Hot for Teacher

"Hot for Teacher"
Single by Van Halen
from the album 1984
A-side "Hot For Teacher"
B-side "Little Dreamer"
Released October 1984
Format 7" Vinyl record
Recorded 1983, at 5150 Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre Glam metal, hard rock
Length 4:44
Label Warner Music Group
Writer(s) Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, Alex Van Halen
Producer(s) Ted Templeman
Van Halen singles chronology
"Panama"
(1984)		 "Hot for Teacher"
(1984)		 "Best of Both Worlds"
(1986)
Music sample
"Hot for Teacher"

"Hot for Teacher" is a song on Van Halen's album 1984.

The sexually suggestive song was best known for Alex Van Halen's overdubbed, near motorcycle-like double bass intro, drum fills and shuffle pattern, and its music video featuring the band as both adults and young students in a high school. The Parents Music Resource Center protested it, calling for it to be pulled from both the radio and television, due to the song's sexually suggestive lyrics referring to sex with a teacher, and a female teacher stripping in the video, among other issues. In 2009 it was named the 36th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.[1]

The ending of this song comes from a studio outtake from the band's club days, entitled "Voodoo Queen".

It is also the last single released by Van Halen with all four original members involved (David Lee Roth left in 1985 and rejoined in 2007, while Michael Anthony was fired in 2005).

Music video detail

The music video (directed by Pete Angelus and David Lee Roth,[2] and produced by Jerry Kramer and Glenn Goodwin, choreographed by Vincent Paterson with concept/treatment by Anthony Nasch) was filmed at John Marshall High School,[3] with Phil Hartman performing the voice of Waldo, the video's hero. Along with Waldo, the "kid versions" of Van Halen face the trials and tribulations of (shown in black-and-white) grade school. Once the schoolteacher, (Lillian Müller [4]) arrives, she steps onto the desks, arrayed like a runway. She then tears off her dress, revealing a bikini bottom, cropped top and a sash that reads "Phys Ed", all to the cheers of the students, male and female. In the end, the kids grow up to become, variously, a gynecologist (Alex), sumo wrestler (Mike), psychiatric hospital patient (Eddie), and game show host (Dave). While no one was sure what Waldo grew up to be, the graphic hints at being a pimp, the total opposite of his child self.

In popular culture

The song is used in the 1999 film Varsity Blues.

The song was mentioned by Frank Zappa when he appeared on CNN's Crossfire and debated issues with Washington Times commentator John Lofton in 1986.[5]

The song appears in Guitar Hero World Tour[6] and Guitar Hero Van Halen as one of the most difficult songs on the setlists. In a job advertisement for playtesters for future Guitar Hero games, released by Neversoft in 2008, "Hot For Teacher" was one of four songs applicants had to be capable of playing to receive a job.[6]

The song was used in South Park in 2013 with the episode Ginger Cow.

The song was mentioned in a 2006 episode of Family Guy as well.

The song was used in Glee in 2011 in the 6th episode of Season 3 entitled "Mash Off", and is sung by the character Puck. The song is also featured on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 7.

The song was also referenced in a 2013 episode of Regular Show. In the episode "Quips", they are going to play a version of Pictionary and Pops says, "I brought my pencil. Give me something to write on, man."

Personnel

Chart position

Chart (1984) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 56

See also

References

  1. ↑ "spreadit.org music". Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  2. ↑ mvdbase.com - Van Halen - "Hot for Teacher"
  3. ↑ "Hot For Teacher, Van Halen". VH1's Pop-up Video. 1997.
  4. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0618230/
  5. ↑ Crossfire with Frank Zappa and John Lofton, CNN [TV Debate], March 1986
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Test the New Guitar Hero!-Neversoft is hiring now!". Become A Video Game Tester. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2010.

External links