Smash Mouth is an alternative rock band from San Jose, California, United S… Read Full Bio ↴Smash Mouth is an alternative rock band from San Jose, California, United States that formed in 1994, the band's lineup consists of founding bassist Paul De Lisle, keyboardist Michael Klooster (1997-present), drummer Randy Cooke (2010-present), guitarist Sean Hurwitz (2011-present), and lead singer Zach Goode (2021-present). Their hit songs include "Walkin' on the Sun" (1997) and "All Star" (1999).

Focused at times playing "neo-ska" music, the band has adopted retro styles spanning several decades of popular music, as well as performing covers of popular songs such as The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" and War's "Why Can't We Be Friends" as well as cult favorites such as ? and the Mysterians' "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" (though their version owes more to The Colourfield's interpretation; in fact, the band at first believed it was a Colourfield original). Smash Mouth's first album Fush Yu Mang came out in June 1997. This album could be said to be "neo ska". Its top position in the charts was #19 (on Billboard). The promo for this album said that "While the twelve songs on Fush Yu Mang sound like they belong side by side, each has it's own feeling like the very '60's "Walkin' On The Sun," the surf 'n' turf of "Nervous In the Alley," the Buzzcocks like "Pet Names," the Mafia rock of "Padrino," and the fret rock of "Let's Rock"." Smash Mouth's second album Astro Lounge was released two years later, in June 1999. It is the band's most critically and commercially successful album to date. It reached #6 on the Billboard charts and it featured the massive hit All Star.

Smash Mouth released their third album Smash Mouth (Self-Titled) in November 2001. It has been said that this is the band's most experimental album to date. It reached #48 on Billboard charts. Smash Mouth's fourth album Get the Picture?, released in August 2003, wasn't as well-received by fans or the critics as previous albums (it only reached #100 on the Billboard charts). Smash Mouth released a Christmas cover album in November 2005 (The Gift of Rock). Their newest album is called Summer Girl, and, after being delayed for over a year, was released on September 19th, 2006. Smash Mouth's music was used in the film "Shrek" and they starred on-screen as themselves in the turbulent finale of the all-star-comedy "Rat Race", while performing "All Star" on stage during the showdown.

In May 2011 lead singer Steve Harwell agreed to eat two dozen eggs in one sitting for charity. That June, Harwell apparently backed out of the challenge -- with over ten thousand dollars for overseas children's hunger charities at stake -- potentially because he is afraid to eat the eggs. Fans continue to demand Harwell eat the eggs.

Two albums were released in 2012, The Gift Of Rock and Magic. A best-of compilation, Playlist: The Very Best of Smashmouth was released in 2016. A comeback single, Unity, was released in 2018.

In 2021, the band collaborated with Timmy Trumpet for the song "Camelot". This would be the band's last song with original lead vocalist Steve Harwell before his retirement later that year and his death 2 years later.

Steve Harwell retired in 2021 due to health issues and was replaced by Divided By Zero singer Zach Goode.

On September 4, 2023, original lead vocalist Steve Harwell died at age 56 at his home of liver failure.

Baggage Claim
Smash Mouth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Got some money
In my pocket
Got my ticket
In my hand
Ain't got time
To talk
Ain't got time
To explain

Ain't gonna ride
A Greyhound
Or a midnight train
I'm goin'
By jet propulsion
To the promise land
Gonna run down
Through the terminal
Jump over the chain
And make love
To my baby
In baggage claim

She called me up
This mornin'
Said she needed
To see me bad
She was Jonesin'
Real hard
For the love
She knew I had
Said

She woke up
Sweatin'

Overall Meaning

Bullets, screaming out
In fright
She said
"I need your arms
To hold me
And your lips
To make it right"
I don't need
No coffee
I don't need
No fryin' pan
I'm goin'
Where I'm needed
To love me
Some kind of man
I'm goin'
By jet propulsion
To the promise land
Gonna run down
Through the terminal
Jump over the chain
And make love
To my baby
In baggage claim

The song "Baggage Claim" by Smash Mouth is a classic rock song that tells the story of a man who is going to travel by plane to meet his beloved girl who is waiting for him desperately. He has the money in his pocket, the ticket in his hand, but he does not have the time to explain that he is in a hurry to get to his destination. The man is so in love with his girl that he cannot stand the thought of taking a Greyhound or a midnight train to see her. Instead, he takes a plane and goes to the promise land, which represents his girlfriend's arms.

The song is about love and how strong it can make a person feel. It also reveals that sometimes, in the name of love, people are willing to take risks, make sacrifices, and go the extra mile to see the person they love. Love can make people travel across the world just to be reunited with their significant other. The song is an ode to that undying love between two people who will stop at nothing to be with each other.

Line by Line Meaning

Got some money
I have some cash in my possession

In my pocket
My money is in my pocket

Got my ticket
I have my plane ticket with me

In my hand
I am holding the plane ticket in my hand

Ain't got time
I do not have the time

To talk
I cannot spare any time for conversation

Ain't got time
I still do not have any time

To explain
I cannot take the time to elaborate or elaborate on anything

Ain't gonna ride
I am not going to travel

A Greyhound
I will not be travelling by bus

Or a midnight train
Nor will I be travelling by train at night