St. David’s Day greetings! I hope you’re all paying attention at the back there, because today we have a selection of songs about schools and teaching. And if any of you out there have been home-schooling during lockdown, you have my admiration and sympathy.
If you have an Earworm you’d like to share, please send an .mp3, .m4a or a link to adempster73@gmail.com, together with a few words about why you’ve chosen it. Next week’s theme, again suggested by ghe (thank you), is dining out, one of the many things you may be looking forward to in the future. Worms should reach me by close of play on Sunday 6 March.
The Housemartins – Always Something There to Remind Me – severin: A version of their final single. Class war beginning in the classroom. Not as bitter as The Smiths’ similar themed “Headmaster Ritual”. Mentions “drawing willies on soldiers”. Since you ask.
Sam Cooke – Wonderful World – Suzi: He admits to not knowing very much about the subjects that he’s been studying at school, but he’s fallen in love, so he’s going to make a bit more effort!
White Buffalo – The Witch – tincanman: She always put her students’ needs before her own, but children are cruel at the recess bell.
Crosby, Stills and Nash – Teach Your Children – glassarfemptee: After all the hard rock, blues and psychedelia, I found the first CSN album a bit of a surprise. This Graham Nash song was written when he was still with the Hollies. Not sure if all the home schooling parents wouldn’t rather have a teacher do the teaching…
The Tours – Language School – severin: Back in 1979 when this was released John Peel declared it his second favourite single, after Teenage Kicks. I don’t suppose that lasted as long as his love for the Undertones song but it is a great piece of power pop/new wave/whatever. Never been sure quite what’s going on in the lyric
The Saw Doctors – Presentation Boarder – Suzi: She’s a fourth year, dead feek girl who’s let out of her Irish convent school for two hours every Saturday. He’s hoping to make the most of this … and he’s especially looking forward to St Patrick’s Weekend break, when she says she can stay with friends.
Our Native Daughters – Better Git Yer Learnin’ – tincanman: Carolina Chocolate Drops alumni Rhiannon Giddens and Leyla McCalla and producer Dirk Powell used their prodigious talents and scholarship to amplify the struggles of black women in America on this 2019 project.
Dub Syndicate w/Andy Fairley – Lack Of Education – shoegazer: Late with my homework.
Alice Cooper – School’s Out – glassarfemptee: Many kids dream of school holidays, but perhaps some are missing it after all, despite the sentiments of this classic Alice Cooper track, which I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live.
Pink Floyd – Another Brick in the Wall – Part II – Suzi: ‘Hey, Teachers, leave them kids alone..!’ Is education really just a means of brainwashing you into conformity? (Mostly. Ed.).
Abba – When I Kissed The Teacher – severin: When this song was included in the second Mama Mia film, the narrator/singer was changed from a girl at school to an Oxford graduate. Probably just as well.
Dexys Midnight Runners – All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz) – wyngatecarpenter: Kevin Rowland recalls becoming disillusioned with a teacher he had looked up to, and gets a bit intense about it. Like Van Morrison, but better 🙂
Jerry Lee Lewis – High School Confidential – MaggieB: A rock ‘n roll classic for more dancing round the kitchen 😀
John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson – Good Morning, Schoolgirl – AliM: Struggling to find something I haven’t posted before, so here is Sonny Boy Williamson with a blues classic covered and adapted by many, including the Yardbirds and The Grateful Dead.