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Supertramp — School
Album: Crime of the Century
Avg rating:
8.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 5241









Released: 1974
Length: 5:26
Plays (last 30 days): 3
I can see you in the morning when you go to school,
Don't forget your books, you know you've got to learn the golden rule,
Teacher tells you stop your play and get on with your work
And be like Johnnie too-good
well don't you know he never shirks
he's coming along!

After School is over you're playing in the park
Don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark
They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about
And grow up just like them
won't let you work it out
and you're full of doubt

Don't do this and don't do that
What are they trying to do?
Make a good boy of you
Do they know where it's at?
Don't criticize, they're old and wise
Do as they tell you to
Don't want the devil to
Come and put out your eyes

Maybe I'm mistaken expecting you to fight
Or maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know wrong from right
But while I am still living I've just got this to say
It's always up to you if you want to be that
want to see that
want to see it that way
you're coming along!
Comments (561)add comment
Glorious
Jeez, I need to go to bed and sleep. Stop playing such great tracks!
One of the greatest rock piano solos of all time.
College days! From Crime to Crisis? to Quietist to Breakfast. Anything off any of these lp's at a kegger would get the place rockin n a rollin.  Amazing stuff. Truly missed! 
That piano tho .  .  .
Oh my sainted aunt..!!
I was 15 years old in 1974 and I played this album until the grooves were smooth!
This was my favourite track and it still blows me away today whenever I hear it.
Love this album - great tracks and such a crisp sound on the production.. always a great band to listen to on vinyl
ALL Supertramp albums are amazing! What a band. A shame they all couldn't get along. 
COLLEGE DAYS!!! This album got WORN OUT! This one put them on the map. It made me go buy all their earlier stuff. All GRAND. And then Breakfast came out....A live LP in Paris and then kaput.  Always great to hear! 
Still deserves to be cranked! For me, the brilliant piano-playing toward the end is right up there with the bit from Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend"!
 Pitjes wrote:

They and others killed rock and the heroes. But girls liked them, so you have to go with them. Urrgh!





I don't understand how they killed anything. Rock is still alive and well today, though the delivery systems may be a bit different. Do you mean their popularity resulted in less airplay on some stations? What about the rock-only stations (we had one in my hometown)?  There's room enough for all music.
Keep it going into Bloody Well Right!!
 Pitjes wrote:

They and others killed rock and the heroes. But girls liked them, so you have to go with them. Urrgh!


You think Supertramp and others "killed rock"?  How?  And which others? And who are "the heroes"?  I'm genuinely puzzled by your comment.
The best Supertramp ever. WOW.  Blissed out.How can I rate this an 11?
 pktinkler2984 wrote:

I cannot help but hear the next track on the album, 'Dreamer', when I hear the final chord of 'School'.  I feel like Pavlov's dog....



Except that the next song on the album is Bloody Well Right. But whatever; a fantastic album, start to finish.
 Pitjes wrote:

They and others killed rock and the heroes. But girls liked them, so you have to go with them. Urrgh!



Yeah...like this band, the same thing happened, to REO Speedwagon, Journey, and Kansas.   All of these bands had very good early albums and each one sold out to make gobs of money selling schlock and wussiness. 

Don't believe me?  Just listen to the REO II album. It smokes.   
 
They and others killed rock and the heroes. But girls liked them, so you have to go with them. Urrgh!
For me, Crime of The Century  rates among the finest rock albums ever recorded.
So, you think you're a Romeo
Playing a part in a picture show
 
oh, it's not that one.
What made Supertramp so great was how they could brilliantly peice together songs with powerful and catchy changes to them. Once the writing and composing got formulaic and static, in the latter years, all the light kind of went out what made them so fricking amazing.
Brilliant - tension and release all over this song and that's what makes music great
 DavidS_UK wrote:

Just upped it to a 9, must be getting sentimental in my old age




Heard that. I remember the first time I heard this album. Introduced by a Russian/Ukrainian/ Canadian migrant. That was the power of Supertramp's reach.
 TheKing2 wrote:
Just a pity that by the time one can effort a super duper audio system (way beyond Hifi) one's hearing has gone so fat that one probably would not hear the difference anymore... Just a thought

Indeed!  OR, perhaps one's poor hearing justifies spending even MORE on good gear to mitigate the loss.  I will try out that idea on my wife.
This was pretty much my first rock and roll song. I was 8 and hooked.
Great song but played too often on RP
For me maybe the best rock song of all time. RP should rate songs by how much the volume button at the bottom of the page is raised or lowered. For me, it goes to 11. My only gripe, it needs to carry on through Bloody Well Right!
That piano though .  .  .
That simple, grunting bass....my word, it works.
My first time ever.  I've been sleeping in a cave for 50 years.  Or more likely I just haven't listened to RP enough, since this is the only source my ears have ever had for this track. It's good.  But it's also quite the...Genesis...of Supertramp.  
Hi Bill,

Dig the timely Segue ,Ghost Town into Crime of the Century/ School... Good Stuff!
 bennie482 wrote:
Still one of Prog Rocks best !!!


I don't think they were ever totally Prog Rock.  I think that is why they still sound pretty fresh where, for example Yes just leave me cold now.   
I cannot help but hear the next track on the album, 'Dreamer', when I hear the final chord of 'School'.  I feel like Pavlov's dog....
 lizardking wrote:

...

And I also am sad about the decline in enthusiasm for HI-FI these days...heck, digital files themselves leave a lot to be desired....then add Bluetooth and well....this on Vinyl with good power and speakers will blow your mind!  PEACE and Long Live RP!!



Just a pity that by the time one can effort a super duper audio system (way beyond Hifi) ones hearing has gone so fat that one probably would not hear the difference anymore... Just a thought
 mgtom wrote:

It's the crime of the century that Supertramp is not in the ROCK HALL !!




Bloody Well Right!
 mgtom wrote:

It's the crime of the century that Supertramp is not in the ROCK HALL !!



Not sure what Rock Hall is but their music was overplayed by Dave McNamee.   I'm almost over it after 40 plus years but not quite 
I would crank it up on my Bose 901s and it was sublime!
 TerryS wrote:

Hearing the opening wail on the harmonica, I just know to crank the system, pour a healthy shot of single cask anything, relax and let it happen, piano, drums, voice and all.


I'm doing exactly that - two fat fingers of Aberfeldy in the glass now and soon in my stomach.  LLRP and 12+ year-old Scotch! 
Still one of Prog Rocks best !!!
Hearing the opening wail on the harmonica, I just know to crank the system, pour a healthy shot of single cask anything, relax and let it happen, piano, drums, voice and all.
Evergreeeeeenin'
Hell, yeah -- still rocks! And yes, the vinyl for this was recorded very well indeed, with impeccable sound and playback. My high school buddy Karl used to jam this on his mind-blowing Yamaha-Nakamichi set-up while we hit the weed after school! We were young, wild, and free; we had jobs, and nice, bad-ass cars. I was somehow always able to score booze and weed, and virtually ALL the music that was being played on the radio or analog recordings was excellent. HEAVEN. At the time, we didn't realize just how lucky and blessed we were! Amen
Jmddj - wow, totally relate! Strawbs - what a capital idea. Selling England by the pound - yes! Or Lamb Lies ….
requires max volume!!!!
Super Tramp, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Sting, Alice Cooper, and their songs about school weirdness.
 lizardking wrote:

This ENTIRE album is freaking awesome, and get's an 11 rating!  And what a great opening track....followed by Bloody Well Right.  You really should listen to the entire thing, if not on a GREAT system, then at least decent headphones.  It's one of the best concept albums made by a group not called Pink Floyd.  T

And I also am sad about the decline in enthusiasm for HI-FI these days...heck, digital files themselves leave a lot to be desired....then add Bluetooth and well....this on Vinyl with good power and speakers will blow your mind!  PEACE and Long Live RP!!




totally agree. I have a vinyl copy from back in 70's and wow my system sings with this LP & have to watch the neighbours complaining
the drums sound awesome
This use to be one of my least favorite Supertramp songs just because it was played so much on Chicago radio stations.  Now that I live in Northern Wisconsin and my channels are RP,  Sirius, and a college radio station the rare times I hear this song it is back to ranking up there with all the other Supertramp songs.
It's the crime of the century that Supertramp is not in the ROCK HALL !!
Bought this album in 1978--the super-high-fidelity version for my then new, $1,500 stereo. Lemmie tell you: this album in vinyl, loud, on a good stereo, is... very good.
This song does an amazing job of capturing the battleground that was elementary school. Fun times, but with an undercurrent of evil. Musically, I adore how the bass guitar has those swoops up to the note during the .. chorus? Makes it sound like the song's going to last forever.
Also, I saw this band during their tour to promote this album -- Kitchener, ON in '77. Wicked. So good.
Crime of the Century is what defines Supertramp to me - fabulous from beginning to end.

I had the vinyl when it first came out and I am sure I wore it out - I love hearing it so much now, brings me back to much different  era.
Just 3 Notes from the harmonica, and you know it's going to be so gooooooooooooooooooooood
Great song, better album. From the harmonica to the scream to the piano solo, Supertramp set the bar pretty high with this phenomenal LP. One of the first vinyl purchases I made on my soon to become weekly trips to Sam The Record Man and Phantasmagoria, the two best record stores in Montreal at the time. Bringing back lots of good memories. Feeling like some old Strawbs- Hero and Heroine or Genesis- Foxtrot or Selling England by The Pound would be appropriate in this playlist.
 Cynaera wrote:
Loved this when it first came out, and it still holds up today.  I played it on my turntable until the grooves were white, and then I bought the album again - THAT'S how much I loved it!  {#Dancingbanana_2}

Yup, know that feeling.
Sayonara Cynaera.
Oh this one is a total classic. And that piano solo! LOVE IT!
By the 80's I would not have expected Supertramp to stand up over time. But damn, this music lasts.
I had the good fortune to see Roger Hodgson play in may 2019. The public could stand very close to the stage, triggering Roger's comment at the start of the concert: "It's been a long time ago I stood so close to an audience. I'm so happy I trimmed my nose hairs". It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen!
Thanks Brian, wherever you are, for playing this album at full volume on your Pioneer amp and homemade speakers.
 lizardking wrote:

This ENTIRE album is freaking awesome, and get's an 11 rating!  And what a great opening track....followed by Bloody Well Right.  You really should listen to the entire thing, if not on a GREAT system, then at least decent headphones.  It's one of the best concept albums made by a group not called Pink Floyd.  T

And I also am sad about the decline in enthusiasm for HI-FI these days...heck, digital files themselves leave a lot to be desired....then add Bluetooth and well....this on Vinyl with good power and speakers will blow your mind!  PEACE and Long Live RP!!


You're Bloody Well Right!
Never gets old...The day the aliens arrive (if we are still here) this would be a good introduction tune. It has a little of everything.
A 10 from me, no question. A friend of mine was lucky enough to go to a Supertramp concert. He told that the scene was completely dark at the start of "School",  right until the moment when the girl screams. Then all the lights came on. Wish I were there.  
Should be played with Uncertain smile and You don´t understand me. Great piano trio..
 Montreal_Mort wrote:
Aside from great old music - how about that album cover?!!
 
The golden age of album cover art.
Aside from great old music - how about that album cover?!!
I just upped my former "9" rating to a "10".  And I did it because of "the scream!"

Almost 50 years since I first owned this album, and I still pause, like a kid waiting for the "boom!" that follows the fireworks.  I know it's coming, but it still sends a tingle up my spine every time I hear it in the interlude.  And. . . of course, the whole song and the rest of the album are still great to listen to, especially when my wife is out of the house, and I can check out the higher volume numbers on my stereo.

In fact, she's away right now, and I do believe it's time to I rocked that album one more time.  Listen to you later, Bill and Rebecca.
Always want to hear Apollo 440 - The Man With The Harmonica after this.
There might be more innocent souls in super-hell than we think - General  Discussion - World of Warcraft Forums
This is a classic.
Cosmic...
Yesssss I had this 8 track - so. many. memories. Driving around high as hell.
This takes me right back to high school days age 15, ah memories of teenage angst. Now I have adult angst
Supertramp is a great band, but not in my top 5 or 10 bands.  BUT, that being said, I think I can say that their lyrics touch me as a whole more than any other band.  Songs like this, Long Way Home, Logical Song, Even in The Quietest Moments, and many more. All seem to really encapsulate my youth and my middle age challenges.  

As for this song, that last line. ...."you're coming along!"
Another delightful romp with RP! Thanks Rebecca & Bill ~ kudos to you both ... ❤️❤️
 Edweirdo wrote:
Such a shame you don't play the title track - the strongest song on a very strong album.
 
Produced by the great Ken Scott!
the first harmonica notes playing low in the headphones, which cause an immediate raising of the volume. one of those songs that you know immediately upon starting.

atlanta omni, sometime in 1978, fabulous show. when the train on Rudy pulled into the station, think the whole audience tilted forward on the stop. 

need to re-add the LP to my collection.....
Such a shame you don't play the title track - the strongest song on a very strong album.
Fantastic production on this album -- rivaling Steely Dan's Aja.
Like meeting an old friend; no words need to be said. Followed by the Stones. Nicely played Bill.
College daze.
Fun band to see with great repertoire of music and a big-ass stage show. Barcelona 1979
More please!
Just play the whole album.
I dare you.
Nice recovery from Crowded House playing moments ago. 
Gotta shout out to RP for sending me out on a Friday feeling great after a beatdown week. So many happy memories of times spent letting this band, this song wash over me. SuperP was so progressive and cutting edge.

RP is my wingman all day, every day. Thanks Bill & Rebecca
 MM_Prague wrote:

I worked in an electronics shop in the very early 1980s for a year after graduating from high school, and this is one of the songs I used to demo stereo systems. I remember we had a pair of Klipschorn speakers that this song really came alive on. No one ever bought them, but everyone was impressed.
 
Audiophile pragmatist here... There's a lot of overprized gear out there (hello Linn or audio cable fetishists) but there's certainly quality equipment in the affordable sweat spot. Always wanted a great setup I could still afford and grabbed a Marantz 6008 with large 3-way+bass reflex Triangle speakers and I'm constantly in sound heaven now 😌
same goes for my project 1 debut Carbon.

also worked in audio shops in my student years and tried to sell the excellent but sadly vanished 1-bit audio gear by Sharp in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Great but too expensive. Also LCD TV sets were crazy expensive back then...
Ok, come on, admit it.  You all started  playing air-piano at your desk.  Great song.
Still Outstanding after all these years!
 MM_Prague wrote:
 mread wrote:
When I was a teenager in the 70's I would visit high-end stores just to fantasize about owning audiophile grade gear.  Lord knows I had no money for the good stuff, but one could dream.  Those stores always had sample music to show off the equipment, and more than one store had this album because the production was so clear — lots of ear candy when played at volume through the right speakers.  If you play this through ear buds, even today's best, what you hear is simply not the same.

Apparently fewer young American listeners care about this now ... A guy being interviewed on the radio said he travels the world (I can't remember why now, but it was unrelated to music) and pops in to high-end audio stores whenever he gets the chance.  He observes that in north American stores, only old-ish guys are shopping for high-fidelity (when was the last time you heard that term?) gear.  He only sees young shoppers when he's abroad, especially the far east, Korea, Japan, etc.
  
I worked in an electronics shop in the very early 1980s for a year after graduating from high school, and this is one of the songs I used to demo stereo systems. I remember we had a pair of Klipschorn speakers that this song really came alive on. No one ever bought them, but everyone was impressed.
 
I am one of those 70's guys! Still dreaming of a system with a Thorens record deck, Naim pre/power amplifier and Linn Sondek speakers...
One of the first "rock 'n roll" songs I was ever exposed to. I would have been 9. I was hooked from then on.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is their best song and their best album.
First 10 from me.

Just brilliant.
was and still is epic.
Moved from a 7 to an 8.  Dancing at my desk!!  
 AZJeff wrote:
This was one of the first songs I ever listened to really loud on really fine stereo equipment .  .  . in 7th grade. When I hear this, I still remember the mind-altering experience of high quality sound .  .  . WOW, this is music. And 43 years later, it still sounds great. 
 

think I was in 8th, my dad also had a good pair of headphones that really brought the background music to life 
Exelent,a 10!!!
 wmarc wrote:
need to play this with one of the bands I'm in. kind a urgent.
 
once you start grooving w/ the band on this number, let us hear it!  LLRP!!
This was one of the first songs I ever listened to really loud on really fine stereo equipment .  .  . in 7th grade. When I hear this, I still remember the mind-altering experience of high quality sound .  .  . WOW, this is music. And 43 years later, it still sounds great. 
It is really good and unique.
Always popular in the VW bus at night on long road trips.
Timeless awesomeness!
Long Live Radio Paradise
To me a SOLID 7 - Quite Likeable almost 8
need to play this with one of the bands I'm in. kind a urgent.
70's. Parties with friends with and without bebenefits. Great time, great music. Tradition was this song at exactly midnight, loud and using analog audio. What a super time, what a music.
Superb. More Supertramp please!
 danoodles wrote:
Saw this band pre Crime of the Century 100 people, and two years post Crime of the Century 3,000 people.
 
What difference a Century will make!  Huge album back in the day.
Seriously, one of the most memorable piano interludes of all time. 10/10 just for that.
My sister went to see some band named Supertramp at a bar in downtown Toronto, long, long ago. She said there might have been 5o people in the room. Not for long.
An old friend of mine told me about Super Tramp years ago so I went and bought one of their albums - it must have been their worst ever though as that was pretty good! I’m finally converted after 30 years!
Supertramp, the best all times!
 westslope wrote:
Once upon a time I owned the vinyl version of this.

 
All my Supertramp is vinyl.  Except for what RP plays.
 Proclivities wrote:

Being a "minority" does not make one wrong, particularly about trite, schmaltzy treacle like this song.

 
I knew there would be something we couldn't agree on, Proc.....and here it is....although maybe your comment is specific to this "track" vs. the ENTIRE album, which is what I miss most about the "classic" rock is the idea of a concept (a la Pink Floyd, etc.) - and to make a finer point about that is the NEXT track SHOULD BE "Bloody Well Right" - gotta be one of the best 1 to 2 opening on any album ever.

Of course, all this is my opinion, which could be wrong.  Heck...I like your posts!  (LOL and shit eating grin on me as I post this ;-)

Long Live RP!!

Love this, but my fav is still "Crisis, what crisis"!!!!!
 parttime wrote:
Turn it up!

 
Louder!
Turn it up!
Love this song but catching bits of the Greg Kihn band  "Remember" in it? (rhythm or the changes)
(which I first heard "remember" on RP!)
Saw this band pre Crime of the Century 100 people, and two years post Crime of the Century 3,000 people.
 Segue wrote:
OMG I like a Supertramp song!!!!!!!!!!!! RP works miracles. {#Roflol}

 
This ENTIRE album is freaking awesome, and get's an 11 rating!  And what a great opening track....followed by Bloody Well Right.  You really should listen to the entire thing, if not on a GREAT system, then at least decent headphones.  It's one of the best concept albums made by a group not called Pink Floyd.  

And I also am sad about the decline in enthusiasm for HI-FI these days...heck, digital files themselves leave a lot to be desired....then add Bluetooth and well....this on Vinyl with good power and speakers will blow your mind!  PEACE and Long Live RP!!

 mread wrote:
When I was a teenager in the 70's I would visit high-end stores just to fantasize about owning audiophile grade gear.  Lord knows I had no money for the good stuff, but one could dream.  Those stores always had sample music to show off the equipment, and more than one store had this album because the production was so clear — lots of ear candy when played at volume through the right speakers.  If you play this through ear buds, even today's best, what you hear is simply not the same.

Apparently fewer young American listeners care about this now ... A guy being interviewed on the radio said he travels the world (I can't remember why now, but it was unrelated to music) and pops in to high-end audio stores whenever he gets the chance.  He observes that in north American stores, only old-ish guys are shopping for high-fidelity (when was the last time you heard that term?) gear.  He only sees young shoppers when he's abroad, especially the far east, Korea, Japan, etc.
 
I worked in an electronics shop in the very early 1980s for a year after graduating from high school, and this is one of the songs I used to demo stereo systems. I remember we had a pair of Klipschorn speakers that this song really came alive on. No one ever bought them, but everyone was impressed.
 ciarataylor wrote:
2 hits of acid and a hit of MDA.  Off to a Supertramp concert you go.

 
How many brain cells do you still have?  You can probably count 'em by now.
 ToddBradley wrote:
I so love it when Bill lines up two songs in a row that not only are in the same key but use the same chord progression. That's something Pandora or Spotify or Amazon could never do. I just heard these two back-to-back:

Woodkid - Boat Song
Supertramp - School

It does make me wonder if Woodkid ever listened to Supertramp and if they consciously or subconsciously ripped off Supertramp's riff.

 
I was going to say the same thing about Mad World followed by School.  Bill is a genius!  Support sent.
I so love it when Bill lines up two songs in a row that not only are in the same key but use the same chord progression. That's something Pandora or Spotify or Amazon could never do. I just heard these two back-to-back:

Woodkid - Boat Song
Supertramp - School

It does make me wonder if Woodkid ever listened to Supertramp and if they consciously or subconsciously ripped off Supertramp's riff.