For the last episode of the year, I got the chance to drive up to Northridge, California, and have a conversation with Dave Grohl. We talked about the Foo Fighters song “The Teacher,” which is an epic, 10-minute-long song. Dave told me it’s the most important piece of music he’s ever written, because it’s dedicated to his mother, Virginia, who passed away in 2022.
Dave Grohl started Foo Fighters in 1994, after Nirvana ended. This year, Foo Fighters set a record for having the most Top 10 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. They’ve won 15 Grammy awards, including winning the Grammy for Best Rock album five times — more than anyone else.
“The Teacher” is from their 11th album, But Here We Are, which came out in June 2023. I sat with Dave in the Foo Fighters practice space, and he told me the whole story of the song. Coming up, you’ll hear the two voice memos he originally recorded on acoustic guitar, plus the two demos he made on his way to figuring the song out.
For more, visit songexploder.net/foo-fighters.
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Jhené Aiko - Sativa (feat. Swae Lee)
Re-issue: CHVRCHES - Clearest Blue
Yo La Tengo - Here You Are
Wolf Alice - Don't Delete the Kisses
Re-issue: Kelela - Rewind
Jon Hopkins - Luminous Beings
Liz Phair - Divorce Song
Arcade Fire - Put Your Money On Me
Kimbra - Top of the World
Jack Johnson - You Can't Control It
Ludwig Göransson - Black Panther
Natalie Prass - Short Court Style
Moses Sumney - Quarrel
Bleachers - I Miss Those Days
Julien Baker - Appointments
The Roots - It Ain't Fair (feat. Bilal)
R.E.M - Try Not to Breathe
Nine Inch Nails - The Lovers
Rachel Platten - Broken Glass
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