Teacher

[Max Quad]

First of all, I have ALL my CD's loaded on the 80 GB hard drive in my car. I decided to listen to all the T songs. I have three versions of Teacher loaded. When I heard the first version I felt like it was the first time I ever heard the song. I checked to see which version. It was the version from my gold LITP compilation CD. It sounded like there where 3 or 4 electric guitar tracks in the mix. So awesome. I listened to that version about four(4) times and just concentrated on the guitars and instrumentation.

[TM]

Sept 30, 2009 20:10:06 GMT -5 Max Quad said:

First of all, I have ALL my CD's loaded on the 80 GB hard drive in my car. I decided to listen to all the T songs. I have three versions of Teacher loaded. When I heard the first version I felt like it was the first time I ever heard the song. I checked to see which version. It was the version from my gold LITP compilation CD. It sounded like there where 3 or 4 electric guitar tracks in the mix. So awesome. I listened to that version about four(4) times and just concentrated on the guitars and instrumentation.

Count me in with the other punters who like this song.

That has to be great having that HD in your car. My wife has it but I haven't set it up for her yet.

[Max Quad]

If I had to do it all over, I probably would NOT have gotten the HD. Only because the stereo is IPOD compatible. That being said it's nice having all my CD's loaded and trust me THAT was an effort, especially since I have a short commute to work.
NOTE: When loading the CD's there is some database accessed which loaded the name of the CD, artist, etc. If the title can't be found in the database, everything will load as "No Title" or something like that. In those cases, the car manual suggests burning the CD and adding the titles, etc on the burnt copy. Screw that, way too much effort.

[TM]

Oct 2, 2009 19:26:24 GMT -5 Max Quad said:

If I had to do it all over, I probably would NOT have gotten the HD. Only because the stereo is IPOD compatible. That being said it's nice having all my CD's loaded and trust me THAT was an effort, especially since I have a short commute to work.
NOTE: When loading the CD's there is some database accessed which loaded the name of the CD, artist, etc. If the title can't be found in the database, everything will load as "No Title" or something like that. In those cases, the car manual suggests burning the CD and adding the titles, etc on the burnt copy. Screw that, way too much effort.

I hear ya. I wouldn't do it either. But it is nice having control over that many songs when it's working well.

[The Whistler]

Regarding recent comments on this song elsewhere on this Board, I think the interpretation of it is really quite simple (and therefore, of course, probably wrong). But here is my translation:

Our hero is at home feeling sorry for himself, since his girlfriend/wife/lover has flown the coup and left him in a state of sullen depression.

Along comes a friend/best friend/know it all who fancies himself a "Teacher" of life lessons (or our hero thinks of him as such).

The Teacher tells him to stop feeling so sorry for himself, let's go have some fun. Our hero eventually acquiesces to do this.

So off they go to a tropical island (paid for by our hero). Unfortunately, it is the Teacher who is out having the fun, chasing the women, drinking. While our hero realizes that changing the location accomplished nothing more than him subsidizing his buddy's fun!

The moral of the story: probably a recap of an event that Ian went through and another lesson in life learned!

[Nonfatman]

Apr 27, 2011 19:13:47 GMT -5 The Whistler said:

Regarding recent comments on this song elsewhere on this Board, I think the interpretation of it is really quite simple (and therefore, of course, probably wrong). But here is my translation:

Our hero is at home feeling sorry for himself, since his girlfriend/wife/lover has flown the coup and left him in a state of sullen depression.

Along comes a friend/best friend/know it all who fancies himself a "Teacher" of life lessons (or our hero thinks of him as such).

The Teacher tells him to stop feeling so sorry for himself, let's go have some fun. Our hero eventually acquiesces to do this.

So off they go to a tropical island (paid for by our hero). Unfortunately, it is the Teacher who is out having the fun, chasing the women, drinking. While our hero realizes that changing the location accomplished nothing more than him subsidizing his buddy's fun!

The moral of the story: probably a recap of an event that Ian went through and another lesson in life learned!

That's what I've always thought, too, Phil, but check out this exchange I had on the board with Scott a/k/a notsoshaggy, who has another excellent interpretation, which may actually be more along the lines of what Ian was thinking when he wrote the song. It's hard to know, because both interpretations are plausible.

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Oct 31, 2010, 10:01pm, Nonfatman wrote:
It's interesting, because we have different impressions of Teacher, though. I like the music well enough, but I relate to the lyrics of the song, because I have been the guy in that song on one or two occasions.

I think the lyrics to that song are often overlooked, in fact I once was discussing it with Glenn Cornick, and he didn't realize what the song was about! That song is truly brilliant though, the guy in the song is so crushed and heartbroken that his "bird" has flown, that nothing anyone can do can pull him out of his deep depression. He's totally obsessed, depressed, reclusive. The song speaks to the poor reaction that many men have to being dumped. The male ego can't really handle the pain of rejection.

Jeff
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Verry interesting.

As much as I like the lyric too, I never picked up on it being about a rejected dude! Though it makes a lot of sense now that I see it, especially the "bird" line.

I always heard it more as a kind of polemic against power of positive thinking-type gurus, and rah-rah creeds that tell you all you have to do is get out there and grab ahold of life, the power's within you, etc. And the narrator (Ian?) finds that that's just not him--"suntan, drinking, lying there in bed" doesn't bring him peace of mind. There's something nagging him that amounts to more than just satisfying one's need for a good time. And the Teacher turns out to be more of a scam artist than anything else--having gone and had the fun he was advertising for others, probably on Ian's dime. Maybe that does earn him the title of Teacher, in what he inadvertently teaches you about trusting your own instincts.

I'm sure that's investing the lyric with a ton more than Ian intended, but-- it always worked for me, lol! I remember reading somewhere that he never thought much of the lyric, so maybe I've tried to make it more substanative for myself?
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It would be nice to get to the bottom of it, and hopefully Ian will answer your questions.

Jeff

[jrpipik]

I hear it as the teacher being one of these friends who is going to cheer you up when you're down because all you need is to loosen up and have fun, the best friend in every rom-com. But of course you can't because you have too much on your mind, i.e. your flown bird, your empty house. So he ends up having a great time out on the dance floor while you sit in the corner moping.

But I think it's hard to not hear an attitude of anti-guru in there, too, possibly anti-education or at least formal education, which Ian has been known to take shots at. These things aren't necessarily tied down to a single meaning.

[tootull]

(Repeat)
"Jethro Tull "Teacher" UK Mix"
www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=209748
"OK, so I think there are 6 versions/mixes of Teacher available:"
Version 1 (UK/European single version)
a) 1969 stereo mix found in UK & France 45s
b) 1969 mono mix found on other Euro 45s

Version 2 (US album version)
c) 1970 mono mix found on US reprise promo 45 (possibly a fold down?)
d) 1970 stereo mix on US Benefit album
e) 1971 stereo remix on LITP double album
f) 1993 stereo remix on 25th Anniversary box set.
per Warchild
www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=5265336&postcount=62

This also works for CD only:
Teacher #1 UK version is found on CD only on the 20 years box.
Teacher #2 This is the most common form of Teacher
Teacher #3 is remixed on Living In The Past
Teacher #4 is remixed on the 25th box set Classic Songs Remixed.
per pig whisperer
www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=5259887&postcount=43

For future cut&paste: ;D
CD versions of Teacher:
Teacher #1 is found on CD only on the 20 years box.
#2 - piano: left of center (between the bass and guitar) vocals: center and right guitar: left bass: center second guitar (that comes in at the vocal): right - found on North American Benefit
#3 Living In The Past *MFSL CD (& remaster bonus track):piano: right vocals: center guitar: left bass: center second guitar (that comes in at the vocal): right
#4 is remixed on the 25th box set Classic Songs Remixed

#2 CD & LP - USA Teacher on Benefit
US Teacher: Balance is noticeably different right off the bat with the USA Benefit mix. Keyboard left on original USA CD & LP.

#3 Keyboard right on MU, MFSL, Benefit Remaster, & 2CD The Best Of Jethro Tull Anniversary Collection Original Mixes


...and what have we learned from all of this Well, for one thing, Teacher on the Benefit LP & CD is really unique from the Living in the Past LP & CD & other comps.


Read more: thejethrotullboard.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=albums&thread=728&page=1#4221#ixzz1Kq2Boopu





what I was looking for, got something on my mind.

[Deleted]

BTW: I saw it mentioned here that Teacher was not played on stage until the nineties....not true.
I have a recording of the September 1975 at New Haven CN (Warchild/Minstrel Show) and they play the entire song.
It was during a medley consisting of "To Cry You a Song/A New Day/Flute Solo,Bouree,TEACHER/A New Day Reprise.
Yes it surprised me too! Sounds great.
I love that song and sadly I've heard Ian say it was not one of his favorites.

[wembley]

The only version I heard was the "MU" compilation album version.

[Deleted]

I have heard the September 27 1975 version that Darin mentions. and thanks to Tootull for all of the investigating of the different versions.
Maybe Martin will bring it back !!!!, when he comes around touring.