believe.
The song seems to suggest that while the state of the world may be overwhelming, the best place to start making a change is with oneself. Rather than being paralyzed by the enormity of the problems facing society, the singer recognizes that small actions can lead to big change. They urge listeners to challenge the ways they were taught were right and make their own primitive map for navigating the world.
Line by Line Meaning
if you look at the world with an objective eye then it's obvious that things have gone all wrong in the world
Taking a neutral stance, it's clear that the world has gone astray
and you can't help but ask yourself is there anything that i can do to ease the suffering and pain
In light of this, one wonders how to alleviate the agony and ache
or will my voice get drowned out by all the noice made by those who would profit by the peddling of comfortability (read: apathy)
Yet, there are those who benefit from complacency and their dominance may silence my message
they paint pictures by numbers of a desperate lunatic
Furthermore, they depict a crazed individual in predictable ways
and so i know i must regroup and learn to live the owrd i speak so easily
Therefore, I must reassemble and integrate my spoken words into my actions
it's up to me it's up to me to clean up my own backyard to change myself no matter how hard i resist my own morality
I am responsible for purifying my own space and transforming my own self, despite my own struggles with morality
it's up to me to set examples for myself and walk a path leaving the footsteps there as some kind of primitive map for you to clearly see
I must be a model for myself and create a rudimentary map for others to follow
not as a template but as a simple that you don't have to be true to the ways that you were always taught were right and the only way
This isn't a strict guide, but rather a reminder that one need not adhere to prescribed norms
and you're not insane if you stop to take a look the world will wait until you see more clearly
One need not be considered crazy to stop and examine the world, for it will wait until one's vision is clearer
it's up to me it's up to me to see what's in front of my with as little prejudice and greed as i can manage right now
It's my responsibility to observe with minimal bias and a lack of avarice at this moment in time
it's up to me to believe my eyes and not the iridescent lies for sale the ones easier to believe up to me it is
I must choose to trust my own perception rather than the alluring, but false, stories being sold to me
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: BENJAMIN M. FOSTER, BENJAMIN M FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind