Dewey Finn Quotes in School of Rock (2003)

Dewey Finn: I have been touched by your kids... and I'm pretty sure that I've touched them.

[the previously calm classroom erupts into chaos]

Dewey Finn: I pledge allegiance... to the band... of Mr. Schneebly... and will not fight him... for creative control... and will defer to him on all issues related to the musical direction of the band.

Dewey Finn: Now, what makes you mad more than anything in the world?

[sees Billy who has his hand raised]

Dewey Finn: Billy?

Billy: You.

Dewey Finn: Billy, we've already told me off. Let's move on.

Billy: You're tacky and I hate you!

Dewey Finn: Okay, you see me after class!

Dewey Finn: [on sticking it to "The Man"] Yes! But, you can't just say it, man. You've gotta feel it in your blood and guts! If you wanna rock, you gotta break the rules. You gotta get mad at the man! And right now, I'm the man. That's right, I'm the man, and who's got the guts to tell me off? Huh? Who's gonna tell me off?

Freddy: Shut the hell up, Schneebly!

Dewey Finn: That's it Freddy, that's it! Who can top him?

Alicia: Get outta here, stupidass.

Dewey Finn: Yes, Alicia!

Summer Hathaway: You're a joke, you're the worst teacher I've ever had!

Dewey Finn: Summer, that is great! I like the delivery because I felt your anger!

Summer Hathaway: Thank you.

Lawrence: You're a fat loser and you have body odor.

Dewey Finn: ...All right, all right! Now, is everybody nice and pissed off?

Dewey Finn: God of Rock, thank you for this chance to kick ass. We are your humble servants. Please give us the power to blow people's minds with our high voltage rock. In your name we pray, Amen.

Dewey Finn: Those that can't do, teach, and those that can't teach, teach gym.

Battle of the Bands director: What do they all have?

Dewey Finn: It's a rare blood disease: "Stick-it-to-da-man-noisis".

Battle of the Bands director: What's that? I've never heard of it.

Dewey Finn: You're lucky. Because it's hell.

Billy: You're gonna talk to me about style? You can't even dress yourself... look at that bow tie.

Dewey Finn: Don't you be talkin' about my bow tie.

Dewey Finn: Katie, what was that thing you were playing today, the big thing?

Katie: Cello.

Dewey Finn: Ok. This is a bass guitar. And it's the exact same thing but instead of playing it like this you tip it on the side... cello, you got a bass.

Dewey Finn: 8:15 to 10, rock history. 10 to 11, rock appreciation in theory. And then band practice till the end of the day.

Frankie: What about math?

Dewey Finn: No, not important.

Dewey Finn: You've heard of Aretha Franklin, right?

Tomika: [Tomika nods]

Dewey Finn: She's a big lady. But when she sings, she blows people's minds. Everyone wants to party with Aretha! And, you know who else has a weight issue?

Tomika: Who?

Dewey Finn: Me. But when I get up there and start doing my thing, people worship me! Because I'm sexy, and chubby, man.

Tomika: Why don't you go on a diet?

Dewey Finn: Because I like to eat! Is that such a crime?

Freddy: Come on man, we're on a mission. One great rock show can change the world... look out the window...

Dewey Finn: [seeing bus and students] No way! That's so punk rock.

Dewey Finn: [sung to the kids] In the end of time, there was a man who knew the road. And the writing was written on the stone. In the ancient time, an artist led the way, but no one seemed to understand. In his heart he knew, the artist must be true, but the legend of the rent was way past due! Well you think you'll be just fine without me, but you're mine! You think you can kick me out of the band? Well there's just one problem there. The band is mine! How can you kick me out of what is mine? Well you're not hardcore unless you live hardcore, but the legend of the rent was way hardcore!

Dewey Finn: You, Freddy, what do you like to do?

Freddy: I dunno.

[pause]

Freddy: Burn stuff?

[improvising an educational song]

Dewey Finn: Math is a wonderful thing. Math is a really cool thing. So get off your ath, let's do some math. Math, math, math, math, math. Three minus four is?

Summer Hathaway: Negative one.

Dewey Finn: That's right. And six times a billion is?

Marco: Six billion?

Dewey Finn: Nailed it. And fifty-four is forty-five more than what is the answer, Marta?

Marta: Nine.

Dewey Finn: No, it's eight.

Marta: ...No, it's nine.

Dewey Finn: ...Yes, I was testing you... it's nine. And that's a magic number.

Dewey Finn: Give up, just quit, because in this life, you can't win. Yeah, you can try, but in the end you're just gonna lose, big time, because the world is run by the Man.

Frankie: Who?

Dewey Finn: The Man. Oh, you don't know the Man? He's everywhere. In the White House, down the hall... Ms. Mullins, she's the Man. And the Man ruined the ozone, and he's burning down the Amazon, and he kidnapped Shamu and put her in a chlorine tank! Okay? And there used to be a way to stick it to the Man, it was called rock 'n roll. But guess what? Oh no. The Man ruined that, too, with a little thing called MTV! So don't waste your time trying to make anything cool, or pure, or awesome, 'cause the Man is just gonna call you a fat washed up loser and crush your soul. So do yourselves a favor and just GIVE UP!

Dewey Finn: In the words of AC/DC: We roll tonight... to the guitar bite... and for those about to rock... I salute you.

Dewey Finn: Look, the first thing you do when you start a band is talk about your influences. That's how you figure out what kind of band you want to be. So who do you like? Blondie?

Marta: Christina Aguilera.

Dewey Finn: Who? No. Come on. What? You, Shortstop.

Leonard: Puff Daddy.

Dewey Finn: Wrong. Billy?

Billy: Liza Minnelli?

Dewey Finn: I'm a teacher. All I need are minds for molding.

Summer Hathaway: Groupie?

Dewey Finn: What's the matter?

Summer Hathaway: You want me to be a groupie?

Dewey Finn: Well, a groupie's an important job.

Summer Hathaway: I researched groupies on the Internet. They're sluts! They sleep with the band!

Dewey Finn: No, that's not true. They're like cheerleaders.

Dewey Finn: [Assigning positions to the band members] Lead guitar... Zack Attack. On bass... Posh Spice. On keyboards, Mr. Cool. And on drums, Spazzy McGee. OK, Blondie, Brace Face, you're singing backup. All right, Tough Guy, Shortstop, Fancy Pants, get over here. You're on security detail.

Billy: Can I be the band stylist instead?

Dewey Finn: Of course you can, Fancy Pants. OK. Carrot Top, Roadrunner, Turkey Sub, we're gonna have a lot of equipment... And you three...

[looking at the three tiny girls]

Dewey Finn: groupies... As for me, I will be singing lead vocal and shredding guitar.

Mrs. Lemmons: Would you care to join us, Mr. Schneebly?

Dewey Finn: Yeah.

Mrs. Lemmons: Did I say that correctly? "Schneebly"?

Dewey Finn: Actually, it's "Schnayblay".

Dewey Finn: [singing] Come on come on come on/Touch me babe, bada bada, can't you see/ that I am not afraid, shaga tada!/ Lawrence is good at piano/He shall be rocking in my show, shaga tada!

Dewey Finn: Ok, here's the deal. I have a hangover. Who knows what that means?

Frankie: Doesn't that mean you're drunk?

Dewey Finn: No. It means I was drunk yesterday.

Freddy: It means you're an alcoholic.

Dewey Finn: Wrong.

Freddy: You wouldn't come to work with a hangover unless you were an alcoholic. Dude, you got a disease!

Dewey Finn: Hmmm... hmmm... What's your name?

Freddy: Freddy Jones.

Dewey Finn: Ok, Freddy Jones, shut up!

Freddy: Um, are we going to be goofing off like this every day?

Dewey Finn: Uh, we're not goofing off. We're creating musical fusion.

Freddy: Well, um, are we going to be creating musical fusion every day?

Dewey Finn: Yeah, get used to it.

[Freddy grins as he leaves]

Dewey Finn: Okay, whose got food in here?

[no one raises a hand]

Dewey Finn: You're not gonna get in trouble, I'm hungry.

[the crowd is chanting: School of Rock! School of Rock!]

Marta: What is that?

Dewey Finn: [Awed] It's an encore. They want us to go play another song! It's good! Go, you guys!

[the kids all shriek and run for the stage]

Dewey Finn: Wait, no, no, just the band! Okay. Everybody, go!

Dewey Finn: Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock!

Dewey Finn: [raising his first three fingers] Read between the lines!

Rosalie Mullins: The thing is, Mr. Schneebly...

Dewey Finn: Please... call me Dewey.

Rosalie Mullins: [confused] Dewey?

Dewey Finn: [Realising his mistake] Ned. Ned. I was thinking of my other name. My middle name.

Dewey Finn: [singing] No you're not hardcore! Unless you live hardcore! And the legend of the rent was way hardcore!

[during a jam session that takes place over the film's closing credits, Zack performs a "face melter" on his electric guitar. Dewey appears next to him with his face contorted]

Dewey Finn: Dude, is my face okay? I think you melted it off.

Dewey Finn: [singing their song in the Battle of the Bands] May I have the attention of the class: Today's ASSignment...

Alicia, Marta, Tomika: ...kick some ass!

Dewey Finn: [when Ned asks him to sell one of his guitars] Would you tell Picasso to sell one of his guitars?

Patty Di Marco: Oh, my God! He's an *idiot*!

Miss Mullins: [about the teachers] They hate me.

Dewey Finn: No they don't.

Miss Mullins: Yes they do, I can see. I wasn't always like this, you know, I wasn't always wound this tight. There was a time where I was fun. I was funny! I was. But you can't be funny and be the principle of a prep school! No, you cannot. Because when it comes to their kids, these parents have no sense of humor. No. And if something goes wrong its my head in the smasher. And these parents will come down on me like a nucular bomb! I can't make a mistake! I gotta be perfect! And that pressure has turned me into something that I never wanted to be!

Miss Mullins: [silently mouthing the words] A bitch!

Dewey Finn: No you're not.

Miss Mullins: Yes I am. I am a big one!

Dewey Finn: [teaching Lawrence a handshake] Slap it.

[they smack the palms of their hands together and then the back of their hands together]

Dewey Finn: Shoot it.

[they pretend like their hands are guns and shoot at each other]

Dewey Finn: Kaboot it.

[they pound their fists together]

Dewey Finn: OK, Ms DumBum ain't your teacher today, I am, and I have a headache and the runs. So I say, time for recess!

Dewey Finn: [alerted that Miss Mullins is approaching, Dewey starts writing on the chalkboard] ... And therefore, E=MC2. Oh, Miss Mullins, come in.

Miss Mullins: I'm sorry to interupt but Miss Lemmons said she heard music coming from the classroom.

Dewey Finn: Music? Uh, music. I haven't heard any music. Uh oh, you know what, Miss Lemmons must be on crack, right, kids?

Miss Mullins: Uh, well, what's that?

[Points at guitar]

Michelle: Mr. S? We came up with some names for the band.

Dewey Finn: All right, hit me.

Eleni: The Bumblebees?

Dewey Finn: No, it's too sissy.

Eleni: The Koala Bears?

Dewey Finn: No, what are you talking about? It's too sissy.

[Dewey sees Miss Mullins]

Dewey Finn: Hey, Miss Mullins.

Michelle: How about, Pig Rectum?

Rosalie Mullins: Michelle!

Dewey Finn: It's a science project.

Dewey Finn: Ms. Mullins, would like to get a cup of coffee with me?

Rosalie Mullins: You'd like me to get a coffee with you?

Dewey Finn: Yeah, I would.

[Cuts to a waiter holding beers]

Rosalie Mullins: Are you sure you don't sell coffee here?

Waiter: [In squeaky accent] Uh-huh, I'm quite sure.

[Dewey plays the song in the jukebox]

Rosalie Mullins: I LOVE THIS SONG!

Dewey Finn: Really?

Rosalie Mullins: Yes! Stevie Nicks!

Dewey Finn: Yeah... Stevie!

Rosalie Mullins: You know, she came to town and she did a concert and she was just so... wild! Oh my gosh! Oh!

Dewey Finn: Yeah, she put on the best show I've ever seen. And she is so much better live than she is on the album!

Rosalie Mullins: Yes, oh my gosh! No comparison!

Dewey Finn: You know, I'd like to take the kids to a concert.

Rosalie Mullins: Concert?

Dewey Finn: There is one at the end of the month... but you have a policy about field trips.

Rosalie Mullins: Would it be... educational?

Dewey Finn: Would it be educational? It would be VERY educational. They play Beethoven and Mozart and stuff.

Rosalie Mullins: Maybe we can make an exception!

Dewey Finn: YES!

Rosalie Mullins, Dewey Finn: [singing the Stevie Nicks song while doing a high-5] Sings a song, sounds like she's singing whooo! Baby whoo! Said whooo!

Rosalie Mullins: Well I went today, maybe I will go again... TOMORROW!

Dewey Finn: Dude, I service society by rocking, OK? I'm out there on the front lines liberating people with my music!

Dewey Finn: Listen! You can't leave. You haven't heard our band.

Battle of the Bands director: Sorry, the bill is full. We're already overbooked.

Dewey Finn: No, let us just play one song. We're all here, we're ready to go.

Battle of the Bands director: [looks at the kids] Who are they?

Dewey Finn: They're my band.

Battle of the Bands director: Kids? What is this, some kind of gimmick?

Dewey Finn: No, it's not a gimmick. I know, they're kids, but they're awesome. Just listen!

Battle of the Bands director: Look, thanks for comin' down, but you're really not what we're looking for.

Dewey Finn: [throws his chair across the floor] You listen to me! These kids have worked their little fingers to the bone just to play one song for you so you just sit down, shut up and listen!

Battle of the Bands director: Sheila, call security.

[last lines]

Dewey Finn: All right, that's it. Stop, you guys, stop. Seriously, you guys. All right, take five. Take five. You wanna go? All right. That was a good class.

Zack Mooneyham: I'll see you, man.

Dewey Finn: Does anyone play drums?

Freddy: I play percussion.

Frankie: Yea, that's cause he couldn't play anything else!

Freddy: Shut up!

Dewey Finn: Uh, how long is the job?

Miss Mullins: My guess is, as much as a few weeks, but we do need somebody to start immediately.

Dewey Finn: Mm-hm. So how much are we talking here?

Miss Mullins: We pay our substitutes $650 a week. Now, do you know when Mr. Schneebly will be back?

Dewey Finn: Hold on a sec. Oh, you know what? I think he's just coming in right now. NED! PHONE!

[Dewey plays with the phone cord for a few seconds, as though he is handing it over]

Dewey Finn: [impersonating Ned] Hello, this is Ned Schneebly.

Dewey Finn: You don't have to worry about me because I'm a hard-ass. And if a kid gets out of line, I got no problem smacking them in the head.

Dewey Finn: And we're gonna start a revolution, okay? And you're gonna be a funny little footnote on my epic ass!

Dewey Finn: Who are you, babe? This is my apartment, babe.

Patty Di Marco: Oh oh, not if you don't pay your rent, it's not.

Dewey Finn: Summer, you're the class whatever. Go to the board

Summer Hathaway: Factotum.

Dewey Finn: Factoter.

Dewey Finn: I'll have the rent by the end of the week, go tell the mayor.

Dewey Finn: Go! Play! Have fun! Now!

Dewey Finn: Give me a platform. Let's rock, let's rock, today. Now do it to me.

Lawrence: Let's rock, let's rock, today.

Dewey Finn: That's good. Slap it, shoot it, ka-boot it.