You're listening to song-explanter where musicians take apart their songs and piece by piece tell the story of how they were made. I'm Rishi Kesh Hirway.

This episode contains explicit language.

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 track.

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 here we are, which came out in June 2023.

I sat with Dave in the Foo Fighters Practice Space and he held 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. Hey kid, what's the plan for tomorrow?

Where will I wake up?

Where will I wake up?

Take it.

What's the print for tomorrow.

Where will I wain go?

Where will I wain go?

...