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In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout!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.
Rubber Room
Screeching Weasel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't know what to do
Everyone I know is having a fit
Cause I haven't got a clue
I don't know who I am
Patience is wearing thin
I think my head is caving in
I don't want to live in a rubber room
The funny thing about it is the worse it gets
The less I even care
In Screeching Weasel's song "Rubber Room," the singer is experiencing a mental breakdown amidst the chaos of their life. They feel as though everything is falling apart, and they are unable to cope with the stress of it all. The first line, "Everything around me is turning into shit," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is overwhelmed by their circumstances and is struggling to make sense of it all. They feel like they have no control over their life and don't know what to do to make things better.
The following lines, "Everyone I know is having a fit, cause I haven't got a clue," suggest that the singer's friends and family are worried about them. They can see that the singer is struggling and don't know how to help. The line, "I don't know who I am," indicates that the singer is going through an identity crisis. They don't know where they fit in the world and are feeling lost and alone. The lyric, "Patience is wearing thin," suggests that the people around them are growing impatient with the singer's inability to get their life together. The title of the song, "Rubber Room," refers to a padded cell in a mental institution, implying that the singer feels like they are losing their mind.
The chorus of the song, "I don't want to live in a rubber room, but I think I'm halfway there. The funny thing about it is the worse it gets, the less I even care," reveals that the singer is resigned to their fate. They don't want to end up in a mental institution, but they feel like it's inevitable. They are hopeless about their situation and are becoming apathetic towards their own well-being. The song as a whole conveys a sense of desperation and hopelessness, making it a powerful statement on the difficulties of mental illness and the toll it takes on those who suffer from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything around me is turning into shit
I am surrounded by negativity and unpleasantness that is depressing me.
And I don't know what to do
I am feeling helpless and do not have any idea about how to manage the situation.
Everyone I know is having a fit
Those around me are frustrated and angry with me for not contributing to the resolution of the problem.
Cause I haven't got a clue
I am clueless and unaware of how to get out of this situation.
I don't know who I am
I am so lost and disoriented that I have no sense of my identity.
Patience is wearing thin
Those around me are rapidly losing their patience with me.
I think my head is caving in
I am feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of emotional collapse.
I don't want to live in a rubber room
I do not want to be confined or isolated from the world and society.
But I think I'm halfway there
My situation is so dire that I feel as if I am halfway to being confined to a rubber room.
The funny thing about it is the worse it gets
Ironically, as the situation worsens, I am becoming increasingly apathetic and disinterested in it.
The less I even care
As my situation deteriorates, I am losing my motivation to care about it or do anything to make it better.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: BENJAMIN M. FOSTER, BENJAMIN M FOSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind