Hot for Teacher

"Hot for Teacher"
Single by Van Halen
from the album 1984
B-side "Little Dreamer"
Released October 27, 1984[1]
Format
Recorded
Genre Heavy metal, hard rock[2]
Length 4:44
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Ted Templeman
Van Halen singles chronology
"Panama"
(1984)		 "Hot for Teacher"
(1984)		 "Why Can't This Be Love"
(1986)
Audio sample
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"Hot for Teacher" is a song by the American rock band Van Halen, taken from their sixth studio album, 1984. The song was written by band members Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth, and produced by Ted Templeman. It was released as the fourth and final single from the album in October 1984. It was the final single released by Van Halen's original lineup.

The song features Alex Van Halen's double bass drum performance, and its music video, featuring the band as both adults and young students. The ending of this song comes from a studio outtake from the band's club days, entitled "Voodoo Queen". The Parents Music Resource Center protested the song due to its sexually suggestive lyrics and music video.

In 2009 it was named the 36th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.[3]

Music video

The music video (directed by Pete Angelus and David Lee Roth,[4] 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,[5] with Phil Hartman performing the voice of Waldo, the video's protagonist. Along with Waldo, the "kid versions" of Van Halen face the trials and tribulations of grade school. Once the schoolteacher, (Lillian Müller)[6] 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. At the end of the video, the kids are shown to have grown up to become a gynecologist (Alex Van Halen), a sumo wrestler (Michael Anthony), a psychiatric hospital patient (Eddie Van Halen), and a game show host (David Lee Roth). While it is said that no one was sure what Waldo grew up to be, the video hints at him becoming a pimp, the total opposite of his child self. This is intercut with scenes with the band members dressed in red suits and dancing to the song under a disco ball.

  • 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.[7]
  • The song appears in Guitar Hero World Tour[8] and Guitar Hero Van Halen as one of the most difficult songs on the setlists. In an advertisement for play testers 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 the job.[8]
  • The song was used in the 2013 South Park episode "Ginger Cow".
  • The song was mentioned in the 2006 Family Guy episode "Untitled Griffin Family History".
  • The song was used in Glee in 2011 in the sixth episode of Season 3 entitled "Mash Off", sung by the character Puck. This version is featured on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 7.
  • The song was referenced in the 2013 Regular Show episode "Quips". Before a game of Pictionary (referred to as "Drawsome" in the episode), the character Pops quotes the song, saying "I brought my pencil, give me something to write on, man."
  • The song was referenced in the 2015 Saturday Night Live skit "Teacher Trial" in which Pete Davidson says he is going to sing "Hot For Teacher" to a crowd in light of the affair between him and a teacher.
  • The song was mentioned in a Castle episode. (S02E07)
  • The song is featured in Rock Band 4 as downloadable content.
  • The song is covered by Trisha Paytas on her Fat Chicks EP.

Personnel

Chart positions

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 89
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 83
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 56

References

  1. ↑ ""Hot For Teacher" Anniversary & Fun Facts!". vhnd.com. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Bukszpan, Daniel; Dio, Ronnie James (2003). The Encyclopedia of Hard Rock. Barnes & Noble Publishing. ISBN 9780760742181. The album also featured plenty of guitar-dominated heavy metal, such as "Hot for Teacher" and "Panama." which became hits in their own right.
  3. ↑ "spreadit.org music". Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2009.
  4. ↑ "mvdbase.com - Van Halen - "Hot for teacher"".
  5. ↑ "Hot For Teacher, Van Halen". VH1's Pop-up Video. 1997.
  6. ↑ "Lillian Müller". IMDb.
  7. ↑ Crossfire with Frank Zappa and John Lofton, CNN [TV Debate], March 1986
  8. 1 2 "Test the New Guitar Hero!-Neversoft is hiring now!". Become A Video Game Tester. 3 December 2008. Archived from the original on 2014-12-09. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  9. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Top Singles - Volume 41, No. 15". RPM. 15 December 1984. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
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