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.
Out Of Sight
Smash Mouth Lyrics
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Smoking cigarettes they drink ´til they drool
Well we ain't so dumb, just numb
And tomorrow´s another year
Could you tell us what happened ´cause we weren't here
We've been hitching a ride with a big, fake rubber thumb
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
The ticker tape wants us to fail
And the limousine just drives us to jail
And the concierge can´t tell us where the ladies dance
But you are my friend in miles
Radio waves, stations, and dials and smiles
Cities and towns, slow down
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight
Out of sight...
The lyrics of Smash Mouth's song Out Of Sight paint a picture of a group of friends who are disconnected from the world and struggling to make sense of their lives. They are consumed by their smoking habits and drinking to the point of drooling. They feel numb to their surroundings and are unaware of what's happening around them. Despite their lack of understanding, they continue to keep moving forward by hitchhiking and seeking new adventures. The lyrics also mention the struggles of fame, with the ticker tape quick to want them to fail, and a limousine driving them to jail. Despite these challenges, the singer's friend remains a source of solace during their journey, connecting them to the radio waves, stations, and dials, and smiling along the way.
Overall, the song speaks to the struggles of navigating through life, finding purpose, and maintaining relationships along the way. The image that the lyrics paint is one of confusion, but also of hope, as they continue to move forward, out of sight.
Line by Line Meaning
Paintings of dogs playing pool
This line sets up the imagery of a bunch of people sitting around, smoking and drinking, and looking at cheesy art. It's a way of saying these people are wasting time and not doing anything meaningful.
Smoking cigarettes they drink ´til they drool
This line reinforces the idea that the people being described are living aimless, unhealthy lives. It also gives the impression that they're bingeing and overindulging in everything to the point of being comatose.
Well we ain't so dumb, just numb
Despite the implication that these people are living meaningless lives, this line suggests that they might be aware of that fact. They may not be dumb, but they're not engaging with anything either. There's a sense of ennui here.
And tomorrow´s another year
This line is a reminder that time is passing and they're not doing anything with it. The phrase suggests that another year is nothing but more of the same.
Could you tell us what happened ´cause we weren't here
This line is tongue-in-cheek, suggesting that the people being described are so checked out that they aren't even really present for their own lives. They're like bystanders who are too disengaged to be involved or take any active role.
We've been hitching a ride with a big, fake rubber thumb
This line is a reference to the thing that hitchhikers use to get a ride when they don't have a sign. It also reinforces the idea that these people don't have anything of their own and are just being carried along by whatever happens around them.
And you´re a star now, blinking bright
This line shifts the focus from the people being described to someone else who is successful and famous. It's like saying that there are people out there who are doing something meaningful and achieving success while the others are wasting their lives.
And you drive so fast now, out of sight
This line is about the distance between the people being described and the person who is a star. It's also about how quickly and decisively that person has moved beyond them.
The ticker tape wants us to fail
This line suggests that the media and the larger culture are against the people being described. There's a sense that society is conspiring to keep them down and make sure they never achieve anything.
And the limousine just drives us to jail
This line is about how even the things that are supposed to help them (like a limousine) are working against them. There's also an implication that they're stuck in a cycle they can't break out of - the limousine just keeps taking them to the same bad places over and over again.
And the concierge can´t tell us where the ladies dance
This line is about not knowing where to find the good things in life. It's also about feeling excluded and left out because they don't know the secret places where things happen.
But you are my friend in miles
This line brings some warmth into the song. It's about reaching out to someone else who has gone through similar struggles. It also suggests that it's possible to find a sense of connection even in isolation.
Radio waves, stations, and dials and smiles
This line is a reminder that there's a whole world out there that these people aren't engaging with. They're too stuck in their own little corner to see the bigger picture.
Cities and towns, slow down
This line suggests that there's something to be gained by slowing down and taking things in. It's a reminder that life isn't a race (even though it might feel like one sometimes).
Out of sight
This repeated phrase is a reminder that the person who was driving so fast and is now a star is completely out of their reach. They can't keep up with them and are stuck in their own little world.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, 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