"High School Never Ends" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Bowling for Soup Bowling for Soup (abbreviated as BFS) is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals), Gary Wiseman (drums, percussion, backing vo ...

. The song was the first single from the group's sixth album, '' The Great Burrito Extortion Case'', and was released on September 19, 2006. The song deals with the frustration of graduating from

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

and seeing that modern

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

is very similar to the obnoxiously superficial and materialistic culture in high school. The tune had a prominent outside songwriter,

Adam Schlesinger Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was a key songwriting contri ...

Fountains of Wayne Fountains of Wayne was an American rock band that formed in New York City in 1995. The band included founding members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter, and Brian Young. They released five albums from 1996 to 2011 before e ...

and

Tinted Windows Window film (tint) is a thin laminate film that can be installed to the interior or exterior of glass surfaces in automobiles and boats and also to the interior or exterior of glass in homes and buildings. It is usually made from polyethylene ter ...

, working with the band. It was used in the promos for '' The Goldbergs'' spinoff, '' Schooled''.

Song references

The song contains many references to the pop culture of the time. Specific celebrities mentioned include Jessica Simpson (''you'll never guess what Jessica did''),

Mary-Kate Olsen Mary-Kate Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, equestrian, and former actress. She began her acting career nine months after her birth, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Ashley Olsen ...

(specifically, her alleged eating disorder - ''How did Mary Kate lose all that weight?'')

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

and Katie Holmes (''Katie had a baby so I guess Tom's

straight Straight may refer to: Slang * Straight, slang for heterosexual ** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype * Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture Sport and games * ...

'', also a reference to his litigation against journalists/paparazzi who questioned his sexuality),

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...

(''Reese Witherspoon, she's the

prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school y ...

queen''),

Bill Gates William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions ...

(''Bill Gates, captain of the

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

team''), Jack Black (''Jack Black, the clown'') and Brad Pitt (''Brad Pitt, the

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

''). The song satirizes many aspects of mid aughts American society and its scrutiny of celebrity lives.

Music video

The video focuses on the band members going to their twenty-year

reunion at Borin High School (named after the video's director Frank Borin), while another version of them performs the song onstage. They arrive, instantly recognizing people from the past that bullied them. During a

montage Montage may refer to: Arts and entertainment Filmmaking and films * Montage (filmmaking), a technique in film editing * ''Montage'' (2013 film), a South Korean film Music * Montage (music), or sound collage * ''Montage'' (Block B EP), 201 ...

, the band gets revenge on their former bullies in situations similar to their high school past. The first flashback shows drummer Gary Wiseman getting a wedgie by some bullies, who hang him on the flagpole by his underwear. Gary takes his revenge by grabbing the underwear of one of the bullies and pulling it over his head while he is still wearing it. The next flashback involves bassist Erik Chandler getting a note reading "kick me" taped to his back by a jock. Erik gets him back by sticking the punch bowl sign (which simply reads "PUNCH") on his back; this starts a queue of people ready to punch the jock, including a

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

, a pimp, a cowboy, and a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

in armor (possibly in homage to a similar scene in the movie ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison (film prod ...

''). After a sequence of celebrities references, vocalist Jaret Reddick invites a guy onstage who had embarrassed him in high school by pulling down his pants in front of a girl he was obviously attracted to, revealing his pink underwear. Jaret pulls the bully's pants down onstage as his act of revenge. He then explodes in embarrassment after a sign stating "TOO SMALL FOR TV" appears strategically over his crotch. Finally, guitarist Chris Burney has a flashback of him being slipped a

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

by a cheerleader and manages to get his own back by consuming a massive sub sandwich, a chili removed from his pants, a white mouse, gasoline, and a goldfish. After jiggling around, he then confronts the popular girl and projectile vomits the contents of his stomach upon her. After Chris' revenge, the band finishes the song, Jaret sticks his guitar pick to his rather sweaty forehead and the video ends with a disclaimer that states "No animals or children under 15 were harmed in the making of this video".

Chart performance

On the week of November 25, 2006, "High School Never Ends" debuted and peaked at number 97 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, before leaving the chart completely. For the week ending January 28, 2007, the song debuted at number 70 on the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at number 40 the next week and remained on the chart for four weeks.

Weekly charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2006 songs 2006 singles Bowling for Soup songs Jive Records singles Songs written by Adam Schlesinger Songs written by Jaret Reddick