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
Only Young
Bowling for Soup Lyrics
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But sit around and make a mess with you
Watching the world
From your rooftop looking down
We never care
Summertime and we ain't goin' anywhere
No goodbyes...
We're only young, running wild
Only young, let it ride
We've got all the time in the world tonight
We're only young, you and I
Only young, get it right
We're right here, the best night of our lives
Let's go down in flames
Tomorrow's just a million miles away
We got tonight
So let's tear this town apart
We'll never change
We'll party like it's Graduation Day
No goodbyes
We'll stay right here
Laugh till we cry
We're only young, running wild
Only young, let it ride
We've got all the time in the world tonight
We're only young, you and I
Only young, get it right
We're right here, the best night of our lives
(Tonight, tonight) we'll make some history
(Tonight, tonight) we'll burn some memories
(Tonight, tonight) legends never die
(Tonight, tonight) it's like a movie
(Tonight, tonight) the way it should be
(Tonight, tonight) all we've got it time
We're only young and we don't care
If we get old and lose our hair
Right now, the best night of out lives
We're only young, running wild
Only young, let it ride
We've got all the time in the world tonight
We're only young, you and I
Only young, get it right
We're right here, the best night of our lives
We're only young (you and I)
Only young (get it right)
Only young
We're only young (you and I)
Only young (get it right)
Only young (the best night of our lives)
The song "Only Young" by Bowling for Soup is a celebratory anthem to youth and the freedom it entails. The lyrics paint a picture of two friends hanging out on a rooftop, watching the world from a distance, while living and experiencing life to the fullest. They don't have any plans or obligations, except to have fun and be in the moment.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, emphasizing the fleeting nature of youth and the importance of taking risks and making memories. The line "we've got all the time in the world tonight" highlights the fact that the present moment is all we have, and it's up to us to make the most of it. The theme of living in the moment and cherishing the people in our lives is also reflected in the lines "we'll never change" and "no goodbyes."
In summary, "Only Young" is a fun, upbeat song that encourages listeners to embrace their youth and live in the moment, surrounded by good friends and good times.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing to do
We have no plans or obligations.
But sit around and make a mess with you
But we enjoy spending time together and having fun in our own way.
Watching the world
Observing everything happening in our surroundings.
From your rooftop looking down
We are admiring the view from a high place.
We never care
We don't worry about anything that's not worth worrying about.
Summertime and we ain't goin' anywhere
It's summer and we have no plans to travel or do anything exciting.
No goodbyes...
We don't plan on leaving each other's company anytime soon.
We're only young, running wild
We're young and carefree, enjoying our freedom to do what we want.
Only young, let it ride
We should enjoy our youth and take things as they come.
We've got all the time in the world tonight
We have plenty of time to do whatever we want right now.
You and I
We are together in this experience.
Get it right
We'll make sure everything goes according to plan.
We're right here, the best night of our lives
We're present in the moment, making the most of tonight.
Let's go down in flames
Let's have an explosive and exciting experience.
Tomorrow's just a million miles away
We're not thinking about the future, just living for the present moment.
We got tonight
We have the present moment to enjoy each other's company.
So let's tear this town apart
Let's go on an adventure and cause a bit of chaos.
We'll never change
We will always be ourselves and enjoy life to the fullest.
We'll party like it's Graduation Day
We will celebrate like it's a significant milestone.
We'll stay right here
We have no intention of leaving each other's company anytime soon.
Laugh till we cry
We find each other's company so enjoyable that we will laugh so hard we will start crying.
(Tonight, tonight) we'll make some history
We will create memories that we will always cherish.
(Tonight, tonight) we'll burn some memories
We will have such a memorable experience that it will be ingrained in our minds forever.
(Tonight, tonight) legends never die
Our experience tonight will be so great that it will become legendary and never be forgotten.
(Tonight, tonight) it's like a movie
Our experience tonight is so surreal and magical that it feels like a scene out of a movie.
(Tonight, tonight) the way it should be
Our experience tonight is perfect and exactly how we imagined it should be.
(Tonight, tonight) all we've got it time
We are making the most of the present moment since time is all we truly have.
If we get old and lose our hair
If we grow older and our physical appearance changes, it won't matter.
Right now, the best night of our lives
We are having the time of our lives in this very moment.
Only young
We're only young once, and we should enjoy it while we can.
We're only young (you and I)
We're both in this moment, experiencing it together.
Only young (get it right)
We should make sure to seize the moment and make it the best experience possible.
Only young (the best night of our lives)
We're young and enjoying life, and tonight will go down in history as one of the best nights ever.
Contributed by Christopher K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.