National Education Week
10,000 Maniacs · Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982-1983 [1990]
To the corner standing flag
Do you remember how
The days of school were
Indivisible separate worlds
Compare contrast
These dreams absurd
Placid classroom faces
Breathe in the features
Of a demographics death map trilogy
Children read them well
Not to bury 3 of 4 sons
As the likes of chivalry
Not to take 6 of 30 bills
To manufacture Corpus Christi
And so you think it can be so serene
History's most intolerable famine
Has clutched our global tranquility
Reaped the lives of children
Maladies collaborate
With cyclic despair
Infanticide clamors to 20 times more
In 4th and 5th Worlds
The poor have always been
Beside us, amid us
Death has always been
As million cease 15 million
That's an annual reap
Add divide multiply sum 41 thousand
National Education Week
National Education Week is a track by the American rock band 10,000 Maniacs, appearing on their 1990 compilation album Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982-1983. The song exemplifies the group's signature blend of folk-rock and new wave, characterized by lush harmonies and introspective songwriting. It was recorded during the band's formative years in Fredonia, New York, capturing the raw energy and melodic sophistication that defined their early discography. The recording features the band's signature vocal arrangements and guitar work, reflecting the atmospheric and emotional depth typical of their work from the early 1980s. As part of their broader catalog, the track stands as a testament to the band's ability to craft memorable, emotionally resonant music that has endured since its initial release.