"Be True to Your School" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1963 album Little Deuce Coupe. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was issued as a single on October 28, 1963. There are two versions of this song: the album version, and the single version, which added cheerleader yells by the girl group The Honeys in between verses.Badman, Keith. The Beach Boys. The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band: On Stage and in the Studio Backbeat Books, San Francisco, California, 2004. p. 42 The song features the melody of the University of Wisconsin's fight song, "On, Wisconsin!", although it is a tribute to Hawthorne High School, which the Wilson brothers and Al Jardine attended. Hawthorne High School's fight song uses the same melody as "On, Wisconsin!".Jenny Price. "Fight on for Her Fame", On Wisconsin Magazine, Winter 2009.
The cover photo for this single (and for the associated album Little Deuce Coupe) included member David Marks but not Al Jardine, though Jardine had returned to create a six-member band for the recording sessions for this single and album. This single, with its B-side "In My Room", were the last two of eight charting Beach Boys songs to include Marks in the 1960s.
Personnel
Single version The Beach Boys
Mike Love – lead vocals, handclaps Brian Wilson – backing vocals, handclaps Al Jardine – backing vocals, handclaps David Marks – backing vocals, handclaps Carl Wilson – backing vocals, handclaps, guitar Dennis Wilson – backing vocals, handclaps
Additional musicians
The Honeys (Marilyn Wilson, Diane Rovell, Ginger Blake) – backing vocals
unknown – guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, saxophones, percussion
Album version
Mike Love – lead vocals Brian Wilson – backing vocals, piano, organ Al Jardine – backing vocals, bass David Marks – rhythm guitar Carl Wilson – backing vocals, lead guitar Dennis Wilson – backing vocals, drums
Chart history
Weekly charts Chart (1963–1964)PeakpositionAustralia78Canada (CHUM Chart)4New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)3Sweden6U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - 6U.S. Cash Box Top 1008US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)The Beach Boys | Biography, Music & More | Billboard27
Year-end charts Chart (1964)RankU.S. Cash Box 69
Covers and later versions
1964 – The Knights, Hot Rod High 1985 – Jan & Dean, Silver Summer.
In popular culture The song is featured in an episode of Gilmore Girls, where the town troubadour (portrayed by Grant-Lee Phillips) is playing it during a pep rally. DTV, in 1984, set the original Beach Boys version of the song to a collection of Disney shorts including some featuring schools like Teachers Are People, Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The song is played during the title sequence of the 1988 dark comedy Mortuary Academy. The song's title is parodied by heavy metal band Twisted Sister in the song "Be Crool to Your Scuel". Mike Love performed the song on a telethon on the Full House episode "Our Very First Telethon"; while the title of a later episode, "Be True to Your Preschool", is a reference to the song. The song is featured in the 1980s TV series Riptide. The song is also the title of the episode (season 2, episode 7). The song inspired the Ripped Pants song from the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Ripped Pants”. The song was part of an oldies melody in the 2005 Tokyo Disneyland parade/show "Disney's Rock Around the Mouse". The song is featured in the end credits of the HBO series Vice Principals, season 1, episode 1. Grace Vanderwaal sings the song in the 2020 Disney+ movie Stargirl. It is also included on the soundtrack for the movie. The song was featured on a 1993 Sony Kids' Music album called Camp California, Where the Music Never Ends. The song was used in a Macy's contest and commercial in 2014.
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