8+

“Song For A Free Williamsburg” by Aarktica which clocks in at 8:37

There once was a student teacher. She was gorgeous. Auburn hair with green eyes and a country smile that could make a Texan liberal. Thank heavens for that because I don't think any of us guys would have ever actually memorized that which she wanted us to if not for her visual pleasantness. But don't go thinking that's all there was to her beauty. No, her voice was also a heavenly gift - she possessed that elusively perfect combination of slight Southern drawl/academic lilt.

Oh to remember that moment when she first stood in front of the class and recited Chaucer from memory. Yes, Chaucer. In Middle English no less. Boring old everybodyhastoreadit Chaucer, yet from her lips it sounded like fine wine delicately poured over rose petals. All of the guys in my class were transfixed. Later at lunch we all talked about her. People from other classes were coming up and asking about her. She was living proof that 'beautiful teacher' wasn't an oxymoron. Little did we know the extent of misery which our student teaching Aphrodite was about to deliver.

The pain that was rained down upon us when she announced that each student was going to be graded on how well we could memorize and recite the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales in Middle English was nearly unbearable. In fact, I'm not sure how the girls in class were able to cope during those few weeks. A shitty assignment from a hot twenty-three year old student teacher?! Seems like something that would inspire massive amounts of teenage jealousy and rage. I never thought about that actually...bravo to all of the girls that were in that class with me. You held it together well as we boys ogled the teacher and I think you guys got better grades on the assignment too. The question is, how well do you remember that assignment TODAY? I, for one, remember the first eighteen lines or so. That class, that experience...those few weeks - such beauty, such pain...

Whan that aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(so priketh hem nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

Buy Or You Could Go Through Your Whole Life And Be Happy Anyway HERE on Amazon.

(artwork from HERE)

EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
British Sea Power - "Lately"
Islands - "Swans"
Isolée - "Pillowtalk"
Animal Collective - "Banshee Beat"
Wilderness - "Post Plethoric Rhetoric"
The Wedding Present - "Interstate 5"
Sleater-Kinney - "Let's Call It Love"
My Morning Jacket - "Dondante"
Wilco - "Spiders (Kidsmoke)"
Isis - "From Sinking"
Lemon Jelly - "A Tune For Jack"
Herbie Hancock - "Sly"
New Order - "Temptation"
Polvo - "El Rocio"
Pulp - "Countdown"
Morrissey - "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils"
Dungen - "Du är för fin för mig"
Loose Fur - "Wreckroom"
The Who - "A Quick One, While He's Away"
Destroyer - "Rubies"
Neu! - "Fuer Immer (forever)"
Iggy Pop - "Mass Production"
The Cure - "Fascination Street" (Extended Mix)
Yo La Tengo - "Let's Be Still"
George Michael - "I Want Your Sex, Pts. 1 &2"
Digital Underground - "Doowutchyalike"
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - "1% Of One"
Big Brother & the Holding Company - "Ball And Chain"
The Stone Roses - "I Am The Resurrection"
DJ Shadow - "Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Cowgirl in the Sand”
Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Sir Psycho Sexy”
Newcleus - “Jam On It”