Foo Fighters unveil the new song, “The Teacher” (+Lyrics)

From the album ‘But Here We Are’, American rock band, Foo Fighters release the song, “The Teacher” produced by Greg Kurstin. Listen, stream, read the lyrics, buy the track.

Ahead of the Friday (June 2) release of their new album But Here We Are, Foo Fighters have brought forth the longest and most musically multi-faceted song of their career this morning with “The Teacher.” The song appears to reference the 2022 deaths of drummer Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl’s mother, Virginia.

The 10-minute track is accompanied by a short film from director/multimedia artist Tony Oursler, who had previously come to the band’s attention thanks to his work on David Bowie’s 2013 song “Where Are We Now?” The video is an often dizzying blend of vintage footage, some of it shot on VHS more than 30 years ago, with contemporary shots of band members in various states of action. Images of Virginia Grohl flash by throughout.

As SPIN wrote in its review of But Here We Are, “The Teacher” initially balances one of the Foos’ most wicked, detuned guitar lines against a poppier, uplifting chorus. The song builds mightily in intensity as it progresses as if Grohl is mentally psyching himself up to finally be able to scream “goodbyeeeeeeeeeee” atop an absolutely massive, cathartic riff which explodes into a vortex of bit-crushed digital noise.

“I can feel what others do / can’t stop this if I wanted to,” he sings, inviting multiple interpretations as to the identity of the track’s narrator(s). Could it be Grohl himself, acknowledging his own inability to save his bandmate and mother? Could it be an otherworldly spirit simply charged with transporting souls to the afterlife? Or could it be Hawkins and Virginia (who was a high school English teacher for 35 years), looking down from above to playfully ask those they’ve left behind, “Hey, kid / what’s the plan for tomorrow? / where will I wake up?”

Foo Fighters – The Teacher (prod. Greg Kurstin)

June 2, 2023
1 Songs, 10 minutes
℗ 2023 Roswell Records, Inc.

Watch Video

Lyrics

[Refrain]
Who’s at the door now?
Who’s at the door now?

[Verse 1]
Sun goes down, windows wide
One step closer to the other side
I can feel what others do
Can’t stop this if I wanted to

[Chorus]
Hey kid, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Where will I wake up? Where will I wake up?
Hey kid, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Where will I wake up? Where will I wake up?

[Verse 2]
Hurry now boy, time won’t wait
The here and the now will separate
There are some things you cannot choose
Soul and spirit movin’ through

[Chorus]
Hey kid, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Where will I wake up? Where will I wake up?
Hey kid, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Where will I wake up? Where will I wake up?

[Refrain]
Who’s at the door now?
Who’s at the door now?
Wake up
Who’s at the door now?
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up

[Verse 3]
Two cold stones on a riverbed
Ripped and torn, cannot mend
Old white candles on a dusty porch
One flame down, another born

[Chorus]
Hey kid, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Where will I wake up? Where will I wake up?
Hey kid, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Where will I wake up? Where will I wake up?

[Refrain]
Who’s at the door now?
Who’s at the door now?

[Bridge]
You showed me how to breathe, never showed me how to say goodbye
You showed me how to be, never showed me how to say goodbye
Every page turns, it’s a lesson learned in time
You showed me how to breathe, never showed me how to say goodbye

[Hook]
Try and make good with the air that’s left
Countin’ every minute, livin’ breath by breath
By breath, by breath, by breath
By breath, by breath
Try and make good with the air that’s left
Countin’ every minute, livin’ breath by breath
By breath, by breath, by breath
By breath, by breath, by breath

[Bridge]
You showed me how to need, never showed me how to say goodbye
You showed me how to grieve, never showed me how to say goodbye
Every page turns, it’s a lesson learned in time
You showed me how to need, never showed me how to say goodbye

[Hook]
Try and make good with the air that’s left
Countin’ every minute, livin’ breath by breath
By breath, by breath, by breath
By breath, by
Try and make good with the air that’s left
Countin’ every minute, livin’ breath by breath
By breath, by breath, by breath
By breath, by

[Outro]
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Goodbye!