The band released three albums, 'Uncomfortable But Free' (Amarillo 1995), 'Exhumed At Birth' (Amarillo 1997) and 'Chiropractic' (Web of Mimicry, 2001), but is currently not active and no plans for recording have been made public as of June, 2008.
The best known lineup consists of Trey Spruance (as Neck Head) - guitar, Gregg Turkington (AKA Neil Hamburger, as McPatrick Head) - vocals, Brandan Kearney (as Jigsaw Puzzle Head) - bass, Phil Franklin (as LaBrea Tar Pits Head) - drums, and James Goode (as Fifth Head) - electronics.
Teachers
Faxed Head Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
lyrics and music by Leonard Cohen
I met a woman long ago
Her hair the black that black can go
Are you a teacher of the heart?
Soft she answered no
I met a girl across the sea
Are you a teacher of the heart?
Yes, but not for thee
I met a man who lost his mind
In some lost place I had to find
Follow me the wise man said
But he walked behind
I walked into a hospital
Where none was sick and none was well
When at night the nurses left
I could not walk at all
Morning came and then came noon
Dinner time a scalpel blade
Lay beside my silver spoon
Some girls wander by mistake
Into the mess that scalpels make
Are you the teachers of my heart?
We teach old hearts to break
One morning I woke up alone
The hospital and the nurses gone
Have I carved enough my Lord?
Child, you are a bone
I ate and ate and ate
No I did not miss a plate, well
How much do these suppers cost?
We'll take it out in hate
I spent my hatred everyplace
On every work on every face
Someone gave me wishes
And I wished for an embrace
Several girls embraced me, then
I was embraced by men
Is my passion perfect?
No, do it once again
I was handsome I was strong
I knew the words of every song
Did my singing please you?
No, the words you sang were wrong
Who is it whom I address?
Who takes down what I confess?
Are you the teachers of my heart?
We teach old hearts to rest
Oh teachers are my lessons done?
I cannot do another one
They laughed and laughed and said, well child
Are your lessons done?
The Faxed Head song "Teachers" is a cover of Leonard Cohen's original song. The lyrics describe the singer's encounters with various individuals whom he asks if they are a "teacher of the heart." The first woman he meets, with hair as black as it can be, answers softly that she is not a teacher of the heart. The second girl he meets, with hair as gold as it can be, answers that she is a teacher of the heart, but not for the singer. The third person the singer meets is a man who has lost his mind, and the wise man who leads the singer follows behind him. The singer then finds himself in a hospital where nobody is sick or well, and he cannot walk when the night nurses leave. He then eats and eats, wondering how much these suppers cost before spending his hatred on every person and work he encounters. The singer is then embraced by several people before asking if his passion is perfect, to which the teachers of his heart respond with a no. The song ends with the singer asking if his lessons are done, to which the teachers of his heart laugh and ask if his lessons are done.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a woman long ago
I met a woman, long ago
Her hair the black that black can go
Her hair was the blackest possible
Are you a teacher of the heart?
Do you instruct on the way of love?
Soft she answered no
She gently replied in the negative
I met a girl across the sea
I encountered a girl on a distant shore
Her hair the gold that gold can be
Her hair was the shiniest possible
Are you a teacher of the heart?
Do you show others how to love deeply?
Yes, but not for thee
Yes, but not for you specifically
I met a man who lost his mind
I encountered a man who had gone mad
In some lost place I had to find
I had to seek him out in some forsaken locale
Follow me the wise man said
The sage instructed me to follow him
But he walked behind
But he let me lead the way
I walked into a hospital
I entered a medical facility
Where none was sick and none was well
Where nobody was healthy or ill
When at night the nurses left
When the nurses departed at night
I could not walk at all
I was completely immobilized
Morning came and then came noon
Morning arrived, then midday
Dinner time a scalpel blade
At suppertime, there was a scalpel nearby
Lay beside my silver spoon
Placed next to where I ate
Some girls wander by mistake
Some women stray accidentally
Into the mess that scalpels make
Into the chaos caused by knives
Are you the teachers of my heart?
Do you guide the soul in matters of love?
We teach old hearts to break
We train mature hearts to suffer
One morning I woke up alone
One day I arose to find myself alone
The hospital and the nurses gone
The medical facility and staff had vanished
Have I carved enough my Lord?
Have I served your purpose completely?
Child, you are a bone
You are a mere mortal
I ate and ate and ate
I consumed an excess of food
No I did not miss a plate,well
I did not leave a morsel behind
How much do these suppers cost?
What must I pay for these meals?
We'll take it out in hate
We will exact revenge instead
I spent my hatred everyplace
I directed my anger towards everything
On every work on every face
Towards every task and person
Someone gave me wishes
An individual bestowed me with desires
And I wished for an embrace
And I desired an intimate hug
Several girls embraced me, then
Numerous ladies hugged me afterwards
I was embraced by men
Even men hugged me
Is my passion perfect?
Is my love ideal?
No, do it once again
No, try once more
I was handsome I was strong
I possessed good looks and strength
I knew the words of every song
I was familiar with the lyrics of all tunes
Did my singing please you?
Did you enjoy my singing?
No, the words you sang were wrong
No, the lyrics you chose were erroneous
Who is it whom I address?
To whom I am speaking?
Who takes down what I confess?
Who records my admissions?
Are you the teachers of my heart?
Are you my guides in love?
We teach old hearts to rest
We instruct mature hearts to take a break
Oh teachers are my lessons done?
Teachers, have I learned all I can?
I cannot do another one
I cannot handle another lesson
They laughed and laughed and said, well child
They chuckled and stated, "Oh child"
Are your lessons done?
Have you no more to learn?
Writer(s): Leonard Cohen Copyright: Leonard Cohen Stranger Music Inc., Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Contributed by Hailey S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.