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
Epiphany
Bowling for Soup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe I'll just go
I'm not exactly broken hearted, but I think you already know
That there's more to the story than I'm givin up
Maybe I should just grow up
There's a picture of a girl somewhere that fits this empty frame
And there's a song here somewhere with a happier refrain
[Chorus]
All I ever wanted was a little extra ordinary
Somewhat documented and depicted in this book of memories
That's as empty as a broken glass, or gas tank in my car
If you can here me now
Come out come out, wherever you are
I try hard not to remember, I wish I could forget
Thoughts of you in syndication
Just like the time I met Joan Jett
At a Grammy party on a Saturday night after you and me had a big fight
There's a picture of a boy somewhere that fits your empty frame
I tried switching the station but the song remains the same
It came to me, think they call it an Epiphany
That line was lame
[Chorus]
Are you still at home?
Or did you go to Rome?
I swear I think I saw you on some Italian movie
Showing on the plane, I couldn't read your name
Subtitles don't work on credits, man that's a shame
And it's a shame bout me and you
No one to blame but, you
All I ever wanted was a little extra ordinary somewhat documented,
And depicted in this book of memories
All I ever wanted was a little extra ordinary somewhat documented,
And depicted in this book of memories
If you can hear me now
If you can hear him now
If you can hear me now
Come out come out wherever you are
Wherever you are
I think they call it an Epiphany
The lyrics of "Epiphany" by Bowling for Soup are about a person reflecting on a past relationship and feeling disillusioned with their memories. The person is trying to move on and forget, but thoughts of the other person keep resurfacing. They acknowledge that there is more to the story and that perhaps they should grow up and let go. They hope for something extraordinary in their life that they can document in a book of memories, but they feel like their memories are empty, like a broken glass or gas tank in their car. The singer compares their current situation to a picture frame without a picture or a song with an unhappy ending.
Throughout the song, the singer makes references to other memories, like meeting Joan Jett after a fight with their significant other. They also mention seeing someone who looks like their ex on a plane but couldn't read their name in the credits. The repeated line "I think they call it an Epiphany" is a play on the word, as it is being used ironically since the singer hasn't had a breakthrough moment of clarity, but rather a realization that their memories feel empty and incomplete.
Overall, "Epiphany" is a song about trying to move on from a past relationship and finding a way to document extraordinary memories in their life. The singer is struggling with feeling like they are stuck in the same unhappy story and looking for a way to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Stop before you get me started
Don't get me started on this topic because it will only lead to negative discussion
Maybe I'll just go
I might just leave this place instead of continuing this conversation
I'm not exactly broken hearted, but I think you already know
I'm not heartbroken, but you probably know that there is something bothering me
That there's more to the story than I'm givin up
There's more information about what's happening that I'm not sharing
Maybe I should just grow up
Perhaps I need to mature and handle this situation better
There's a picture of a girl somewhere that fits this empty frame
There's someone else out there who would be a better match for me
And there's a song here somewhere with a happier refrain
There is a song out there that has a more positive and uplifting message
It came to me, think they call it an Epiphany, man that's a big word
I had an epiphany, a sudden realization or understanding, which sounds like a sophisticated word
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus
All I ever wanted was a little extra ordinary
I just wanted something special to happen, something beyond the ordinary
Somewhat documented and depicted in this book of memories
I wanted something that could be remembered and captured in a book of memories
That's as empty as a broken glass, or gas tank in my car
But my memories are just as empty and useless as a broken glass or an empty gas tank
If you can here me now
If you are listening to me right now
Come out come out, wherever you are
If you are out there, come forward and make yourself known
I try hard not to remember, I wish I could forget
I don't want to think about it anymore and wish I could just forget
Thoughts of you in syndication
I keep thinking of you over and over again
Just like the time I met Joan Jett
This is like the time I met the famous rockstar Joan Jett
At a Grammy party on a Saturday night after you and me had a big fight
This all happened after we had a big fight on a Saturday night at the Grammy party
There's a picture of a boy somewhere that fits your empty frame
There is someone else who would fit your ideal type or personality
I tried switching the station but the song remains the same
I tried to change the subject but we keep coming back to the same issue
That line was lame
What I just said was not very interesting or clever
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus
Are you still at home?
I'm wondering if you are still at home
Or did you go to Rome?
Or did you go to Rome instead?
I swear I think I saw you on some Italian movie
I think I saw someone who looked like you in an Italian movie
Showing on the plane, I couldn't read your name
It was playing on the plane but I couldn't read the credits to see if it was really you
Subtitles don't work on credits, man that's a shame
Unfortunately, you can't see subtitles during the credits, which is too bad
And it's a shame bout me and you
It's unfortunate about what happened between us
No one to blame but, you
I think you were the one at fault in our situation
If you can hear me now
If you are listening to me right now
If you can hear him now
If he can hear me right now
Come out come out wherever you are
If you are out there, come forward and make yourself known
Wherever you are
No matter where you are in the world
I think they call it an Epiphany
I had a sudden realization or understanding, which is called an epiphany
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MALOY, REDDICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind