Animal House

Album: Animal House Soundtrack (1978)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the theme song to the movie Animal House, which starred John Belushi as an unruly fraternity brother. Bishop appeared in a scene where Belushi (in a toga) smashes his guitar. Bishop told Songfacts: "That song that I came up with to do in the scene is a public domain song... it's been around for a hundred years or more ('I Gave My Love a Cherry'). It seemed like the right song to do in the scene. I worked with Kenny Vance on my contributions to the Animal House albums - 'Animal House' and 'Dream Girl.' I had a crush on Carrie Fisher back then and at the end of 'Dream Girl' you can hear me sing 'Carrie Baby.' Both songs were fashioned after the Four Seasons with Frankie Valli."
  • Animal House was the first big movie Karen Allen appeared in, and she met Bishop on the set. They had a long relationship which inspired Bishop to write the song "Separate Lives." Allen played the love interest of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Comments: 2

  • Bill from UsDidn't every college have at least one dork sitting around, usually in the student lounge, strumming a guitar to dorky song? We all wanted to do what Bluto did! The great inside joke was cameo Stephen Bishop who wrote this song.
  • Stormy from Kokomo, InWhen I graduated from Kokomo High School in Kokomo, Indiana in 1968, my friend Bill Cox and I got drunk at the Indy 500 time trials and then drove down to Indiana University to get "rushed" at Tau Kappa Epsilon ("Tekes"). I wasn't even planning on attending I.U., but, what the hell, I went anyway! I swear that the "Tekes" house was EXACTLY like "Animal House" with some of the same character types! It was a memorable weekend to say the least! Every time that I watch this movie, I think of that weekend!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Muhammad Ali: His Musical Legacy and the Songs he Inspired

Muhammad Ali: His Musical Legacy and the Songs he InspiredSong Writing

Before he was the champ, Ali released an album called I Am The Greatest!, but his musical influence is best heard in the songs he inspired.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Evolution Of The Prince Symbol

Evolution Of The Prince SymbolSong Writing

The evolution of the symbol that was Prince's name from 1993-2000.