“Hot for Teacher” – Single by Van Halen from the album 1984
B-side: “Little Dreamer”
Released: October 1984 (US) and June 3, 1985 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros.
Songwriters: Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth
Producer: Ted Templeman
It was released as the fourth and final single from the album in October 1984, and was the final single released during the band’s 1974–1985 era.
The song features Alex Van Halen’s double bass drum performance, and its music video, featuring the band as both adults and young students. Unusually for a single, it begins with a 30-second drum solo, followed by another 30 seconds of instrumental introduction. The ending of this song comes from a studio demo from the band’s club days, entitled “Voodoo Queen”.
The music video (directed by Pete Angelus and David Lee Roth, and produced by Jerry Kramer and Glenn Goodwin, choreographed by Vincent Paterson with concept/treatment by Anthony Nasch) was filmed at John Marshall High School, with Phil Hartman performing the voice of Waldo, the video’s protagonist. Waldo, an awkward boy with large glasses and a bow tie, is put on the school bus by his over-protective mother. He is terrified by the unruly kids on the bus; the driver played by Roth, tells him “si’down, Waldo!” as the opening drums begin. Along with Waldo, the “kid versions” of Van Halen face the trials and tribulations of grade school. Two models appear as teachers in the video, Donna Rupert (1981 Miss Canada pageant runner up), who plays the chemistry teacher, and Norwegian actress Lillian Müller, who plays the Phys Ed teacher. Both teachers tear off their dresses to reveal a bikini, to the cheers of the students.
As the kids leave at the end of the school day, the bus driver (again played by Roth) picks them up in a yellow 1932 Ford Phaeton hot rod “school bus,” the back of which is emblazoned with “Hot For Teacher.” At the end of the video, the kids are shown to have grown up to become a gynecologist (Alex Van Halen), a sumo wrestler (Michael Anthony), a psychiatric hospital patient (Eddie Van Halen), and a game show host (Roth). Waldo’s whereabouts and career are unknown but the video hints at him becoming a pimp, the total opposite of his child self. This is intercut with scenes with the band members dressed in red suits and dancing to the song under a disco ball.
Many fans consider “Hot For Teacher” the definitive Van Halen song. Eric Senich of the Van Halen News Desk puts it this way: “That song marked the culmination of everything that they had worked towards. You’ve got Alex’s iconic drumming intro, David Lee’s lyrics are brilliant, and Eddie’s boogie riff that he just loved. Michael Anthony has incredible backup vocals.”Rock
