Be True to Your School

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“Be True to Your School”

Single by The Beach Boys
from the album Little Deuce Coupe

Released

October 14, 1963

Format

Vinyl

Recorded

September 1963 (album)
September 2, 1963 (single)

Genre

Pop music

Length

2:09

The Beach Boys singles chronology

"Surfer Girl"/"Little Deuce Coupe"
(1963)

"Be True to Your School"/"In My Room"
(1963)

"Little Saint Nick"/"The Lord's Prayer"
(1963)

"Be True to Your School" is a song by The Beach Boys. The album version of this song was recorded on Monday, September 2, 1963. It appears on Little Deuce Coupe and Endless Summer.

The song features the University of Wisconsin's fight song "On Wisconsin"

The song was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love (as established by Mike's lawsuit gaining rights to several co-written songs of the 1960s), and was first recorded on Session 1 of the recording of their 1964 album Little Deuce Coupe. On that day, they recorded "Ballad of Ole' Betsy", a cute melody about a classic car, co-written by Brian Wilson and former DJ Roger Christian, automobile ballads "Car Crazy Cutie" and "Cherry, Cherry Coupe", "Spirit of America", "No-Go Showboat" and "A Young Man is Gone".

The Beach Boys recorded two studio versions of this song. The original recording, which appeared on the album, was in a higher key and at a slower pace than that which was released as a single, while the second version features various female "cheerleader yells" before the first chorus, and after the second and third. The concept for the single version, recorded later that week, was borne in the same studio session as Brian and Mike came up with the original idea for "Fun, Fun, Fun", backstage in Farmington, Utah. The lead vocals on Be True To Your School are performed by Mike, and "The Kids" Sindi, and Tommy Boy sing the background vocals. The single version would be backed with "In My Room", a collaboration between Brian and Gary Usher, released as Capitol 5069 and charting at number 6 in the United States. Though David Marks was later to appear on the cover of the album Little Deuce Coupe, he played little part, being replaced by Al Jardine. This album was shortly shipped off to disc jockeys in the United States, coupled with a list of automobile-related terms to get them familiar with the language used on the songs, such as "Shut Down" and "Little Deuce Coupe".

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.