Songs about school

Songs about school have probably been composed and sung by students for as long as there have been schools. Examples of such literature can be found dating back to Medieval England. [Nicholas Orme, [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&se=gglsc&d=5001883320 "Children and Literature in Medieval England"] , "Medium Aevum", 68, 1999] The number of popular songs dealing with school as a subject has continued to increase with the development of Youth subculture starting in the 1950s and 1960s.

Artists such as John Lennon and Pink Floyd are particularly noted for their musical criticisms of the educational systems of their times.B. Lee Cooper, [http://www.bookrags.com/researchtopics/american-teenagers/sub17.html (Intro to) "Popular Music Reflects Teens' Attitudes About School"] from "American Teenagers"] Many songs dealing with school related themes also tend to focus on other subjects of interest within youth subculture such as drugs and sexuality. Meanwhile others reflect a nostalgia for one's younger days.

The list of songs that follows include songs that deal with schooling as a primary subject as well as those that make significant use of schools, classrooms, students or teachers as imagery. The songs are examples of the types of themes and issues addressed by such songs.

A

* "Adult Education" by Hall and Oates (1984)
* "All Dressed Up for School" by the Beach Boys, (included on the "Little Deuce Coupe/All Summer Long" re-issue)
* "Announcement" by Otis Redding (1967)
* "Another Brick in the Wall, part II" by Pink Floyd (from "The Wall" 1979)
* "Anthem Part 2" by Blink-182
* "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian (1975)

B

* "Back To School" by Bo Diddley, (1966)
* "Back to School (Mini Maggit)" by Deftones (from "White Pony" 1999)
* "Back To School Again" by The Four Tops (from "Grease 2", 1982)
* "Back to School Days" by Graham Parker (1976)
* "Baggy Trousers" by Madness (from "Absolutely", 1980) Kevin J. Brehony, [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0142-5692%28199803%2919%3A1%3C113%3A%27UTGMA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-S "'I Used to Get Mad at My School': Representations of Schooling in Rock and Pop Music"] , "British Journal of Sociology of Education", 19:1, March 1998, pp.113-134]
* "Be Chrool to Your Scuel" by Twisted Sister (from "Come Out and Play", 1985)
* "Be True to Your School" by the Beach Boys, (1963 single)
* "Brain Damage" by Eminem (from "The Slim Shady LP", 1999)

C

* "Campus" by Vampire Weekend
*"Campaign of Hate" by The Libertines
* "Carrie Anne" by The Hollies (1967)
* "Catholic Schoolgirls Rule" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
* "Chalkdust Torture" by Phish
* "Charlie Brown" by the Coasters
* "Class of '92" by Janez Detd
* "Closer to Fine" by The Indigo Girls
* "Cool Senior High School (Fight Song)" by The Nation Of Ulysses
* "Cool to Hate" by The Offspring (from "Ixnay on the Hombre" 1997)
* "College" by Animal Collective
* "College Kids" by Relient K
* "College Life" by Billy Murray
* "College Man" by Bill Justis
* "Curses" by Bullet for my Valentine

D

* "D in Love" by Cliff Richard
* "Don't Be A Dropout" by James Brown (1966)
* "Don't Call Us" by The Digital Dinosaurs covered by 10,000 Maniacs
* "Don't Forget to Remember Me" by Carrie Underwood (2006)
* "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police (1980)

E

* "Expectations" by Belle & Sebastian
* "Eighth Grade" by Pencey Prep

F

* "Fight For Your Right" by The Beastie Boys
* "Flowers are Red" by Harry Chapin
* "Fools" by Van Halen
* "Fuck School" by The Replacements

G

* "Getting Better" - The Beatles (on "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", 1967)
* "Girl Next Door" by Saving Jane
* "Girl School" by Britny Fox
* "Go Forth and Die" by Dethklok
* "Go on to School" by Jimmy Reed (from his first Vee-Jay album "I'm Jimmy Reed")
* "Going Away to College" by blink-182
* "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Sonny Boy Williamson I (1937, covered by many, including the Yardbirds, 1964)
* "Grade 9" by Barenaked Ladies
* "Graduation Day" by the Beach Boys
* "Graduation Day" by Head Automatica
* "Graduation Day" by Stark Whiteman and the Crowns
* "Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C
* "Guns At My School" by Hüsker Dü

H

* "Hey Little School Girl" by The Marquees (1957)
* "High School" by The MC5"
* "High School" by The Eyeliners
* "High School Confidential" by Jerry Lee Lewis (1958)
* "High School Football Hero" by AFI (band)
* "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup
* "High School Nights" by Dave Edmunds (1985 Porky's Revenge movie)
* "High School U.S.A." by Tommy Facenda (1959)
* "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani
* "Homework" by Otis Rush (1962)
* "Horror Highschoool" by Zombina and The Skeletones
* "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen

I

* "I Don't Like Mondays" by Boomtown Rats
* "I Don't Wanna Be Learned" by The Ramones
* "I Don't Wanna Go To School" by Naked Brothers Band
* "I Go to School" by Charles Bronson
* "(I Hate) School Rules" by Exciter
* "I Hate School" by No Rock Stars
* "I Hate My School" by The Necros
* "I Hate My School" by Red Cross
* "I Hated School" by The Wretched Ones
* "I Love the College Girls" by Harry Reser (1927)
* "I Wish" - Steve Wonder (1977)
* "I Wish I Could Go Back To College" from the musical Avenue Q
* "If U C Jordan" by Something Corporate
* "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance
* "In My High School" by Blaine Larsen
* "In School" by Die Kreuzen
* "In School" by Rights Of The Accused
* "Itchycoo Park" by The Small Faces (1967)
* "It's a Sin" - Pet Shop Boys

J

* "Jennifer Eccles" - The Hollies
* "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
* "Jock-O-Rama" by Dead Kennedys
* "Just Sixteen" by Velvet Revolver

K

* "Kids Don't Do It" - Bo Diddley, (1994)
* "Knowledge is Power" - No-Cash

L

* "Little Things" - Good Charlotte

M

* "Mark Me Absent" by The Clash
* "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon
* "Measuring Cups" by Andrew Bird
* "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies
* "Moments To Remember" by The Four Lads
* "Mr. School Psychology" by The Devotchkas
* "Mrs. Blaileen" by Primus
* "My Old School" by Steely Dan
* "My Yearbook" by Gene Summers written by Deanna Summers

N

* "Nazi School" by Cracked Actor
* "New Girl in School" by Jan and Dean
* "No School" by Primer Gray
* "No Such Thing" by John Mayer
* "NecroHigh" by Nekromantix

O

* "Oh Baby Doll" by Chuck Berry
* "Olympia (Rock Star)" by Hole
* "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" by Ben Folds Five
* "One of the Few" by Pink Floyd
* "Out of School" by JFA

P

* "Pizza Day!" by The Aquabats
* "Play It Cool, Stay In School" by Brenda Holloway & The Supremes (1966)
* "Popular" by Nada Surf
* "Popular Creeps" by Chris Mars
* "Principal's Office" by Young M.C.
* "Professor Bop" by Babs Gonzales (1947)
* "Public Highschool" by The Necros
* "Punk Rock Academy" by Atom and His Package
* "Put It Out For Good" by Amy Ray

R

* "Rat Race" by The Specials
* "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" by Cat Stevens
* "Revelation" by D12
* "Rock 'n' Roll High School" by The Ramones
* "Rock Star" by Hole

S

* "Sad Semester" by Twothirtyeight
* "Sadie Hawkins Dance" by Relient K
* "School" by The Auteurs
* "School" by Nirvana
* "School" by Supertramp
* "School II" by Scared Straight
* "School Day" (also known as "School Days (Ring Ring Goes the Bell)") by Chuck Berry Dorian Lynskey, [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1575697,00.html "Readers recommend: songs about school"] , "The Guardian", Sept 23, 2005] Robert Fontenot, [http://oldies.about.com/od/buyersguides/tp/school.htm "Top 10 Oldies Songs About School"] , oldies.about.com]
* "School Days" by The Runaways
* "School Daze" by W.A.S.P.
* "School Girl" by the Five Royales
* "School of Rock 'n Roll" by Gene Summers (1958) (covered by many including The Polecats)
* "School of Rock 'n Roll" by The Polecats (1980s)
* "School on Fire" by Greta
* "School's Out" by Alice Cooper (1972),
* "School's Prison" by Idiot Savants
* "School is Out" and its sequel "School is In" by Gary U.S. Bonds
* "School Is Bullshit" by Morning Glory
* "Schoolboy Crush" by Cliff Richard (1958)
* "Schoolyard Crush" by Ever We Fall
* "Second Cousin" by The Steamy Bohemians
* "Show and Tell" by Relient K
* "Sister Mary Elephant (Shudd-Up!)" by Cheech and Chong - more a skit than a song, it nonetheless became a #24 hit in 1974, and remains one of the duo's best known routines.
* "Skipping School" by Chris Mars
* "Smokin' In the Boy's Room" by Brownsville Station and covered by Mötley Crüe
* "Starfish and Coffee" by Prince
* "STAT-60" by MC Lars
* "Stay Free" by The Clash
* "Still in School" by NRBQ (1977)
* "Street Live" - Roxy Music (1970)
* "Suckerpunch" by Five Iron Frenzy
* "Substitute" by The Who
* "Subdivisions" by Rush
* "Swingin' School" by Bobby Rydell
* "Sylvie" by Saint Etienne

T

* "Teacher" by Jethro Tull
* "Teacher, I Need You" by Elton John
* "Teacher Teacher" by .38 Special (band)
* "Teacher Teacher" by Rockpile
* "Teacher's Pet" by Doris Day
* "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance
* "Teenage Crush" by Tommy Sands
* "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheatus
* "Teenage Life" by Daz Sampson
* "Terminal Preppie" by Dead Kennedys
* "The Art Teacher" by Rufus Wainwright (from "Want Two", 2004)
* "The Class of '99" by Wayne Watson
* "The Day That Thatcher Dies" by Hefner
* "The Great American Success Story" by Alice Cooper
* "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" by Pink Floyd
* "The Headmaster Ritual" by The Smiths
* "The Hero's Return" by Pink Floyd
* "The Kids" by Eminem
* "They Schools" by Dead Prez
* "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" by the Pet Shop Boys
* "To Sir, with Love" by Lulu (1967)

U

* "Up Against the Wall" by Tom Robinson Band

V

* "Violent School" by The Dead Milkmen
* "Vai male a scuola" by Marco Masini

W

* "Waiting in School" by Ricky Nelson (1957)
* "We Expected" by The Hussy's
* "We Rule the School" by Belle & Sebastian
* "We're Going To Be Friends" by Jack Johnson
* "We're Gonna Be Friends" by The White Stripes
* "What Did You Learn in School Today?" by Tom Paxton
* "What I Go to School For" by Busted
* "What I Go to School For" by The Jonas Brothers
* "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke (1960, and covered by Herman's Hermits and later Simon & Garfunkel with James Taylor)
* "When I Kissed the Teacher" by ABBA (1976)
* "Working Class Hero" by John Lennon

Y

* "You Can't Blame the Youth" by Peter Tosh
* "You Don't Learn That In School" by Nat King Cole (1947) Bob Dylan, "Episode 21: School", "Theme Time Radio Hour", September 2006 (these songs were selected by Dylan for his school-themed radio program, [http://www.xmradio.com/bobdylan/playlist_archive.xmc official playlist] , [http://notdarkyet.org/tt-school.html fansite playlist] )]

Related article

* List of television series about school

References