Bowling for Soup (acronym: BFS, or sometimes B4S) is a pop punk band based … Read Full Bio ↴Bowling for Soup (acronym: BFS, or sometimes B4S) is a pop punk band based in Denton, Texas (but originally from Wichita Falls, Texas) formed in 1994 from the remains of an old metal band. Quoting Jaret Reddick, the lead singer, "we wanted to make happy music". They're known for their often humorous lyrics, upbeat guitar riffs, and Jaret's distinctive voice.

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

Hang On
Bowling for Soup Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I used to see you every morning
Even when I didn't want to
You used to like to watch us play downtown
As long as I sang a song for you

[Chorus]
But nothing stays the same
And it's drivin' me insane

Oh, you know we've got it so bad
And nothing you can say
Can make me want to stay
But still you're hangin' on

You say you never saw this comin'
So why does it always fall on you
I think you call me every time you see a phone
You hang up but I know its you

[Chorus: x2]

Oh you know we've got it so bad

But still you're hanging on
But still you're hanging on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics above are from Bowling for Soup's song Hang On, which explores the idea of trying to let go of a relationship that has already ended. The first verse "I used to see you every morning, even when I didn't want to," states how the singer could not escape the presence of his former partner, indicating perhaps that the two were once very close, and might have been living together. The mention of the downtown scene where they used to play and how the partner liked to watch "us" play suggests that they were in a band or a group, and the partner was supportive of their music.

The chorus "But nothing stays the same, and it's drivin' me insane, Oh, you know we've got it so bad, and nothing you can say can make me want to stay, But still you're hangin' on," expresses the singer's frustration at how things have changed between him and his partner, indicating that he wants to move on but his partner is still holding on. The second verse "You say you never saw this comin', so why does it always fall on you, I think you call me every time you see a phone, You hang up but I know it's you" suggests that the partner is in denial about the relationship's end and is still trying to hold on to it by calling or texting the singer. The line, "but nothing you can say can make me want to stay," indicates that the singer has moved past the relationship and is ready to move on.

To summarize, Bowling for Soup's song Hang On explores the idea of trying to let go of a relationship that has already ended. The lyrics suggest that the singer and his partner were once very close and shared a passion for music. However, things have changed, and the singer is now ready to move past the relationship. Still, the partner is in denial and is holding on, which is causing frustration and driving the singer insane.

Line by Line Meaning

I used to see you every morning
I used to run into you every morning

Even when I didn't want to
Even when I didn't feel like seeing you

You used to like to watch us play downtown
You used to enjoy spectating when we were performing in the downtown area

As long as I sang a song for you
As long as I sang a song for your entertainment

But nothing stays the same
But things inevitably change

And it's drivin' me insane
And it's causing me significant stress

Oh, you know we've got it so bad
Oh, you know our situation is really difficult

And nothing you can say
And there's nothing you can say

Can make me want to stay
That could convince me to remain

But still you're hangin' on
But you're still holding onto our relationship

You say you never saw this comin'
You claim you never anticipated this