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
Trucker Hat
Bowling for Soup Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I used to wear not to block out the sun
With a John Deere logo and a stain on the back
From where you laid me out flat
One look I was done
And all these things mean nothing to me
When I'm with you I've got everything
Even god he would agree
You and I were meant to be
It's easy to see
[Chorus]
I'll never go out of style on you
Nothing really feels the way you do
Nothing in the world could ever make me look this good
When you fit me like you do
This is the verse about the parachute pants
That I learned to break dance in
And thought I was good
So much for believing the fat guy doesn't win
Get the girl in the end
I never thought that I would
And all these things mean nothing to me
When I'm with you I've got everything
I could want and I could be
Even god he would agree
You and I were meant to be
It's easy to see
[Chorus]
I'm not the perfect guy
A little slow
But I've got prefect timing with you
(got perfect timing with you)
Take a look around
Outside the in crowd
There ain't nothing we can do
[Chorus: x3]
The song "Trucker Hat" by Bowling for Soup is a nostalgic trip down memory lane about the singer's old trucker hat and parachute pants. The trucker hat reminds him of a girl who laid him out flat, but who he still loves and feels complete when he's with. He realizes that material things mean nothing when he's with her, and that they were meant to be together. The parachute pants remind him of when he used to break dance and thought he was good despite being overweight, but that he still managed to get the girl in the end. The song ends with a reminder of the singer's imperfection, but how he has perfect timing with the person he loves.
Despite the seemingly lighthearted and humorous tone of the song, "Trucker Hat" actually touches on themes of nostalgia, self-acceptance, and love overcoming material possessions. The singer's trucker hat and parachute pants may seem like trivial things, but they hold sentimental value and serve as a reminder of his growth and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the song that reminds me of my trucker hat
This song brings back memories of me wearing my favorite hat
That I used to wear not to block out the sun
I wore the hat for style, not for protection from the sun
With a John Deere logo and a stain on the back
The hat had a branded logo and a mark on the back from an incident
From where you laid me out flat
The mark on the hat came from where someone knocked me down
One look I was done
I fell in love with the person who knocked me down
And all these things mean nothing to me
None of these material objects matter when I'm with my loved one
When I'm with you I've got everything
Being with my loved one is the only thing that makes me truly happy
I can want and I can be
With my loved one, I have everything and I can be myself
Even god he would agree
This love feels so strong that even a higher power would approve
You and I were meant to be
It's clear that we are meant to be together
It's easy to see
Our love is obvious and can be seen by anyone
I'll never go out of style on you
My love for you will never fade away
Nothing really feels the way you do
Nothing else brings me the same joy and happiness as being with you
Nothing in the world could ever make me look this good
Being with you is what makes me feel my best self
When you fit me like you do
Being with you just feels right and comfortable
This is the verse about the parachute pants
This verse is about my old fashion craze of wearing parachute pants
That I learned to break dance in
I associated this fashion style with my love for break dancing
And thought I was good
I felt confident in my fashion sense and break dancing skills
So much for believing the fat guy doesn't win
My past insecurities about my weight and appearance were proven untrue
Get the girl in the end
In the end, I found love and that's what truly matters
I never thought that I would
I never expected to find love despite my past insecurities
I'm not the perfect guy
I have flaws and imperfections like everyone else
A little slow
I may not catch on to everything quickly
But I've got perfect timing with you
But, when it comes to being with my loved one, everything falls into place at the right time
Take a look around
Observing those around us
Outside the in crowd
Not conforming or belonging to the popular crowd
There ain't nothing we can do
We may not fit in with the popular crowd, but our love is strong enough to overcome that
Chorus
The repeated chorus emphasizes the strength and permanence of the love between the two people
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JARET REDDICK, BUTCH WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind