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Graham Nash wrote “Teach Your Children” while he was a member of The Hollies, but didn’t record it until 1969, after he had moved on to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The song appears on the 1970 CSNY album “Déjà Vu.”

Nash said the inspiration for the song was a 1962 photo by Diane Arbus entitled “Child With Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park.” Noting the boy’s aggressive attitude, Nash said society should be more aware of what children learn from adults about war and violence.

Bonus fact: “Teach Your Children” features Jerry Garcia on the steel guitar.

Teach Your Children

By Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, 1970
Written by Graham Nash

You, who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by.
And so, become yourself,
Because the past is just a goodbye.

Teach your children well.
Their fathers’ hell did slowly go by.
And feed them on your dreams,
The one they pick, the one you’ll know by.

Don’t you ever ask them “Why?”
If they told you, you would cry.
So just look at them and sigh,
And know they love you.

And you (Can you hear?)
Of tender years (And do you care?)
Can’t know the fears (And can you see?)
That your elders grew by. (We must be free.)
And so, please help (To teach your children.)
Them with your youth. (What you believe in.)
They seek the truth (Make a world.)
Before they can die. (That we can live in.)

And teach your parents well.
Their children’s hell will slowly go by.
And feed them on your dreams,
The one they pick, the one you’ll know by.

Don’t you ever ask them, “Why?”
If they told you, you would cry.
So just look at them and sigh,
And know they love you.

https://rockysmith.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/teach-your-children.mp3