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
I Gotchoo
Bowling for Soup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waves hit rocks and folks get wet
I was gonna say something but now I forget
Chocolate covered cherries with the milk on the side
I'll meet you at the party if I find a ride
Helicopters fly and birds like to nest
Elvis or the Beatles who cares who's the best? (Beatles)
Peanut butter sandwich with some Aunt Jemima
And If you were me
You'd probably see
What I'm talking about
Talk is cheap but I can't afford it
And counting sheep don't work anymore
My head is turning circles but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
The coast is clear the view is distorted
Lots to do and I'm always bored
Nothing in my wallet but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
Credit or debit with your super market basket
Bring your own tote no paper no plastic
In the sun or the rain always bring an umbrella
Get a lollipop from the pretty bank teller
Go cart track with a '57 Chevy
I carry my weight but I'm getting kinda heavy
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a fair, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy wuzzy? Was he?
And If you were me
You'd probably see
What I'm talking about
Talk is cheap but I can't afford it
And counting sheep don't work anymore
My head is turning circles but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
The coast is clear, the view is distorted
Lots to do and I'm always bored
Nothing in my wallet but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
Sometimes you've gotta run and put your foot on the pedal
Other times you've gotta stay and bring the metal
Doesn't matter to me, 'cause I've gotchoo, IGOTCHOO!
(uh guitar solo hahaha)
Talk is cheap but I can't afford it
And counting sheep don't work anymore
My head is turning circles but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
The coast is clear the view is distorted
Lots to do and I'm always bored
Nothing in my wallet but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
Talk is cheap but I can't afford it
(Talk is cheap)
And counting sheep don't work anymore
My head is turning circles but I
(My heads a mess)
gotchoo, I gotchoo.
(I gotchoo)
The coast is clear the view is
(Coast is clear)
distorted
Lots to do and I'm always bored
(Always bored)
Nothing in my wallet but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
(I gotchoo)
The lyrics to Bowling For Soup's "I Gotchoo" serve as a stream of consciousness ramble, describing a series of seemingly unrelated thoughts and observations. The song's opening lines use ocean waves as a metaphor for life's unpredictable moments, the kind of situations where we have something to say but forget it as soon as we try to express it. The song continues to jump between musings on simple pleasures, such as peanut butter sandwiches with Aunt Jemima syrup on the side or getting a lollipop from a pretty bank teller, and more esoteric ideas, like whether Elvis or the Beatles were the better band.
The chorus of the song ties these disparate pieces together into a kind of strange mantra, where the singer repeats that they may not have much in terms of money or stability, but they have the people they care about. The line "My head is turning circles but I gotchoo" summarizes the theme of the song, which is that life may be chaotic and confusing, but having a support system, whether it's one person or many, can make all the difference.
Overall, "I Gotchoo" celebrates the small joys and relationships that give life meaning, even in the midst of uncertainty and frustration. The song is a feel-good reminder that we can take pleasure in the people and things around us, even when everything else seems to be falling apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Waves hit rocks and folks get wet
The world keeps spinning and things happen.
I was gonna say something but now I forget
I've got a lot on my mind and can't focus on one thing.
Chocolate covered cherries with the milk on the side
Something seemingly unrelated to anything else.
I'll meet you at the party if I find a ride
I want to be there but I'm not sure how I'm going to make it.
Helicopters fly and birds like to nest
Nature and technology coexist.
Elvis or the Beatles who cares who's the best? (Beatles)
Musical preference is subjective and doesn't matter.
Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina
An example of a random fact.
Peanut butter sandwich with some Aunt Jemima
Another seemingly unrelated statement.
And If you were me
If you understood my point of view,
You'd probably see
You would likely agree with my perspective.
What I'm talking about
The topic I'm discussing.
Talk is cheap but I can't afford it
Talking about something doesn't solve the problem.
And counting sheep don't work anymore
I've tried to solve the problem but nothing seems to be working.
My head is turning circles but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
I'm feeling overwhelmed but I have someone who supports me.
The coast is clear the view is distorted
The situation appears safe, but there may be hidden dangers.
Lots to do and I'm always bored
I have a lot of responsibilities, but they don't bring me any joy.
Nothing in my wallet but I gotchoo, I gotchoo.
I may not have a lot of money, but I have someone who cares for me.
Credit or debit with your super market basket
An example of modern consumerism.
Bring your own tote no paper no plastic
An environmental message about reducing waste.
In the sun or the rain always bring an umbrella
Be prepared for any situation.
Get a lollipop from the pretty bank teller
A small moment of joy in an otherwise frustrating experience.
Go cart track with a '57 Chevy
An example of a fun activity.
I carry my weight but I'm getting kinda heavy
I'm trying to handle all my responsibilities, but it's taking a toll on me.
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a fair, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
An example of nonsensical wordplay.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy wuzzy? Was he?
Another example of nonsensical wordplay.
Sometimes you've gotta run and put your foot on the pedal
Sometimes you need to take action and move forward.
Other times you've gotta stay and bring the metal
Other times you need to stay strong and be resilient.
Doesn't matter to me, 'cause I've gotchoo, IGOTCHOO!
No matter what comes my way, I have someone who supports me.
Talk is cheap but I can't afford it (Talk is cheap)
Reiterating that talking doesn't solve anything.
My head is turning circles but I (My heads a mess)
I'm feeling overwhelmed and don't know what to do.
The coast is clear the view is (Coast is clear)
Things may seem fine, but there could be danger lurking.
Lots to do and I'm always bored (Always bored)
Even with all my responsibilities, I'm not fulfilled.
Nothing in my wallet but I (I gotchoo)
I may not have material wealth, but I have someone who cares for me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES DOTSON, JARET REDDICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Castiel and Dean deserved better
Can we appreciate that Bowling for Soup can go from a soothing type tone to a heavy metal tone like Motley Crue or Steel Panther and then back again in one song?
gingersnapdragonfly
'Talk is cheap but I can't afford it.' <3 Best line of any song.
Penguinstudios123
gingersnapdragonfly BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN
SkollieJamsBig
Someone! please give me ONE word to describe this song, that chilled, laid-back feel, but still funky and fun.. I WANT MORE.. go BFS!!!
ThatOneGuy
This song needs more attention. I love this!
Matthew Hahn
i gotta say, the heavy metal section about half way through wasnt half bad. wish they did that in more of their songs :D
Blonde Bassie Lynch
BFS are of the few kind of bands who can make funny songs which are also awesome. People are fuckin' stupid. How can such a band be so little known out of the United States and Great Britain?
Robyn Germer
I'd love to see a full metal version of this song, not just the interlude. Despite that, this song is one of my absolute favorites from Bowling For Soup and I'm a huge fan, so do with that what you will. <3 (Not that any of you care, Lawl)
Craig Kostelecky
The timing of this song was unfortunate. It was just as they were leaving their old record label, so it never had a chance as a single with a video. It's perhaps my favorite Bowling for Soup song and so many people have never even heard of it.
Jake robi
Literally just heard this song for the first time, found no habla ingles before this one