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.
Walkin' on the Sun
Smash Mouth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
And teach the world to snuff the fires and the liars
Hey, I know it's just a song but it's spice for the recipe
This is a love attack, I know it went out but it's back
It's just like any fad, it retracts before impact
And just like fashion, it's a passion for the with it and hip
So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive, six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow, there may be a tomorrow
But if the offer's shunned
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
Twenty-five years ago, they spoke out and they broke out
Of recession and oppression and together they toked
And they folked out with guitars around a bonfire
Just singin' and clappin', man, what the hell happened?
Then some were spellbound, some were hell bound
Some they fell down and some got back up
And fought back against the melt-down
And their kids were hippie chicks, all hypocrites
Because fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it
So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive, six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow, there may be a tomorrow
But if the offer's shunned
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
It ain't no joke when our mama's handkerchief is soaked
With her tears because her baby's life has been revoked
The bond is broke up, so choke up and focus on the close up
Mr. Wizard can't perform no godlike hocus-pocus
So don't sit back, kick back and watch the world get bushwhacked
News at ten, your neighborhood is under attack
Put away the crack before the crack puts you away
You need to be there when your baby's old enough to relate
So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive, six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow, there may be a tomorrow
But if the offer's shunned
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
The opening lines of the song Walkin' On The Sun express a desire to bring the world together through music and a shared experience. The lyrics mention buying the world a “toke,” which is a slang term for smoking marijuana, and teaching them to sing in harmony. The song is also a call to action to put an end to deception and dishonesty in the world. The lines “And teach the world to snuff the fires and the liars” suggest a desire to put an end to the spread of false information and harmful behavior.
The song also references the fickle nature of trends and the importance of staying relevant. The line “And just like fashion, it's a passion for the with it and hip” suggests that staying current and fashionable is important to maintaining relevance. The song encourages its listeners to act now rather than waiting for opportunities to pass them by. This urgency is conveyed through lines like “So don't delay, act now” and “Supplies are running out.”
Line by Line Meaning
It ain't no joke, I'd like to buy the world a toke
I wish I could share a joint with the entire world to spread peace and love.
And teach the world to sing in perfect harmony
We should all learn to live together in harmony.
And teach the world to snuff the fires and the liars
We need to put out falsehoods and injustices in order to make the world a better place.
Hey, I know it's just a song but it's spice for the recipe
Even though it's just a song, it can add some flavor to our lives and inspire us to make a change.
This is a love attack, I know it went out but it's back
This message of love is making a comeback and is meant to bring people together.
It's just like any fad, it retracts before impact
Like a trend, this message may not always be present and may fade away.
And just like fashion, it's a passion for the with it and hip
Being a part of this message is trendy and cool among the current crowd.
If you got the goods, they'll come and buy it just to stay in the clique
Being a part of this message can attract people to you and is a way to fit in with others.
So don't delay, act now, supplies are running out
We need to act soon because time is running out.
Allow if you're still alive, six to eight years to arrive
We need to act quickly because we may not have much time left.
And if you follow, there may be a tomorrow
If we work together and make changes, there is hope for the future.
But if the offer's shunned
If we don't take action, things will never improve.
You might as well be walkin' on the sun
Life will be difficult and unbearable if we don't make a change.
Twenty-five years ago, they spoke out and they broke out
A quarter of a century ago, people spoke up against oppression and made a change.
Of recession and oppression and together they toked
During a time of economic struggle and social injustice, people found unity and solace in smoking marijuana together.
And they folked out with guitars around a bonfire
They bonded through playing music together around a fire.
Just singin' and clappin', man, what the hell happened?
What went wrong with that sense of community and togetherness?
Then some were spellbound, some were hell bound
Some people became obsessed with this lifestyle while others were doomed to suffer from not being a part of it.
Some they fell down and some got back up
Some people failed while others bounced back from their struggles.
And fought back against the melt-down
People fought against the difficult times and tried to make a change.
And their kids were hippie chicks, all hypocrites
The children of those times became hippies themselves, but even they fell into hypocrisy and lost sight of the true values they were fighting for.
Because fashion is smashin' the true meaning of it
The message of love and peace became distorted and cheapened through trends and fashion.
It ain't no joke when our mama's handkerchief is soaked
It's not funny when our mothers are heartbroken over the losses in their lives.
With her tears because her baby's life has been revoked
Our loved ones pass away and we can't take that lightly or ignore their loss.
The bond is broke up, so choke up and focus on the close up
When relationships break, we need to deal with our emotions and focus on the present moments and people in our lives.
Mr. Wizard can't perform no godlike hocus-pocus
No one has the solutions to everything, no matter how powerful or inspiring they may seem.
So don't sit back, kick back and watch the world get bushwhacked
We need to be proactive and not stand idly by while the world falls apart.
News at ten, your neighborhood is under attack
We see the negative news every day showing that our communities are struggling and need help.
Put away the crack before the crack puts you away
We need to kick our own bad habits before they consume us.
You need to be there when your baby's old enough to relate
We need to be present with our loved ones and create memories together while we still have time.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Greg Camp, Paul Gerard Delisle, Steven Scott Harwell, Kevin John Iannello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@spinblackcircles
All star gets all the hype but this is their best song. The guitar and organ go so hard and the rhythm in which he sings the lyrics makes it so catchy. RIP Steve
@RPGreg2600
Agreed!
@brandonsmith-scolaro4887
A man of class I see. This song rules, obviously Allstar is a great song but there's something special about this one.
@-CloClo-
True
@thewhisperingeye.
One of the few songs I'll dance to. Such a classic!
@thatdude4542
100%
@TomWatsonB1
When I was 12-13 years old and it was the late 90s, this was a grooving tune. As someone who grew up on classic rock, Smashmouth was a 90s band I actually enjoyed. Thanks for the memories, Steve and RIP.
@joseschmoe2800
Wot? 12-13 years old. YOU WERE JUST A KID. I was already 35!!!
@Samtino20
Same here 14 and mom turned me on to classic rock so this hit me right as rain
@greg55666
Me too--there are very few bands in the '90s that I know of that were worth listening to. Smash Mouth, Fatboy Slim, Beck. I think that's the end of the list?