The track was composed for the 2001 DreamWorks animated fairy tale comedy film Shrek, appearing in its end credits.

He found Shrek to be a "curmudgeon" from it, attempting to encapsulate his vibe in the song's lyrics and finishing it a month later as "Stay Home".

She tested the song in early movie screenings but discovered that audiences preferred "All Star" due to its pre-existing cultural impact.

Though initially disappointed, Mahaffey retrospectively supported the decision, describing it as "sonically gorgeous" and stating that Smash Mouth deserved the success in an interview with Syfy.

[3] "Stay Home" was released on May 15, 2001, as the first song of the soundtrack album for the film, Shrek: Music from the Original Motion Picture.