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.
Looking for a Wall
Smash Mouth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The windowpane to the soul
They will never let you down
And we'd know
We've seen each other around
Doing the late night downtown crawl
Deep inside I know I'm sick and tired of it all
Does anything ever last at all?
We're just looking for a wall to crash into
And me I'd be happy just bumping into you
Here I am and there they go
And if you ask me how I know
The oldest story in the world
Then I hope someday you'll know
That they'll never die if you never grieve
Everybody's moving to a place they gotta leave
So kill your TV and kill your phone
Be quiet and be alone with you
When technology solves apologies I will retire
With records and candles and pencils and cameras
And your soul in my eyes...
The song "Looking for a Wall" by Smash Mouth appears to be about the search for a sense of stability or belonging in the constant flux of life. The opening lines suggest that the singer has encountered someone familiar, someone they perhaps knew in the past, who seems reliable and trustworthy. The reference to the "windowpane to the soul" may indicate an introspective search for a sense of self, as the singer seeks connection with another who can offer some kind of understanding or support.
The following lines express a sense of weariness with the pace of life and the transience of experience. The "late night downtown crawl" may represent a search for excitement or stimulation, but ultimately the singer wonders if anything ever truly lasts. This search for constancy leads to the idea of crashing into a wall - a potentially destructive image, but one that also suggests the desire for something stable to hold onto.
The final verse offers a kind of solution. The singer suggests that disconnecting from technology and finding a sense of peace in solitude may be the key to finding oneself and, by extension, a more lasting sense of connection with others. The reference to "technology solving apologies" could symbolize a desire for greater human connection and understanding, but until that happens, the singer will continue to seek solace in the analogue world of records, candles, pencils, and cameras.
Overall, "Looking for a Wall" portrays a search for stability, belonging, and meaning in a chaotic and ever-changing world. The song suggests that while such things may be difficult to find, there is some hope to be found in human connection, introspection, and solitude.
Line by Line Meaning
Met someone I knew before
Encountered an individual pre-familiar to me
The windowpane to the soul
Eyes being the gateway to a person's true nature
They will never let you down
Confidence in the trustworthy nature of the individual
And we'd know
Having encountered each other in the past, familiarity is established
We've seen each other around
Repeatedly crossing paths in everyday life
Doing the late night downtown crawl
Venturing out at night, frequenting local establishments
Deep inside I know I'm sick and tired of it all
Internal exhaustion with the lifestyle choice
It comes too quick and goes too fast
The night-life passes rapidly and without moments of pause
Does anything ever last at all?
Reflection upon the ephemeral nature of life
We're just looking for a wall to crash into
Searching for an obstacle to force reflection
And me I'd be happy just bumping into you
Encountering a familiar face would act as a source of comfort
Here I am and there they go
Acknowledging the transient nature of the individuals around them
And if you ask me how I know
Indicating that they are aware of the situation's inevitability
The oldest story in the world
Humanity's constant search for connection and companionship
Then I hope someday you'll know
Expression of hope that someone will inevitably understand this truth
That they'll never die if you never grieve
Eternalizing those you love by avoiding sorrow and mourning
Everybody's moving to a place they gotta leave
Acknowledging that everyone lives transient lives in a reality of impermanence
So kill your TV and kill your phone
Discarding noise pollution and distractions for personal reflection
Be quiet and be alone with you
Encouragement of self-reflection and introspection
When technology solves apologies I will retire
When the dependency on technology replaces human accountability, I no longer want to live in this world
With records and candles and pencils and cameras
The simpler crafts and pastimes are a source of greater fulfillment
And your soul in my eyes...
The relationship between people and their essence
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREG CAMP, GREGORY D. CAMP, PAUL DELISLE, PAUL GERALD DELISLE, STEVEN HARWELL, STEVEN SCOTT HARWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind