Arguably, one of the finest moments of our lives is spent in school, learning how to be successful in life.
At some point, we’ve all had the opportunity of going to school, whether primary, college, or university.
The memories we shared with our colleagues will linger with us for a longer time, and we will continue to miss our best friends and those whom we have personal relationships with.
However, at some point, students are usually separated to go and pursue different career paths after graduation.
For the best school memories, music is a tool that can be used to recollect all the fun times we’ve had while in school.
Here are some of the best songs about school that may bring you back to your school days.
1. “Be True To Your School” by The Beach Boys
If you’ve ever attended a prestigious high school, you are likely to relate to this spectacular music.
In this song, The Beach Boys display high-quality music to recount their lovely experience while in school, from flaunting their school uniform to arguing about the best school.
One of the lines of the song reads, “When some loud braggart tries to put me down and says his school is great; I tell him right away, now what’s the matter buddy, ain’t you heard of my school, it’s number one in the state.”
2. “My Old School” by Steely Dan
A district attorney had just been posted to Bard College, and he was hellbent on sanitizing the school of smokers.
Armed with the information about the smokers and their joints, his boys swung into action and arrested the smokers, including the lead singer of Steely Dan – Donald Fagen.
Fagen believes they’ve been set up by a close acquaintance and vows never to return to Bard College.
3. “Bad Boy” by Larry Williams
This song captures how students used to play pranks on one another while in school.
A nasty little boy got nicknamed the “bad boy” for being a nuisance in the class instead of facing his studies.
He plays pranks on teachers by putting thumbtacks on teachers’ chairs and students by putting chewing gum on girls’ hair.
Although the pranks are harmless but mischievous, he still got nicknamed the bad boy.
Is he truly a bad boy?
4. “High School Confidential” by Jerry Lee Lewis
Going by his love to sing about high school tradition, if Jerry Lee Lewis had the chance to go back to high school, he presumably would.
John’s likeliness for high school dances is second to none, and he boldly displays it in this song.
This hit song was widely accepted by the public then and has continued to reverberate till now.
5. “Another Brick In The Wall” by Pink Floyd
This is an anti-school song proclaiming the pressure of going to school for children.
In this song, Pink Floyd believe that children naturally do not enjoy school; they are just being forced.
Teachers’ overbearing attitudes also contribute to why children always prefer to stay with their parents at home.
In the end, Pink Floyd agree though that school is essential for children.
6. “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” by Motley Crue
This is another masterclass from Motley Crue and treats the issue of teenagers exhibiting waywardness while at school.
It takes a look at children who were fond of smoking inside the school bathroom as well as defying the rules and authority of the school while neglecting their primary purpose of coming to school.
The kids actually understood that smoking isn’t allowed in school, yet they kept smoking; Isn’t that audacious?
7. “Fifteen” by Taylor Swift
This is another beautiful rendition of excellent music by Taylor Swift detailing her high school experience.
Swift, a teenager who had just got admitted when she sang this song, describes the tribulation she suffered from school.
From boys winking at her to meeting new friends with whom she had no relationship before.
She also describes the naivety of girls against boys when they say they love them.
She said, “cause when you are fifteen, somebody tells you they love you, you’re gonna believe them.”
8. “ABC” by Jackson 5
This is one of the beautiful pieces of music from the young Micheal Jackson depicting the young school life of kids.
This song narrates how a young girl should focus on the bigger picture of education and not be mesmerized by reading and writing the alphabet alone, as more complicated things are set to come after ABC.
He concluded that learning the ABCs is a minor task that one can quickly grasp in a few minutes.
9. “Don’t Be A Dropout” by James Brown
This song encapsulates the word of African great Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
This assertion of Mandela was corroborated by James Brown, who harps on the importance of education and how everyone should strive to get educated.
He describes his friend’s experience who went for a job interview only to be rejected because he wasn’t educated.
Education is like a propeller that can catapult you to where you should be.
10. “Getting Better” by The Beatles
This is a song released in 1967 and has continued to be relevant due to the issue it addresses.
It details the overwhelming influence of teachers on the students and the draconian rules of the school, which sometimes may cause one to abandon school altogether.
It also describes the violence against women where the narrator explains he used to be cruel to his woman and kept her away from things she loved.
Although he admits his mistakes and believes he has changed for the better.
11. “We’re Going To Be Friends” by The White Stripes
Before the world polarized along different prejudices, children used to be very innocent and only wished to make friends no matter where they came from.
This song describes a high school boy who doesn’t want education alone but also wants to make long-time friends.
He indeed gets what he desires after meeting a girl in which their friendship transcends school life and extends to the after-school.
12. “High School” by MC5
Although this song typifies the excitement seen on the face of a boy who has been promoted to high school after completing his elementary school, it is still suitable for a person who just gained admission to college or university.
The excitement of leaving home, meeting new friends, learning new things, and getting the freedom you’ve always craved can not be downplayed.
However, the joy of excitement should be minimal as there are many complicated challenges that lie ahead.
13. “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” by Beastie Boys
If you’ve hated waking up every day to go to school and instead like partying, you should be able to relate with this beautiful track.
This is 80s song that perfectly details the conduct of teens who perhaps haven’t understood the importance of education and took it with levity.
They prefer to go to parties with friends and family than go to the classroom to read, write, and do their assignments.
14. “Beauty School Dropout” by Frankie Avalon
Some people do not fancy school and believe they would achieve more productive things outside the school.
This is the case of Frenchy, who drops out of high school to pursue a career in beauty, dropping out of high school and going to beauty school.
Unfortunately, Frenchy’s beauty school career didn’t materialize as she eventually dropped out.
Avalon, her guardian, is now encouraging her to return to high school.
15. “School Days” by Chuck Berry
In this song, Berry depicts the school experience of young kids in the 1950s.
Many young kids are only after playing with friends, arguing with boys, and disturbing the school environment.
All other school activities like writing notes, taking assignments, writing tests, and sitting for exams are undesirable because they are stressful and not fun.
16. “No Such Thing” by John Mayer
In choosing career paths, students, especially those in high school, are usually advised to select modest career paths.
However, Mayer lashes out at this assertion as he believes it is confusing, archaic, and unglorified.
He believes that every student should follow their dream and not be pegged back by obstacles they may face on their way to glory.
Many people quietly agree with Mayer here as the best thing is to follow one’s dream and not be distracted by the side talk.
17. “Smarter Than U” by The Undertones
We’ve all had a friend or acquittance that believes they are a walking encyclopedia and that they are more intelligent than everyone else.
The narrator was boasting of being more intelligent than everybody else after having a conversation with a girl.
However, some would argue that conversing with a girl is just a way of expressing feelings, not really a measure of intelligence.
18. “School Days” by The Runaways
During high school, many are tempted to join the league of truant students who are only coming to school to keep up the numbers.
The lead singer Joan Jett lamented about her wasted time at school when she concentrated on frivolities instead of facing her studies.
She regretted joining the bad gangs and skipping classes, assignments, and tests as she could not regain the time she had lost while imitating the bad group.
19. “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” by The Police
One of the everyday experiences we usually have in high school is a student getting attracted to a teacher and vice versa.
This song is about the audacity of a young schoolgirl crushing on her school teacher.
She fantasized about getting intimate with her teacher while neglecting her core duties in school.
Most of the time, the naivety of these young girls makes them fantasize about everything, which most of the time is just lust and not love.
20. “Good Girls” by 5 Seconds Of Summer
Intelligent kids usually like to get fixated on their books to the extent of not having any fun, which may be dangerous for them.
In this song, the parents of an intelligent girl were worried about the book-only lifestyle of their daughter, who had just gotten admission to Harvard.
They are worried that she had no fun time and only loved reading books all the time.
They kept asking the question of what happens if she met a different set of people while in Havard, and they exposed her to bad habits
Everybody can be good until they find those who will influence them negatively.
21. “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper
Many people are excited by the prospect of graduating from high school, but few see beyond life in school.
This song gained wide popularity and was released in 1972 as a reminder that students shouldn’t get too excited about their graduation; what matters is life after graduation.
“No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers, dirty looks,” yeah, that’s a beautiful line from the song.
22. “What A Wonderful World” by Sam Cooke
This song depicts a student who finds it hard to master any of the subjects he is taking in school.
From mathematics to English to history, the story is the same.
Even with this shortcoming from the boy, he still views the world as fantastic because he has found a girl he loves.
However, one stumbling block is his poor performance in school, which may dissuade the girl from loving him back.
In the end, he promises to work harder in the hope that maybe the girl would love him in return.
23. “Little Things” by Good Charlotte
As much as school is desirable, the constant misconduct from students can make it a living hell.
Seniors using their influence on the juniors, and bullying from students, can make a cool-headed student dread school.
However, Good Charlotte has a nice ending for those students who are powerless to defend themselves, as there’ll be glimmers of hope with the “Little Things.”
24. “Don’t Stay in School” by Boyinaband
Is there any need to go to school? Do we use our childhood to pursue studies unrelated to life’s challenges?
The narrator may be right in his assertion that most of what we learn in school is irrelevant to the challenges we will face in life.
He argues that he wasn’t taught how to pay taxes but has a load of Shakespeare classics under his belt.
He laments that he wasn’t taught the laws of the country he lives in but knows how Henry VIII killed his women.
He wasn’t taught how to vote; instead, they wasted his time defining isotopes.
25. “High School Never Ends” by Bowling For Soup
If you want to reminisce about your high school days, you should listen to this song.
In this song, the narrator describes perfectly the high school downside and also its importance.
From getting bullied by the powerful boys to landing in the teacher’s office for an offense and then dealing with wack friends who are hellbent on frustrating you, high school is an unforgettable experience.
26. “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” by CAKE
The notion that what a person wears determines their level of intelligence has been rebuffed in this song.
Cake disagrees about the appearance of female students being premises on their intelligence.
27. “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam
Bullying is a common phenomenon that has been in existence for ages, as opined in this song.
This song depicts the trauma and inferiority complex of students who get bullied by their classmates.
It harps on the need to look critically into the issue, as many bullied students may contemplate suicide if they are continually bullied.
28. “Don’t Forget To Remember Me” by Carrie Underwood
For many, elementary school is usually spent in the care of the parents, but some typically get separated from their parents during high school.
In this song, a typical life that awaits a girl who just graduated from high school is described and how she will miss her parents.
Although she was happy that she wanted to start her own life where she is guaranteed freedom, she realized how she would sorely miss her mum due to their strong bond.
29. “I Don’t Like Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats
Sometimes kids are exposed to dangers while in school, and it is always emotional when they are harmed.
The song is about a 16-year-old girl who fired a shot at kids while playing in the playground.
Unfortunately, the shot injured about eight children while killing two adults.
This is a clarion call on all stakeholders to always take the safety of kids as a priority as they cannot defend themselves during trouble.
30. “(She’s) Sexy & 17” by Stray Cats
At a tender age, youthful exuberance usually makes us lose the priority of the most important aspect of our life.
Here is a story about a boy who wasn’t interested in school and everything that was taught.
He only wants a beautiful young girl who is sexy and seventeen as his life’s dream.
To him, getting his desired girl and hooking up takes precedence over what is being taught in school.
31. “Love’s Unkind” by Donna Summer
This is one of the best songs you could relate to if you have tried to hook up with a girl while in high school.
In this song, the narrator was seriously having a crush on a young boy in the school.
Unfortunately, the boy prefers the narrator’s friend and would likely go for her instead of the narrator.
It depicts the love life we always fantasize which sometimes may not happen.
32. “Dammit” by Blink-182
This song from Blink-182 attracted wide attention when it was released because of the contemporary issues it discussed.
The song details the uncertainties everyone has when growing up regarding school and relationships.
It also talks about the feelings of a boy who is having a crush on a girl in school, the girl wasn’t even interested and only took him as a friend after graduation.
33. “Parents Just Don’t Understand’ by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Parents could be out of touch with reality when it comes to dressing up their kids for their first day at school as they may be oblivious of what is trending.
Fresh Prince wasn’t happy with his parents, who dressed him in the wrong sneakers and ugly clothes on his first day at school.
He had no option but to say that this is not what kids in the 80s wear to school to look smart.
34. “School Spirit” by Kanye West
Parents need to notice their kids and help them decide whether it will be better for them to go to school or follow a different career path.
In this song, Kanye West describes his experience of dumping school for a career in music.
While many people might have loathed him for that “unthoughtful” decision, he still went ahead to become one of the most excellent musicians of all time.
35. “Burn This City” by Cartel
This is a graduation song that typifies the excitement of finishing high school and bidding departure from those you have been friends with.
Probably, you have been living under the care of your parents all your life, but graduating from high school may likely spell a new chapter of freedom for you.
However, one should be careful when one gets to university as one has to meet different personalities each with a different character.
All in all, we should relish this joyous moment before occupying ourselves with life at university.
Songs About School – Final Thoughts
School is a place where we usually become educated to become successful in life.
However, as we are progressing in life, we keep facing more challenges that are far more complicated than what we experience in school.
We may sometimes want to remember the experience of our high school life; the above songs can help us relate in the best possible way.
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