Behind the Band Name: Bowling for Soup

Bowling for Soup is one of the most defining bands to come out of the early 2000s pop-rock scene, but they have a famous comedian to thank for their name.

Meaning Behind the Band Name

Bowling for Soup originated out of Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. Frontman Jaret Reddick and guitarist Chris Burney met in high school. They linked up with drummer Gary Wiseman at Burney’s family’s coffee shop and live music venue, The Refuge, where Burney would often perform with his first band. Prior to forming Bowling for Soup, the members were no strangers to eclectic band names, as they were part of a variety of other bands called the Persecuted, Folkadots,  Slaw, and Terminal Seasons. In its original iteration, the band was called Rubberneck before officially changing the name to Bowling for Soup.

In his acclaimed 1978 comedy special, A Wild and Crazy Guy, Steve Martin says the phrase “bowling for shit” that the foursome adapted into Bowling for Soup, according to an archived band bio. “He does a bit in there where he refers to a TV show called Bowling For Shit,” Reddick explained to U.K.-based publication The National Student in 2012. “The name seemed to fit until we started trying to book shows. At that point, it needed to change. In interviews, we used to try and come up with a different answer for this question every time we got asked, which in 18 years is a lot!”

Outside of the general intrigue about the band’s name, another question that fans have pondered is whether or not they are bowling for soup, or bowling on behalf of it. Reddick put this matter to rest in a 2017 interview with the Huffington Post.

“Our band is our job, so I guess, soup could be another way of saying ‘income’ or ‘food,’” he said in response to a fan’s tweet asking “are they bowling to earn soup or bowling on behalf of soup.” “With that being said, I guess it would have to be that we are bowling to earn soup.”

“We just really like soup, ok,” the group followed up in a 2022 Facebook post in response to another fan who posted the same question.

The band’s affinity for quirky phrasing also shows in their album titles. Bowling for Soup has released 11 studio albums, with titles ranging from The Great Burrito Extortion Case to Fishin’ for Woos. Their latest is Pop Drunk Snot Bread, released in 2022.

“People ask me at parties, at shows, during interviews, and at the grocery store,” Reddick told the Dallas Observer about the band’s constant inquires about the meaning of the name. “Any time I’m having a conversation, and someone says, ‘I’ve always wanted to ask you this,’ I’m like, ‘Here we go!’ It’s the new, ‘How did y’all get your name?’ Most of the time I just say, ‘Google is your friend.’ But again, it’s nice to be the topic of conversation.”

In their career that spans nearly 30 years, Bowling for Soup has made a strong impression on fans and the charts alike with such signature hits as “Girl All the Bad Guys Want,” which was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Group or Duo at the 2003 Grammy Awards, “1985,” “Almost” and “High School Never Ends.”

(Photo by R. Diamond/WireImage)