“Teach Your Children” is a song by Graham Nash. Although it was written when Nash was a member of the Hollies, it was never recorded by that group, and first appeared on the album Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released in 1970.

The recording features Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar. Garcia had made an arrangement that in return for his playing pedal steel guitar on “Teach Your Children,” CSNY would teach the members of the Grateful Dead how to sing harmony for their upcoming albums.

The pedal steel guitar makes this song. The version I like, and that I feature here, is a live version at the Grand Ole Opry House 1994, where the vocalists are country girls Suzy Bogguss and Kathy Mattea and the steel guitar is played by the great Buddy Emmons, who IMHO does it far better than Jerry.

The vocals too have more life. I’m not sure if the Suzy and Kathy are singing in unison or harmony. Maybe both. Crosby Stills Nash and Young play as well.

As far as the original and the cover go, I’d take this version any day. That Suzy Boggus is such a sweet sweet singer.