The story behind this song
There were granola bars kept hidden in the bottom drawer for the kids who came in hungry, and she never kept a score. She stayed past five on Tuesdays for the boy everyone else had given up on — he owns a shop downtown now. She learned a thousand names and never forgot a face, her handwriting living on report cards saved in dresser drawers like art.
For the teacher packing up the classroom on the last day, who never counted how many lives she steadied — a thousand kids remember, and they're all singing now.
Lyrics
You're packing up the classroom
But you can't pack up what you did
But you can't pack up what you did
There were granola bars kept hidden in the bottom of your drawer
For the kids who came in hungry — you never kept a score
You stayed past five on Tuesdays for the boy they'd given up
He owns a shop downtown now, says you never let him drop
For the kids who came in hungry — you never kept a score
You stayed past five on Tuesdays for the boy they'd given up
He owns a shop downtown now, says you never let him drop
You think you taught us lessons
You taught us we were worth one
You taught us we were worth one
A thousand kids remember you, though you never kept the count
The one you fed, the one you saved, the ones you turned around
Some of us teach classrooms now because you taught us how
A thousand kids remember — and we're all singing now
The one you fed, the one you saved, the ones you turned around
Some of us teach classrooms now because you taught us how
A thousand kids remember — and we're all singing now
Chalk dust and dry-erase, the smell of pencil shavings sharp
Your handwriting on report cards that lived in dresser drawers like art
You learned a thousand names and never once forgot a face
Tomorrow some new teacher tries to fill that kind of space
Your handwriting on report cards that lived in dresser drawers like art
You learned a thousand names and never once forgot a face
Tomorrow some new teacher tries to fill that kind of space
The bell rings one more time today
Listen what comes after
Listen what comes after
A thousand kids remember you, though you never kept the count
The one you fed, the one you saved, the ones you turned around
Some of us teach classrooms now because you taught us how
A thousand kids remember — and we're all singing now
The one you fed, the one you saved, the ones you turned around
Some of us teach classrooms now because you taught us how
A thousand kids remember — and we're all singing now
Somewhere right now a kid you taught is teaching one of theirs
The lesson keeps on traveling — it goes where you can't go
The lesson keeps on traveling — it goes where you can't go
A thousand kids remember you, though you never kept the count
The one you fed, the one you saved, the ones you turned around
Some of us teach classrooms now because you taught us how
A thousand kids remember — and we're all singing now
The one you fed, the one you saved, the ones you turned around
Some of us teach classrooms now because you taught us how
A thousand kids remember — and we're all singing now
Class dismissed, dear teacher
Look at all you set in motion
Look at all you set in motion
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