Teach Your Children
"Teach Your Children" is a song by Graham Nash. Although it was written when Nash was a member of the Hollies, it was never recorded by that group in a studio, although a 1983 live recording does exist. The song first appeared on the album Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released in 1970.
"Teach Your Children" | ||||
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Single by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | ||||
from the album Déjà Vu | ||||
B-side | "Carry On" | |||
Released | May 1970 | |||
Recorded | October 24, 1969 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:53 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Graham Nash | |||
Producer(s) | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | |||
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young singles chronology | ||||
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Nash, who is also a photographer and collector of photographs, has stated in an interview that the immediate inspiration for the song came from a famous photograph by Diane Arbus, "Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park." The image, which depicts a child with an angry expression holding the toy weapon, prompted Nash to reflect on the societal implications of messages given to children about war and other issues.[1]
Released as a single, the song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts that year.[2] On the Easy Listening chart, "Teach Your Children" peaked at No. 28.[3] In Canada, "Teach Your Children" reached number 8.[4]
The recording features Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar. Garcia taught himself how to play the instrument during his tenure with the New Riders of the Purple Sage.[5] He told Lon Goddard of the British music newspaper Record Mirror in an interview that he recorded a series of pieces on the steel guitar and spliced them together in the studio to create the backing and solo. Garcia had made an arrangement that in return for his playing steel guitar on "Teach Your Children," CSNY would help members of the Grateful Dead improve their vocal harmony for their upcoming albums, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty.
Personnel
- David Crosby–harmony vocals
- Stephen Stills–lead vocals (1st verse), harmony vocals, guitars, bass
- Graham Nash–lead vocals (2nd verse), harmony vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
- Dallas Taylor–drums, tambourine, percussion
- Jerry Garcia–pedal steel guitar
Chart history
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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In popular culture
- In 1979, the song was featured in the WKRP in Cincinnati episode "I Want To Keep My Baby".[16]
- In 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale used the song in a campaign commercial on arms control.[17]
- In 1991, the song was featured in The Wonder Years episode "Road Trip".[18]
- In 1994, Crosby, Stills & Nash re-recorded the song with guest vocals from country music artists Suzy Bogguss, Alison Krauss and Kathy Mattea, crediting the recording to "The Red Hots". This version was included on the album Red Hot + Country, a release by the Red Hot Organization benefiting AIDS awareness. The Red Hots' version of the song spent one week on the Hot Country Songs charts in October 1994, peaking at No. 75.[19]
- The song was used frequently in The X-Files episode "Rm9sbG93ZXJz".[20]
- It was sung by Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson on The Office episode “Take Your Daughter To Work Day”.
- The song was used as the last song in the movie Melody.
- The song was covered by Matthew Morrison during the series finale episode of Glee, "Dreams Come True."
References
- Interview with Bob Edwards, "Bob Edwards Weekend," broadcast on NPR February 14, 2009
- "Déjà Vu: Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 67.
- RPM Weekly 100, August 1, 1970
- http://nodepression.com/article/jerry-garcia-and-pedal-steel-guitar
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- RPM Weekly 100, August 1, 1970
- "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1970" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 61.
- Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 1, 1970 Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
- "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1970" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
- "WKRP in Cincinnati - I Want to Keep My Baby (TV Episode 1979) - Soundtracks". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- Mondale ad
- "The Wonder Years - Road Trip (TV Episode 1991) - Soundtracks". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 342. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- "The X-Files - Rm9sbG93ZXJz (TV Episode 2018) - Soundtracks". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 16 November 2018.