They are best known for their singles "Girl All The Bad Guys Want" in 2002 on Drunk Enough to Dance which was nominated for a 2003 Grammy Award for "Best Pop Performance by a Group or Duo" and "1985" (originally written by Mitch Allan of SR-71) in 2004 on A Hangover You Don't Deserve. Speaking with Songfacts about "Girl All The Bad Girls Want" in a 2010 interview, Reddick said: "'Girl All The Bad Guys Want' was my very first co-write ever, and me and Butch Walker sat in a room and literally wrote that song in 30 minutes. I mean, it was done."
The band's name is derived from comedian Steve Martin's "Bowling for Sh*t" routine from his 1978 comedy album, Wild and Crazy Guy, itself a reference to Bowling for Dollars. Jaret Reddick has also stated that at the end of his last performance with his old band one of the members came on stage and proclaimed "Come back next week when we play with our new band... BOWLING FOR SOUP!". This was supposed be to be joke name, but since they couldn't think of anything better the name stuck. Their single '1985' can be found on the UK and the Norwegian editions of Singstar Rocks for the PS2.
They have also became hits on Radio Disney with edits of "1985", "Punk Rock 101", "High School Never Ends", and the inclusion of their version of "I Melt With You" in the Disney movie "Sky High". They have also written and recorded "Today is Gonna Be a Great Day" as the theme song for Disney's "Phineas and Ferb"
Band Lineup:
Jaret Reddick - Lead Vocals/guitar
Chris Burney - Guitar/vocals
Erik Chandler - Bass/vocals
Gary Wiseman - Drums
1985
Bowling for Soup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Woo-hoo-hoo)
Debbie just hit the wall, she never had it all
One Prozac a day, husband's a CPA
Her dreams went out the door when she turned twenty-four
Only been with one man, what happened to her plan?
She was gonna be an actress, she was gonna be a star
She was gonna shake her ass on the hood of Whitesnake's car
Her yellow SUV is now the enemy
Looks at her average life and nothin' has been alright
Since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
'Cause she's still preoccupied
With 19, 19
1985
(Woo-hoo-hoo)
(1985)
(Woo-hoo-hoo)
She's seen all the classics, she knows every line
Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, even St. Elmo's Fire
She rocked out to Wham, not a big Limp Bizkit fan
Thought she'd get a hand on a member of Duran Duran
Where's the mini-skirt made of snakeskin?
And who's the other guy that's singin' in Van Halen?
When did reality become TV?
What ever happened to sitcoms, game shows?
(On the radio was)
Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
'Cause she's still preoccupied
With 19, 19
1985
(Woo-hoo-hoo)
She hates time, make it stop
When did Motley Crue become classic rock? (Classic rock)
And when did Ozzy become an actor?
Please make this stop, stop, stop
And bring back Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
'Cause she's still preoccupied
1985 (woo-hoo-hoo)
Since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
But she's still preoccupied
With 19, 19
1985
Bowling for Soup's "1985" is a playful and nostalgic song that captures the essence of being stuck in the past. The song revolves around a woman named Debbie who feels nostalgic about the year 1985 - a year when she was young, free, and had dreams of being an actress. The song hints at how Debbie's life didn't turn out the way she envisioned it, and she's now a middle-aged woman with two kids, an average life, and an SUV she doesn't like. Debbie is unable to let go of her youth and stays preoccupied with the past.
The lyrics evoke nostalgia and longing for a time when things were simpler and more carefree. The song mentions popular musicians and bands from the '80s and early '90s, such as Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, U2, Blondie, Nirvana, and Van Halen. It also references iconic '80s movies such as The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. The song highlights how the world has changed since 1985, and Debbie is unable to come to terms with the present.
The song is a commentary on the human condition of getting stuck in the past and struggling to let go. It's also about how life doesn't always turn out as planned, and how one should make the best of what they have. The upbeat melody and playful lyrics make it a fun and catchy song, a perfect ode to the '80s.
Line by Line Meaning
Debbie just hit the wall, she never had it all
Debbie has reached a dead end in life and never achieved everything she had hoped for
One Prozac a day, husband's a CPA
She takes Prozac daily to treat her depression, but her husband is just an accountant
Her dreams went out the door when she turned twenty-four
Debbie's dreams shattered when she got older
Only been with one man, what happened to her plan?
She's only had one sexual partner, which is not what she wanted from her life
She was gonna be an actress, she was gonna be a star
Debbie had hopes of acting and becoming a star
She was gonna shake her ass on the hood of Whitesnake's car
She planned to dance flirtatiously on a car's hood
Her yellow SUV is now the enemy
Debbie is no longer pleased with her once-beloved vehicle
Looks at her average life and nothin' has been alright
No aspect of her life is exciting or fulfilling, a fact that upsets her
Since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
The song is taking us back in time to the 1980s, first noting two big musical names
Way before Nirvana
Before the band Nirvana became popular
There was U2 and Blondie
U2 and Blondie were among the popular bands of the 80s
And music still on MTV
Music videos were still aired on MTV back then
Her two kids in high school
Debbie's two children are high school students
They tell her that she's uncool
Her kids think she's lame
With 19, 19
Debbie is lost in her obsession with the year 1985
1985
Repeating the mention of the year in the title of the song
She's seen all the classics, she knows every line
Debbie has seen all the 80s movies, and knows them by heart
Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, even St. Elmo's Fire
Listing three of the most famous 80s movies
She rocked out to Wham, not a big Limp Bizkit fan
Debbie loved the band Wham!, but was never a fan of Limp Bizkit
Thought she'd get a hand on a member of Duran Duran
She used to fancy Duran Duran and thought she might have a chance with one of its members
Where's the mini-skirt made of snakeskin?
Debbie is disappointed that these types of fashionable items just aren't popular anymore
And who's the other guy that's singin' in Van Halen?
She can't remember who the second singer was for Van Halen
When did reality become TV?
Debbie realizes that TV has replaced reality, and everything has become artificial
What ever happened to sitcoms, game shows?
She misses the simple, fun TV shows of her youth
On the radio was
Referring to the musical tracks playing on the radio
She hates time, make it stop
Debbie is fed up with time passing and aging
When did Motley Crue become classic rock? (Classic rock)
She doesn't understand how 80s rock bands are now seen as classics
And when did Ozzy become an actor?
She doesn't understand how Ozzy Osbourne became a TV and movie actor
Please make this stop, stop, stop
Debbie wants everything to just end and go back to how it was before
But she's still preoccupied
Even though she dislikes the present, she's still stuck in it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jaret Ray Reddick, John Lowe Kenneth Allen, Mitchell Allan Scherr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind