Now that school has started in the past few weeks, be it the last week of August or the First week of September, kids and teens, and even school staff have to go back to school, which could be a hellhole for some, or it could be something great for others. And I’m sure there are plenty of students that always think “I can’t wait til Friday”; although even staff members of the schools think that as well.
So in order to show my appreciation to all kids and teachers, I’m going to choose a song from a great, underrated movie that is possibly one of the best animated Disney movies of all times: “A Goofy Movie”. The song I’m choosing is “After Today”, which starts the movie on the last day of school.
This is the story of Max and Goofy who have to learn about what it means for a teenager to grow up, and the confusion that comes from everything. Both Max and Goofy both need to learn that their relationship is constantly changing, and at the beginning of the movie, Goofy still treats Max like he’s a little kid that always wants to hold his Dad’s attention, but he doesn’t realize that Max is starting to get a life outside of the treehouse, the slingshot, sometimes pestering Pistol and trying to find the next get-rich-quick scheme, or some plot that could make him look popular.
Max is now a teenager, and about 14 years old (We can work to calculate dates, like Max saying he’s 11 and a half in June, it can imply that he was born, likely in December, so 14 years old works.) and he has other things on his mind, such as looking cool, and impressing a girl he likes, and has been trying to get her attention, but he kept getting shy all school year on the matter, and Roxanne has shown that there were moments that she got a little shy about it.
So onto the song. After Goofy Goofed around when waking Max up, who overslept because of the busted alarm clock, (Don’t worry Max. We’ve all been there, scrambling and running around freaking out.) and showing up in one of the most disgraceful, yet awesome ways possible.
Max is rebuffing his Dad, and Goofy is feeling the discomfort, and is losing the ability to properly communicate with Max, as the role of child and adolescent is getting confused, which is natural at Max’s age. He loves his Dad, but Goofy drives him nuts. Goofy is clingy, and is completely oblivious to how much trouble Max can be.
(Although there are moments. Episode 5 of Goof Troop does show that even Goofy has a limit to his patience. So Max heads out to the last day of school, with Goofy running out with a towel wrapped around him, and a turban towel on his head, with bunny slippers to complete the outfit, handing Max his lunch and giving him a kiss on the cheek, just as other boys point and laugh at him.
So on with the first song from this movie, and I can guarantee that all the songs in the movie are really good.
Max: They've been laughin' since I can't remember, but they're not gonna laugh anymore!
No more "Maxie the Geek", no more "Goof of the Week" like before!
Max is essentially saying what his life in school, and his position in the social hierarchy among his peers. It is also important to note that Max does have a melodramatic and sarcastic side, so he may be acting a bit dramatic on these details, as he’s stating his situation. Honestly, I can’t help but think of “Beauty and the Beast”’s opening song, “Belle” (Often called “This Provincial Town”, or “Bonjour, Bonjour”.) as the thought process is very similar between the protagonists of the movies when it comes to their current lot in life.
But putting Belle aside, we now know that Max is a bit of a class clown, and everyone sees him as entertainment. That kid that wants to look and be cool, but pretty much ends up looking like a slapstick clumsy mess, I mean, Max is a lot like his Dad, so of course everyone would make fun of him. And with plenty of his schemes backfiring on him, I am curious as to how that ended up looking like.
Girl: No more algebra tests 'til September!
Girl's Boyfriend: No more lookin' at losers like him!
After Max trips over marbles some kids are playing with in the streets (Anyone who’s seen Goof troop might think there’s a karmic element there) he crashes into another student, after she rips apart an algebra test she had. We all know that in high school, the last few weeks are filled with exams, and it was refreshing not needing to deal with that for a few months.
Max may have been a little embarrassed by his clumsiness, and the girl’s boyfriend grabs him and chucks him aside. Many teens also don’t like to be stuck with the same people day in and day out, and the prospect of not seeing people you don’t like for a few months is always a welcome surprise.
Bully Boy: No more havin' to cheat!
Bully Boy 2: No more mystery meat!
Many kids try hard to cheat in order to pass, such as writing on your wrists, something generally frowned down upon. As for the mystery meat, it’s a little hypocritical with the bully swiping Max’s lunch, with us not knowing what is in that bag (And we know Max has Goofed up taste buds, just like his father.) as he is complaining about mystery meat. It can also be a comment about American cafeteria food back in the 90s.
Boy 1: No more gym!
Boy 2: No more gym!
Boy 3: No more gym!
Boy 4: No more gym!
And now we have a bunch of boys cheering about not having gym class, all the while flinging around jock straps, like they hate gym class. (Also called P.E. in some regions.) I don’t know what they hate about gym class, cause it’s often just playing sports, such as hockey or basketball here. Perhaps some of the American audience could explain parts of the context of this part.
Lisa: Gonna move to the mall!
Chad: Gonna live in the pool!
These are two minor characters that are the caricature of the popular kids in school. Lisa says she will want to enjoy spending money, likely on clothes or shoes, and Chad says he is going to go to the pool, and pick up chicks. It’s more about the freedom from the constraints of school.
Max: Gonna talk to Roxanne and not feel like a fool!
His name is Max Goof. Of course he’s going to crash and burn in some way.
Chorus: 'Cause after today, I'm gonna be cruisin'!
Max: After today, she'll be mine!
The teens are getting high on the freedom and all the plans they have for the summer, which is good, and perfectly healthy, cause even teachers would be wanting to sing this song. I mean, it is catchy. And Max is getting ahead of himself. He’s imagining that everything will go as planned. Anyone who has seen Goof Troop will know that something will happen.
Chorus: After today, my brains will be snoozin'!
Max: If I don't faint, I'll be fine!
Often, by June teens’ brains are just fried, and sometimes burned out with all the exams they just did. Plus, depending on the location, you might get really hot weather which really makes it overbearing, and on beautiful days, sometimes just going to have a class outside can really be great. And Max is on a completely different wavelength than the other kids. He is also commenting on how nervous he is about what he’s about to do.
Twin Girls: I've got forty more minutes
of Home Economics...
Twin Boys: Then down with the textbooks,
Nerds: And up with the comics!
A nice, classical Disney gag, this also says that they aren’t just eager to be done tests, they are also counting down the seconds on the clock. And the implications from the guys that grab the textbooks and chuck them, They have one thing on their minds. Then the nerds bring up comic books, and they are happy they can spend more time reading comics at home.
Max: Just think of all the time I've been losin', finding the right thing to say!
Chorus: But things'll be goin' my way, after today!
Now we are getting into the meat and potatoes, of even the movie, and Max’s entire character at the beginning of the movie. He states that he’s replayed the scene over and over again, about asking her out, with either him getting cold feet or… We’ll talk about that other possible scenario later. The Chorus finishes Max’s line of thought, thinking everything will be perfect, until she walks right past him.
Max: She looked right through me, and who could blame her?
I need a new me, plus some positive proof that I'm not just a goof!
Welp, he went from extremely high, to crashing low, and we see the problem with him asking her out: He’s nervous, shy around her, and doesn’t try to make a nuisance out of himself. On the other hand, she could be lost in thought, thinking about what she is going to do, After Today. And Max is pretty much saying that he is going to overcompensate for his insecurities, as usual. But the danger is that sometimes, teenagers think they can be someone they aren’t just for popularity or to impress a girl or boy. And Max will do just that.
Chorus: And after today, I'm gonna be cruisin'!
Goth Girls: No more pep rallies to cut, blech!
Max/Chorus: After today, my brains will be snoozin'!
Bus Driver: I'm gonna sit on my butt
We are back with the Chorus, with two new lines. The Goth Girls are complaining about Pep Rallies, and they find it is all about the sports team, and they can’t stand the pep of the Pep Rallies. Then again, a lot of goths are kinda edgelord. Most probably aren’t, but these two girls are annoyed by all the cheerleaders. Max also is joining in, himself relieved for not needing to do school work on his end as well. At the end of the chorus, you have a humorous line coming from the obese bus driver about sitting on his butt, cause his job is driving students around, so now he’s got nothing to do, and probably pulling in special benefits..
Max: I've got less than an hour and when this is ended,
I'll either be famous...
Principal Mazur: Or you'll be suspended!
Max is getting very excited about his plan, and getting ahead of himself as he crashes into the tyrannical dicta… Controlling evil principal, I mean. Let’s face it, who suspends a kid on the last day of school?
Chorus: Just think of all the time I've been losin', waiting until I could say…
Now we are preparing to hear the motive of many teenagers when it comes to the summer. It’s also interesting to note that Max is in rather athletic shape. He’s no jack, and he’s a bit on the scrawny side, but the kind of flip he does is rather impressive.
Gonna be on my own, kiss the parents goodbye
Now we have the graduates that are singing about leaving the nest and wanting to embrace their newfound adult freedom.
Gonna party from now 'til the end of July!
Things'll be goin' my way, after today!!!
We have the teens eager for the day to be done, and for the next day to start, so they can have the freedom to do what they want to do the entire summer. Including partying, and they don’t want anyone to disrupt their summer. Although a lot of schools start in August or September, the song writer chose the month “July”, more for the rhyming scheme.
And now the bell rings, and everyone needs to hurry up to class, (including a couple making out behind the bleachers) so the tyrant doesn’t bring out the guillotine.
Max: I wish that this was the day, after today!
Now Max is showing he is extremely nervous about his plan, and is bracing himself for the worst, as he’s turning away and trips down the bleachers, landing on his face, being the Goof that everyone thinks is funny, only to be helped up by Roxanne who saw what happened.
At first he’s unaware of who is helping him out, and he gets tongue tied, which she finds amusing, giggling a bit about it, and he lets out an “Ahyuck!” losing track of his laughing. Now it’s interesting that he gets self-conscious about it, as his voice is cracking, and that he did have this laugh in Goof Troop, and often, it was far more subdued, but he did laugh like his Dad.
In fact, it sometimes sounded adorable. And yet, Roxanne did look a little concerned when Max ran away and tripped over a garbage can, and she looks a little dejected about Max running away. It showed that despite his entire plan, she may have liked him in kind. It was more Max being a teenage boy, and completely oblivious about how girls may feel (And being his father’s son, he isn’t as bright as what he thinks he is) and having his grandiose schemes that he thinks will succeed. (When every one of them crashes and burns. Although this is the most amusing and grandest scheme to beat all his prior schemes.
This is one of the most underrated, and overlooked Disney movies, and is a really good movie about fatherhood. Definitely one that makes you feel every single emotion. This is a “Manly tears are acceptable” movie.
Another one of those Disney songs existing primarily as plot and character exposition. And since it's a comedy film, comic timing.