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In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout!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.
Sunshine
Screeching Weasel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But who's in charge of your destiny
Some dumb fucker or is it you know
It's not what's in between your legs
But what's inside your head that counts
You say you're worthless
But I see through the bullshit
You're not helpless you can stand on your own two feet
A fucking piece of meat
You call it life I call it rape, I call it prostitution
I don'w know why you hate yourself
Cause you're not ugly at all
So let the sunshine in
And chase away your blues
Smilers never lose and frowners never win
So let the sunshine in
I know it's fucking hard
But now it's time to try and start to
Let the sunshine in
So when you feel fucked up like your life is in the gutter
Think about it for a minute
It's what you say that matters
Don't call it life, call it life, call it prostitution
And you won't have to hate yourself
Beacause you're a beautiful person
The song Sunshine by Screeching Weasel aims to inspire listeners to embrace their individuality, have faith in themselves and to not let others bring them down. Through the lyrics, the band encourages the listeners to take charge of their lives and not be a victim of external factors that can damage their self-worth. The lyrics tackle the sensitive issue of self-harm, particularly how people treat themselves like a "piece of meat." The band acknowledges that life can be challenging, but it's crucial to recognize our inner beauty and worth, which is why the lyrics take a turn when the band urges listeners to "let the sunshine in" and chase away their blues.
The song's chorus "Smilers never lose and frowners never win" is a powerful message that encourages the listeners to maintain a positive outlook on life by keeping a smile on their faces in the face of difficult circumstances. The song aims to inspire confidence in one’s self and to see their value beyond their physical attributes. The lyrics also make use of the metaphor of prostitution to describe how some people treat themselves, implying that one should respect themselves and not let anyone take advantage of them.
Line by Line Meaning
It might seem like we're not the only ones to tell you
You may have heard this before from others, but we're going to explain it differently.
But who's in charge of your destiny
Who is responsible for your future?
Some dumb fucker or is it you know
Is it just some idiot controlling your life, or is it actually you?
It's not what's in between your legs
Your gender doesn't define your worth as a person.
But what's inside your head that counts
It's about your thoughts and actions that define you, not physical traits.
You say you're worthless
You talk down on yourself too much, but it's not true.
But I see through the bullshit
I know that you're capable of more than what you believe about yourself.
You're not helpless you can stand on your own two feet
You are not weak and can be independent.
So why do you let yourself be treated like a piece of meat
Why do you allow others to disrespect you and use you?
A fucking piece of meat
You're being used for someone else's selfish desires, it's degrading.
You call it life I call it rape, I call it prostitution
Living like this is not a life, it's like being sexually assaulted and sold for money
I don'w know why you hate yourself
I don't understand why you have such low self-esteem.
Cause you're not ugly at all
You are a beautiful person, both inside and out.
So let the sunshine in
Let positivity enter your life and change your thinking.
And chase away your blues
Get rid of your sadness and depressive thoughts.
Smilers never lose and frowners never win
A positive attitude can lead to success and happiness, while negativity can lead to defeat.
I know it's fucking hard
I understand that it's not easy to change your thinking and habits.
But now it's time to try and start to
It's time to make an effort to change and improve yourself.
Let the sunshine in
Allow positivity into your life and mindset.
So when you feel fucked up like your life is in the gutter
When you feel hopeless and down on your circumstances,
Think about it for a minute
Take a step back and analyze the situation.
It's what you say that matters
Your words reflect your thoughts and actions, so be mindful of them.
Don't call it life, call it life, call it prostitution
You don't have to accept your current situation as life, it's like being sold for sex.
And you won't have to hate yourself
If you change your perspective, you won't have to feel so poorly about yourself.
Beacause you're a beautiful person
You have so much to offer, and your worth as a person goes beyond your negative experiences.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Benjamin M. Foster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind