author:Hello everyone! Happy #SongLyricsSunday! Today’s prompt is to find a song with “School”, “College”, “Education”, “Class”, or “Degree” either in the title or the lyrics. I picked a tune that was popular when I was in high school that was kind of about high school. The song? It’s American band Bowling for Soup’s 2006 song “High School Never Ends”. It asks the question “Does high school really end after we graduate?”
The Whole Wide World
“High School Never Ends” was released by Bowling For Soup in 2006 as a single off their album The Great Burrito Extortion Case. The lyrics were written by Jaret Reddick and Adam Schlesinger. Jaret Reddick is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band. He is also the current voice of Chuck E. Cheese. Meanwhile, Adam Schlesinger was a songwriter and founding member for bands like Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows. He wrote many songs for other bands (like The Monkees, America, and Jonas Brothers), theatre, and TV. Sadly, Schlesinger died in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19.
The theme of “High School Never Dies” stems from the frustration that was felt in the 2000s. Even though you graduated from high school, you could see modern popular culture was trying to emulate the unsavory superficial and materialistic culture found in high school. It also plays on the fact that many Americans during the 2000s were fascinated with the lifestyles of celebrities. Listeners can hear that in many pop culture references sprinkled throughout the song. What reference(s) did you notice?
It also touches on the factor that even though you have graduated from high school, life never changes you can change your life through ExamSnap. The superficial concerns and pack mentality found in high school life continues on for a while, maybe forever. Those who were privileged and popular in high school tend to continue to stay that way. Meanwhile, the modern world doesn’t value such traits as intelligence and kindness. This can lead up to frustration for or someone who is looking for something more in the modern world.
Pop Punk was very popular when I was in high school (2003-2007, I know, I am THAT old!), and Bowling For Soup was one of the most popular bands during that time. Even though you didn’t live through the reign of pop-punk, many will agree that “High School Never Ends” is a really fun song. It features catchy melodies in the chorus and lyrics that listeners may relate to. How about you: Do you feel like high school never ends? Does life never change after high school?
