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
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Bowling for Soup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is...
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas day
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You baby
I won't ask for much this Christmas
I don't even ask for snow
I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe
I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeers click
'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
Ooh baby
All the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air
And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need
Won't you please bring my baby to me...
Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door
Oh I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby all I want for Christmas is...
You
All I want for Christmas is you... Merry Christmas baby (repeat and fade)
Bowling for Soup's song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" has a different take on the standard holiday song. It's a straightforward and heartfelt expression of one's love for another person as the most precious blessing for Christmas. The song is all about love being the key to the holiday season. The singer says that he doesn't need anything except the person he loves, and the presents under the tree don't matter. The song stresses the importance of companionship over material possessions. This song implies that the most valuable gifts cannot be found in an old sock or a neatly wrapped package.
The lyrics also suggest that the person he loves is so significant to him that everything else pales in comparison. The singer highlights the symbol of the mistletoe and waiting for his loved one under it as a simple but meaningful gesture, indicating how important that person is in his life. The sound of children's laughter and the ringing of the sleigh bells emphasize the cheer and positivity of Christmas, but what the singer truly wants is his love.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want a lot for Christmas
I don't want a pile of presents and material things this Christmas season.
There's just one thing I need
My only desire this holiday is to have that one special person with me.
I don't care about the presents
I am not interested in getting any material gifts wrapped up in packages.
Underneath the Christmas tree
All the presents below the Christmas tree are not important to me.
I don't need to hang my stocking
Having a stocking to hang and fill with presents does not matter to me.
There upon the fireplace
I am not concerned with the customary location of stockings hanging above a fireplace.
Santa Claus won't make me happy
Receiving toys and items from Santa wouldn't bring me the happiness I seek.
With a toy on Christmas day
Even if Santa brings me a toy or gift, it won't make me happy as much as having this one special person with me.
I just want you for my own
All I really want this Christmas is to be with the person I love.
More than you could ever know
I want them to know how much they mean to me, even if I can't express it.
Make my wish come true
I hope that my wish to spend this Christmas with this person I love is granted.
All I want for Christmas is... You
The only thing that would make my Christmas wish come true is for this special person to be with me.
I won't ask for much this Christmas
I'm not expecting anything big or extravagant for Christmas.
I don't even ask for snow
Even the expectation of snow or winter weather isn't on my wishlist this year.
I'm just gonna keep on waiting
I'll remain patiently waiting for this person I love to be with me this holiday season.
Underneath the mistletoe
When we're finally together, I want to be close to them, right under the mistletoe.
I won't make a list and send it
I'm not going to make a wish list and send it off to the North Pole for Santa Claus to fulfill.
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I don't have any faith in Santa Claus's ability to grant my Christmas wish.
I won't even stay awake to
I'm not even going to bother staying up late to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus and his reindeer flying on Christmas Eve.
Hear those magic reindeers click
The familiar sound of Santa's reindeer clicking and trotting along won't draw my attention away from what I really want.
'Cause I just want you here tonight
What I truly want this holiday season is for this special person to be with me, here, right now.
Holding on to me so tight
I want to be wrapped in their arms and held tightly and securely.
What more can I do
No matter what I do, I just can't shake this desire to be with this person, now more than ever.
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
All I really want for Christmas is to be with you and celebrate the holiday together.
All the lights are shining
The decorations and lights of the Christmas season are a reminder of what's truly important.
So brightly everywhere
Everywhere I look, I see bright, colorful lights that only add to my desire to be with you.
And the sound of children's
The sounds of laughter and excitement from children is a reminder of the joy and happiness that should come with Christmas.
Laughter fills the air
It's a time of celebration, where laughter and happiness can be found all around us.
And everyone is singing
People everywhere are singing the joyous tunes of the season, celebrating with friends and family.
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Even the sound of sleigh bells ringing may remind me of what I hope Santa Claus will bring to me this year.
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need
I don't have a Christmas list, but if Santa Claus is listening, I really need that one special person to be with me.
Won't you please bring my baby to me...
Please Santa, bring that special person to me, so I can truly celebrate this holiday season.
This is all I'm asking for
Being with you is the only thing I truly want this holiday season.
I just want to see my baby
Seeing you is what would really make my Christmas truly special.
Standing right outside my door
I don't want you to be far away this holiday, I just want you right by my side for the whole thing.
Merry Christmas baby
Merry Christmas to the one I love.
Writer(s): Mariah Carey, Walter N. Afanasieff
Contributed by Zachary V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.