Education

I'm questioning my education
Is my education who I am now?
While you're deciding, I've been finding
Looking around in the here and now.
If I've been taught from the beginning
Would my fears now by winning?

I'm questioning my own equation
Is my own equation relevant somehow?
The flags are waving, the news is breaking
See the man who can't pick out his own tie
If I've been taught from the beginning
Would my fears now be winning?
A wild world, figuring out the answers
I'll be in my own dance and I, I, yeah, I, I....

I'm questioning my education
Rewind and what does it show?
Could be, the truth it becomes you
I'm a seed, wondering why it grows

Education always reminds me of Another Brick in the Wall, a more grown up version of it--not that ABITW is an immature song, but it is clearly rooted in childhood experience whereas education is casting a much broader net--education as a life process.

It's a skeptical song--calling into question the way we're socialized into accepting the world around us, rather than critically calling it into question. It's a song inspired by Howard Zinn and Daniel Quinn (both major influences of Eddie's around this period), as well as his experiences with Ralph Nader (see the horribly dated 'see the man who can't pick out his own tie lyric which seems to be a reference to gore's media handlers) rather than reflecting a bad teacher or anything like that. If we had a real education, rather than socialization, we'd be able to exert more mastery over the world around us--we cannot master social forces, democracy, or even ourselves when we cannot understand what's going on. We need knoweldge and self-reflection (and the two have to go together, which is why the internet might be able to simultaneously increase the breadth of our knowledge without actually increasing our understanding of the way the world works in any meaingful way) to make sense of life and our place in it, and Education is an attempted indictment of our systemic failures to give this to people.

I say attempted since I think eddie's aim exceeds his reach here. He is usually not at his best lyrically with these broad sweeping statements. Although he has tremendous success with Insignficance and Grievance (both broad political critiques) there just aren't enough killer lyrics or stop you in your tracks moments here--no really great images (and I was sick of hearing about trees from No Code--not a fan of this metaphor) or points where Eddie finally puts into words what you've always felt and never known.

musically education is pretty good. It's interesting and I like the rolling guitars and drums and the general melodic turbulence in the song. And it works suprisingly well live. But in the end this is a 5 star concept in a 3 star song.

I certainly enjoy it much better live (was there every time they've played it so far) than on record where I can't say I had given it a second thought.

I do otoh prefer the version on the Lost Dogs demo.. more groovy

Love it. I dug it ok on Lost Dogs, then when I started hearing it live, it just opened up to me. LOVE IT.

I agree with you stip -- 5 star concept but 3 star song. I too love the rolling guitars and especially those drums.

And I also agree that this song is really cool live. I thought it was just a decent song with some cool instrumentals, but seeing it live this year elevated it somewhat. The version on Lost Dogs is ok, but I prefer that demo version we got on that rarities cd that floated around a while back (I preferred the demo of In the Moonlight on that compilation too).

4 stars

Live is great

I love Education. The first time I heard those drums kick in and Ed scream,..,."hhhyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", I was hooked.

I'm a seed, wondering why I grooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooo

I like it quite a bit but it's not really exceptional.

It has sounded great live, Zagreb '06 comes to mind, but also pretty shoddy on other occasions.

Four stars, I guess. But more like three and a half.

I saw this song debut. I was drunk enough to enjoy the hell out of it. the ATA lot to blame. Not a song I would listen to.

you were in Dublin?!..mmm..drunk?..must mean you went to Templar's bar! (I left early sober enough)

Great B-side song. I like it more than I did at first listen. It has a great vibe and great rolling drums. Plus I like Ed's "Yahs"

I'm surprised it didn't make the album. It might come off as a filler song, but given the theme and all, I think it'd fit OK. Some good lyrics, but I agree with most of the posts so far on execution of the song. I enjoy it.

I clicked 4 stars, but maybe I should have clicked 3.

One of my favorite Lost Dogs. Great sound on the recording, fantastic and interesting sound to it all, Ed's voice sounds stellar, and while the lyrics aren't always incredible they're never awful. Also, I like the line "Could be the truth, it becomes you," and the way this song helps add a little piece to the puzzle of "what could Binaural have been?" with the great sound and lyrical tie-in to other tracks.

I was in Dublin. And we left late.

I love the tone of this song. Love Eddie's voice, but it has something missing i cant quite put my finger on. So it only gets three in my books.

I've been hooked on this song forever now- 5 stars in monkeywrench's book

any requests for the next one?

What about Army Reserve?

How about LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR?

welcome back!