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In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout!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

Slomotion
Screeching Weasel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take stock of the situation
assess the comlications
that arise from our half truth
the stage in this case
is just a tool to make it possible
for you to justify your blighted worldview
I've got an answer
f we don't need it

we don't take it
the scams transparency is
we get older and we feel like we are missing something
we wonder why our plans don't work
when we take a stand we slink away
like frightened rats I've got the answer
if we don't need it we don't take it
we want to build a perfect world somehow

but the prizes just out of reach
have slowed us down

Overall Meaning

The opening verse of Screeching Weasel's "Slomotion" invites the listener to reflect on the state of affairs in their life. It urges the listener to take stock of the situation and assess the complications arising from half-truths. The stage in this case is a tool used to justify a blighted worldview. The song suggests that we can't always believe what we see or hear, and we must take a closer look at the situation to get an accurate picture.

The chorus of the song offers a solution to this problem: if we don't need it, we don't take it. The song suggests that transparency is critical to avoid falling for scams. As we grow older, we often feel like we are missing something, and our plans don't work out as we expect. When we take a stand and try to achieve something, we often back away fearfully like frightened rats. The song offers an answer to this problem, suggesting that if we don't need something, we shouldn't take it. Only then can we begin to build the perfect world we desire.

Overall, "Slomotion" urges listeners to be more critical when assessing their lives and the world around them. It highlights the importance of transparency and caution and offers a solution to the sense of missing out that many people experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Take stock of the situation
Examine the current state of affairs

Assess the complications
Evaluate the difficulties

That arise from our half truth
Result from our deceitful behavior

The stage in this case
The situation at hand

Is just a tool to make it possible
Facilitates the justification of one's misguided beliefs

For you to justify your blighted worldview
For someone to rationalize their distorted perspective

I've got an answer
I have a solution

If we don't need it
If we can live without it

We don't take it
We don't acquire or accept it

The scam's transparency is
The fraud's clarity lies in the fact that

We get older and we feel like we are missing something
As we age, we experience a sense of discontent