Though Ian Anderson was anti-religion, he was a very spiritual person. I believe that most people who are spiritually in tune tend to frown upon our organized religious systems in the same way that Mr. Anderson does in so many of Jethro Tull's work. His frustrations with the church are frustrations with the way that men bastardize the spirit for the good of themselves.
If the teacher is God, then the song is about a struggle to break from social isolation, a struggle that many who suffer from depression encounter. The speaker allows the Teacher (God) to show him the way, yet is turned off by the idealistic nature of his teachings, and ultimately they part ways. This is all too common for those who seek out God and don't get the immediate results they expected.
If the teacher is an actual human, I would have to agree with mycroft45 in full. Partying, drinking, extraverted socialization has become the status quo. Many people who don't derive pleasure from these activities often feel like an outcast, and attempt to live that lifestyle. As an artist, Mr. Anderson probably had to struggle between his introverted artistic spirit which fulfilled him and his constant interaction with the large scale public as a rock star.
Though Ian Anderson was anti-religion, he was a very spiritual person. I believe that most people who are spiritually in tune tend to frown upon our organized religious systems in the same way that Mr. Anderson does in so many of Jethro Tull's work. His frustrations with the church are frustrations with the way that men bastardize the spirit for the good of themselves.
If the teacher is God, then the song is about a struggle to break from social isolation, a struggle that many who suffer from depression encounter. The speaker allows the Teacher (God) to show him the way, yet is turned off by the idealistic nature of his teachings, and ultimately they part ways. This is all too common for those who seek out God and don't get the immediate results they expected.
If the teacher is an actual human, I would have to agree with mycroft45 in full. Partying, drinking, extraverted socialization has become the status quo. Many people who don't derive pleasure from these activities often feel like an outcast, and attempt to live that lifestyle. As an artist, Mr. Anderson probably had to struggle between his introverted artistic spirit which fulfilled him and his constant interaction with the large scale public as a rock star.