School Day by Chuck Berry

Album: After School Session (1957)

Charted: 24 3

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Songfacts®:

This song is about high school life in the '50s. Teenagers were the target audience for most rock music in that era, and Berry, 30 years old when he wrote the song, knew that he could sell a lot of records by appealing to this crowd. School days hadn't changed much since he was there, so his story about getting through the hectic day while thinking about dancing and being with your girl was still relevant.
The title doesn't show up in the lyrics, so many mistakenly think the title is the first line in the last verse, "Hail, hail, rock 'n' roll." The line was used as the title for a 1988 rock documentary featuring Berry.
The stops and starts in this song evoke the nature of high school, where you go from one class or activity to another. Berry remembered a big change going from elementary school, where he stayed in the same room all day, to the peripatetic high school routine.
Artists to cover "School Day" include Jan & Dean, Bobby Vee, and Eddie Cochran. It was also recorded by the cartoon family The Simpsons for their 1990 album The Simpsons Sing the Blues, with guest vocals by Buster Poindexter.
Berry released a follow-up in 1971 called "Lonely School Days (Version 2)."
"School Day" was Berry's first hit in the UK.

Comments: 9

Barry Heck from Plainview New YorkLove this song. Reminds me of my high school days
Barry from Sauquoit, Ny'Hail, hail rock'n'roll
Deliver me from the days of old'
On October 8th 1987, Chuck Berry received a star on the 'Hollywood Walk of Fame', it was the 1,857 star to be awarded...
The very next day on October 9th his biographical movie, 'Hail, Hail Rock & Roll', opened in theaters across the U.S.A.
I'm a big fan of Elvis, but I accept the fact that Chuck is the real 'King of Rock & Roll'; and Charles Edward Anderson Berry will celebrate his 89th birthday in ten days on October 18th {2015}.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 6th 1957, Alan Freed's 'The Biggest Show Of Stars for 1957' road show appeared at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
One of the thirteen acts that appeared in the show was Chuck Berry, and at the time his "School Day" was at #81* on Billboard's Top 100 chart; four months earlier on May 16th, 1957 it peaked at #5 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Top 100 chart, and at that same time it was #3 on the Pop Best Seller in Stores chart and at #1 on the R&B Best Seller in Stores chart…
* According to Billboard "School Day" was actually tied at #81 with "A Fallen Star" by Jimmy C. Newman…
On the Chess 45 RPM record the title read "School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)".
Barry from Sauquoit, NyHi Alex; the line is "Hail, Hail, Rock 'n Roll"; but in 1957 when the song was released a lot of people thought the title of the song was "Hail, Hail, Rock 'n Roll" instead of "School Days". They most likely realized their mistake once they read the label on the 45. I think it is one of the great rock lyrics of all time, what could be more truer!!!
Alex from Newcastle Upon Tyne, United KingdomWhat does it say instead of Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll then? 'Cause the lyrics still say that.
Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaHey, this was the first song that launched a thousand guitar players and rock-n-rollers...
I wish the thin vinyl 45 had been a little more durable,
as it warped like a flower sitting in the back seat of our car!Sorry, Dorothy and Jackie!
Zach from Easton, PaAhaha, yeah, the melodies are the same. Chuck had a tendency to make songs that were the same, or sounded extremely similar. Think about "Run Rudolph Run" and "Little Queenie" - they are pretty much the same.

And a lot of songs at least sound the same.

I don't mind it, though - it's awesome music.
John Dough from Toronto, CanadaAC/DC has made a cover of this song that can be heard on the Australia exclusive album, T.N.T.
AnonymousAfter you finish listening to this song, listen to Chuck Berry's hit "No Particular Place to Go". You'll find that the melodies to both these songs are purely identical!

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