Starting as a parody of the booming third-wave ska scene in Southern California (their first show, reportedly, was played with fourteen members, at least half of which were wielding horns), The Aquabats played third-wave ska with surf guitar sounds and b-movie inspired lyrics. Over time, their sound became even more eclectic, dropping much of the surf guitar leads and ska rhythms for more varied influences.
Their current sound blends upbeat rock and roll, new wave, punk, and ska/rocksteady with synth largely replacing their horn and woodwind section. Notable influences upon The Aquabats are Devo, Oingo Boingo, Madness, and Toy Dolls.
The Aquabats’ current lineup is The MC Bat Commander (vocals), Ricky Fitness (drums), Crash McLarson (bass), Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk (guitar) & Jimmy the Robot (keyboards/tenor sax). Former members like Chainsaw, The Prince of Karate; Prince Adam; and Catboy have been known to come back into the fold for the occasional show.
The Aquabats's most recent album is Kooky Spooky... In Stereo!, released on August 21, 2020. via Gloopy Records.
The Story Of Nothing
The Aquabats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And good people knew her name
I was from the ocean floor
But I remember the look in her eyes
True love the birds would sing
And the trees would call her
Name as she walked by
She turned me into nothing
[Chorus]
Let's talk about something else
I'm starting not to see myself
She went so far away
But I still see her everyday
Nothing
Let's talk about something else
Can't see myself with anyone else
Please oh please
Let's talk about something else
Before I cry....
Waa, waa, waaaaa
She can't see me, but I can
I guess I am the invisible man
She can't see, what would be,
Nothing hurts worse
Than being nothing
The invisible man
Some things are hard to understand
The invisible man
Nothing worse than turning into
Once upon a time she was fine
And good people knew her name
I was from outside
Where all the animals and
All the trees were happy
What's wrong I'm standing over here
It's just weird that she can't see me
It's as if she waved her magic wand
And somehow turned me into nothing
[Chorus]
The invisible man
Some things are hard to understand
The invisible man
Nothing worse than...
She can't see me, but I can
I guess I am the invisible man
She can't see, what could be
Changed her mind and turned me into nothing
The Aquabats’s song “The Story of Nothing” is a heart-wrenching tale of losing love and feeling like nothing. The opening lines suggest that the singer had a relationship with a woman who was once well-known and respected. Although the singer is from the ocean floor, he can still remember the love he once shared with her, which was pure and grand. However, their love endedwhen she turned him into nothing. The chorus echoes the sentiment of feeling meaningless and invisible after breaking up. The singer shares his feelings of despair, hoping to talk about something else rather than his lost love.
The verses of “The Story of Nothing” indicate that the singer is still in love with the woman, but she does not see him anymore. He feels like the invisible man, and nothing hurts worse than feeling like nothing. The song ends with the emphasis on the invisible man, with a sense of helplessness and acknowledgement that some things are hard to understand.
The Aquabats are known for their fun and upbeat songs and performances, but “The Story of Nothing” shows their ability to connect with their audience on a deeper emotional level while maintaining the band’s signature quirky style.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time she was fine
There was a time when everything was alright between us
And good people knew her name
She was a good person and well-known to people around us
I was from the ocean floor
I came from a place that was once quite different from where I am now
But I remember the look in her eyes
I still remember the way she looked at me back then
True love the birds would sing
Our love was so true that it was comparable to the sweet songs of birds
And the trees would call her
Even trees acknowledged her magnificence whenever she's around
Name as she walked by
Her presence alone was enough to make the trees feel her significance
Love was grand until that magic day
Our love was perfect until one fateful day when something changed between us
She turned me into nothing
She did something that made me feel like I was nothing to her
[Chorus]
The chorus is a plea to talk about something else, to avoid further hurt or pain
Let's talk about something else
We need to change the topic to avoid the current conversation that's causing pain or discomfort
I'm starting not to see myself
I feel like I'm losing my identity and sense of self in this situation
She went so far away
She's no longer here with me, she has gone away
But I still see her everyday
I'm still reminded of her and everything that has happened every day
Nothing
This line alludes to the fact that everything has ended and nothing is left
Can't see myself with anyone else
I can't imagine being with someone else because of the pain that I am feeling
Please oh please
This is a plea begging to change the topic to something else
Before I cry....
The pain is too much to bear that tears are already streaming down the singer's face
Waa, waa, waaaaa
This is an expression of sadness, as if the singer is crying
She can't see me, but I can
She can't see me because I am not important to her anymore, but I still see her
I guess I am the invisible man
I feel invisible because she does not acknowledge or recognize me anymore
She can't see, what would be,
She doesn't seem to have a clue as to what could become of our relationship
Nothing hurts worse
The pain of being ignored or unimportant feels worse than anything else
The invisible man
This line reiterates how the artist feels invisible and not valued
Some things are hard to understand
The situation is bewildering and difficult to make sense of
Nothing worse than turning into
There's nothing more painful than feeling like you've become nothing or unimportant
Once upon a time she was fine
This line reminds the singer of happier times when everything seemed perfect between them
And good people knew her name
This line merely restates the fact that she was a good person known to many around them
I was from outside
The artist is from a different place or standpoint
Where all the animals and
This line continues to describe the singer's origin, probably as an allusion to the 'ocean floor' mentioned before
All the trees were happy
The trees in this 'outside' world were happy and not like the current situation
What's wrong I'm standing over here
The artist can't seem to understand what's wrong with the situation and how they got to this point
It's just weird that she can't see me
The artist finds it strange and painful that he feels invisible or unimportant to her
It's as if she waved her magic wand
This line uses a metaphor to describe what happened - it's as if a magic trick was done that makes the artist feel invisible or unimportant
And somehow turned me into nothing
The singer feels like he is nothing to her, like he doesn't exist anymore
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats, urging to change the topic and move away from the current conversation
The invisible man
This line emphasizes the pain of feeling unimportant and invisible
Some things are hard to understand
The situation is still difficult to comprehend and fathom
Nothing worse than...
The song repeats this line, further emphasizing that feeling invisible is one of the worst things that can happen
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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