Van Halen “Hot For Teacher” – The Story Behind The Song
The video is not terribly P.C. for today’s world, but Van Halen “Hot For Teacher” is one of the band’s best songs. Showcasing the lyrical wit of David Lee Roth and a smoking double bass drum intro by Alex Van Halen, the song also has Eddie’s signature boogie riff and Michael Anthony on backup vocals. Every member is bringing their finest skills and working as one. This, to me, was a sweet spot for Van Halen.
The Culture Influence of Van Halen “Hot For Teacher”
The video was a huge factor in the song’s success as well. Smoking hot teachers in bikinis, hilarious kid and future versions of each band member, and the show-stealing Waldo. Van Halen “Hot For Teacher” influence on the ’80s is notable. The phrases “I don’t feel tardy” and “Sit down, Waldo” are instantly associated with the song and video.
Random Video Facts
1) Phil Hartman is the voice of Waldo in the video.
2) The scene with the band wearing wedding tuxedos earned them the unofficial alter-ego name of “Dave and The Pips.”
3) The video took four days to film at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles.
4) In the scene where the “teacher” is dancing on the desk, the blackboard behind her has numbers on it. The alphabet letters that match the numbers spell out “holy s@!t.”
Van Halen “Hot For Teacher” on the Charts
“Hot For Teacher” was Van Halen’s fourth and final single from the album 1984. As far as airplay goes, the song charted with Billboard for 7 weeks and peaked at #56, but it received a monstrous amount of airplay on MTV. “Hot For Teacher” was also the last single and video featuring David Lee Roth with Van Halen.
