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
Life After Lisa
Bowling for Soup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching the parade cause today's the day I got over you
Taking out the trash and the pictures that I stashed
Of the two of us in 1992
You stole my heart when Eddie Veder was king
I gave you a foot massage I gave you my ring
You left me for a drummer cause you said I couldn't sing
[Chorus]
Cause there'll be
No more mountain climbing in the rain
No more Long hair clogging up the drain
No more Life will never be the same
Life after Lisa is not so bad at all
Saw you with the dude who gave us our first tattoos
Did he cover up my name that was fast
Can you believe that I'm alive, still not working 9 to 5
And my little band is kicking some ass
So when you asked me if I hated you now
It's not you it's just all of the times I missed out
On sleeping with your roommate every time you passed out
But, That's ok
[Chorus]
I'll bet you're saying to yourself that you'll find somebody else like me
But all I've gotta say is there ain't no fucking way that you're getting me to say
I'm sorry, no today!
[Chorus]
Cleaning up the house again
Listening to House Of Pain
Having headaches in my brain
Listening to you complain
Shopping at the mall again
I'm out of rhymes I've gotta say
Life after Lisa is not so bad at all!
The song "Life After Lisa" by Bowling for Soup is a testament to moving on after heartbreak. The lyrics are narrated by a man waking up and going through the motions of his day, all the while reflecting on his past relationship with Lisa. The verse mentions the pictures that the singer stashed away, reminding him of the good times they had in 1992. He then goes on to talk about how Lisa left him for a drummer, claiming that he couldn't sing. This is then followed by the chorus, where he affirms that life without Lisa is not so bad at all. The second verse talks about the singer's current situation and his realization that he has survived the heartbreak and moved on. He even takes a dig at Lisa by mentioning how his band is doing well, and the final chorus also echoes the same sentiment as the first.
The song is a commentary on how life goes on even after heartbreak, and it's possible to move on and be happy again. It's a relatable theme, and the lyrics are easy to follow, making it a popular karaoke song. The use of slang and colloquialisms also adds to the song's charm, and the melody is catchy and upbeat. Overall, the song is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and serves as a reminder that moving on is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm waking up and bakin'
I'm starting my day by smoking marijuana
Watching the parade cause today's the day I got over you
I'm watching a parade because it's symbolic of moving on from my breakup with you
Taking out the trash and the pictures that I stashed
Of the two of us in 1992
I'm throwing out physical reminders of our past together as part of my closure process
You stole my heart when Eddie Veder was king
I gave you a foot massage I gave you my ring
You left me for a drummer cause you said I couldn't sing
But, That's OK
I fell in love with you during a specific time period, pampered you and gave you my commitment, but you left me for someone else because you didn't believe in my music abilities. It hurt me, but I've accepted it.
Cause there'll be
No more mountain climbing in the rain
No more Long hair clogging up the drain
No more Life will never be the same
Life after Lisa is not so bad at all
Now that Lisa is out of my life, I won't be doing the things we used to do together (mountain climbing), dealing with her mess (long hair clogging the drain) and can embrace new experiences that will make me happier than I was with her. Life after Lisa isn't all that bad.
Saw you with the dude who gave us our first tattoos
Did he cover up my name that was fast
Can you believe that I'm alive, still not working 9 to 5
And my little band is kicking some ass
I happened to see you with someone else, and I'm wondering if he already got rid of the tattoo he got of my name. I'm still alive and not working a typical 9 to 5 job. On top of that, my band is doing great, and I take pride in that.
So when you asked me if I hated you now
It's not you it's just all of the times I missed out
On sleeping with your roommate every time you passed out
But, That's ok
When you asked me if I hate you, no, it's not necessarily you that I hate. It's all the times I was with you and missed out on an opportunity to sleep with your roommate because you were always unconscious. But, I've accepted it and moved on.
I'll bet you're saying to yourself that you'll find somebody else like me
But all I've gotta say is there ain't no fucking way that you're getting me to say
I'm sorry, no today!
Maybe you're thinking that you'll find someone who's just like me, but I'm here to tell you that there's no chance of that happening. You won't get me to apologize for the way things turned out… at least not today.
Cleaning up the house again
Listening to House Of Pain
Having headaches in my brain
Listening to you complain
Shopping at the mall again
I'm out of rhymes I've gotta say
Life after Lisa is not so bad at all!
I'm going through the mundane, everyday activities of life again, listening to music and dealing with small health issues. I anticipate that you'll be complaining about my life without you, but I'm happy to report that life after Lisa is totally manageable.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JARET REDDICK, BUTCH WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind