purchase [Jethro Tull version of Teacher]
purchase [Victor Griffin's In-Graved]
Ian Anderson has said that Teacher is not one of his personal favorites. That it was written with the primary intention of generating a popular hit. He has also made it known that he never cared for the band's name: Jethro Tull (it was apparently laid upon them by their manager).
Things happen. Like in the story the lyrics tell. Unlike many popular songs, the story is a fairly straight-forward narrative: guy pays for a vacation travel for himself and a teacher, and the teacher has all the fun. I guess the narrator is left with a lesson or two: "jump up, look around, find yourself some fun ...", but in the end he admits "[I couldnt] ...find what [i] was looking for, got something on [my] mind...".
It being the 70s when the US release of Jethro Tull's Benefit album with Teacher on it came out, the lyrics may have referenced a different kind of trip - certainly for many listeners, it did. In yet another stretch of the meaning behind the lyrics, one could argue that both teaching and learning are trips in and of themselves: processes that take people from one place to another. And yes, both words of our theme this time around are included in the lyrics.
While Anderson struggles with health issues that severely limit his vocals, the group has found a way to work through it. However, Victor Griffin, previously of Pentagram, does the song like it was meant to be done.
Ian Anderson - Teacher
Victor Griffin - Teacher
