I Love College

Album: Asleep in the Bread Aisle (2009)
Charted: 26 12
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Songfacts®:

  • Roth went to college at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and he loved it. His experiences there were inspiration for this song, but there's more to it than you might think. In our interview with Asher Roth, he explained that he has a beef with the American education system. Said Roth: "People took 'I Love College' as just kind of this superficial dumbed down white kid from the burbs who's just rapping about getting f--ked up. And really, I kind of laugh at all that. I think that it's interesting that when things start to go awry with the economy, the first thing that they start to cut is public schools and art, sports and music. They start to cut those programs. And it's like, Wow, okay, those are the few things that are the escape from all this, you know what I mean? And it's like they have this schooling system that's set up in order just to send you straight to the cubicle and rid you from anything – any freedom, any real freedom. And it's kind of crazy to me.

    So, with 'I Love College,' I wrote this record kind of like how it really is. I mean, these are 18-year-old kids, 18, 19 year old kids. When you're that age, when you're 18, 19, 20 years old, you think you know everything, you think you're a grown-up, but you don't. You don't. So you're just going through the motions. And college is the first time you're out of your parents' house, it's the first time you're out and on your own. I think that it's a very important time for you to kind of mess around, and make some mistakes, and step out of your comfort zone. And that's when you start to grow. I learned so much more leaving school, leaving that system of wake up, go to class, and do something – I mean, how many people are even using their major? I don't really get into statistics too much, but I would be surprised if that was over 15% of people. Doctors and lawyers are pretty much the ones that are using their majors that they go to school for. So you're just kind of in school to be in business, or anything like that. I mean, my sister set up a school in Flatbush and started a charter school, and there's only 6 teachers there. She started the school, and she majored in advertising. So I just think it's really all interesting to me. But that's kind of where I am in my life right now. It's just kind of that question-asking phase."
  • This originally sampled Weezer's "Say It Ain't So," from their 1994 self-titled debut album. However, Roth had to re-work the track when Weezer's Rivers Cuomo refused to clear it, even after being offered 100% of the publishing. You can hear similarities in the two songs, but there is no sample.
  • Roth admitted to The Guardian April 4, 2009, that this frat party anthem is not representative of the rest of his material. He explained: "It's probably the worst song on the album. No, it is, they get bummed out when I say it, but that was a chess move. Sometimes you have to compromise, because you have a responsibility to sell records. But there's much more to me than that song."
  • Roth told MTV News that he was surprised that this was the record that launched his career. He said: "I wrote that song for me, because I'm sitting on the couch like, 'I love college. I miss college. I want to go to college for the rest of my life.' I wrote that song for me. The next thing you know, you had a bunch of people who were like, 'I feel that same exact way.'"
  • There's an interesting story behind the guy asleep in the bread aisle of a grocery store in the cover photo of this CD. Asher told us: "That's me asleep in the bread aisle. It was a Saturday, we were just having a couple of beers sitting on the roof deck talking, and my buddy's talking to me about how his buddy was really hung over and had to run off. And he's like, 'Man, I need to go the grocery store and get a sandwich and some Gatorade.' Just, 'I need to feel better, I'm having a tough morning.' So before he leaves he takes some Tylenol for his headache. And it turns out to be Tylenol PM, and he falls asleep in the bread aisle of a grocery store. And they can't find him, they have no idea where he is. And they finally head to the grocery store, they find him asleep in the bread aisle. And I thought it was hilarious."

    But there's also a more serious message behind that cover photo: "When music and the business kind of converge, it's not a good thing. It's a bummer. But it's been that way ever since the church. We get kind of confused and you start to pay attention, and other things start to influence the music. And 'Asleep In The Bread Aisle' is essentially a bread aisle – 'bread' being another word for money – being unconscious to all that, and just doing what feels right, and not making it for any specific person. Just doing it because you feel it. And I think it's extremely, extremely important, and I see it happening, I'm not the only one doing it, I think I see it all over the map on different genres of people getting back to just making music to make music. And it's a shame that we needed the collapse of the music industry, the collapse of labels, to make people realize, hey, this isn't a get-rich-quick scheme.

    But we're starting to get back to the real humanistic emotion of music, which left for a while. So I'm just happy to be part of that and know that I'm doing it for the right reasons. And that's kind of what Asleep In the Bread Aisl' was, just introducing people to me in every sense of the word. That this is who I am, this is how I feel, I might not be your typical 'rapper,' but that's where we are nowadays. I mean, hip-hop is so influential, black, white, purple, whatever, it's so influential that we are now finding it in crevices like Morrisville, Pennsylvania, where I grew up. So it's global now, and I think that we all need to accept that and move forward as one cohesive unit, rather than me, or she, or I, and get rid of all that. Hip-hop - it's black music, there's no argument to that. Hip-hop is black music. But if we can kind of get rid of the race thing in hip-hop, I think we can kind of do that on a global level, too. So it's exciting."
  • Asleep in the Bread Aisle is Asher's first studio album, and this song, the first single, was a runaway hit with the college crowd, with little wonder: the accompanying video paints college as one big party.

Comments: 8

  • Hunter from Flint, Mihaha I'm glad Rivers Cuomo shot him down. I wouldn't want my name affliated with crap either. lmao
  • Cam from Dallas, TxMackenzie, Vacaville, CA-- No people dont normally tape parties, hes just saying that he wished that he had so that he could remember everything. You cant pass out with your shoes on because if you do then you are free game for people to mess with you for passing out, if you take your shoes off it means that you were capable enough to remember that. You dont leave the house till the booze is gone because there is more to drink so the party isnt over. And the two condom thing is just stupid.
  • Christian from Grundy, VaI love this song, It's my all time favortie party song, and I like to pary.Speaking of witch, all the people who know me or just know where I live party at my house tonight at 11:30.Show up no earlier than 11:15, parents leave at 11:00. See you guys tonight!
  • Abby from Lincoln, NeI'm with Mackenzie. Wearing two condoms is a TERRIBLE idea.

    Extra friction = condoms breaking.
  • Mackenzie from Vacaville, CaThings I don't understand about this song (I'm not in college):
    Do people really tape parties?
    Why can't you pass out with your shoes on?
    What are you supposed to do with your shoes?
    Why can't you leave the house unti lthe booze are gone?
    Is he talking about date rape?
    How would two condoms help? It's well known that the friction is likely to cause holes.
  • Jonathan from Paoli, InThis song is like the greatest song of spring break: that party last night was awfully crazy i wished we taped it i dance my ass off and had this one girl comepletely naked drank my beer and smoked my weed but my good friends is all i need... i love it!!
  • Kyarie from Indianpolis, InSpring Break song Panama City Beach '09!!
  • Kayla from St. Paul, MnThis song is GREAT....
see more comments

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