Daltrey was born in the Chiswick area of London, the same working class suburban neighbourhood that produced fellow Who members Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. He showed academic promise as a child in the English state school system, ranking at the top of his class on examinations that led to his enrollment at the Acton County Grammar School for boys. His parents, Harry and Irene, hoped he would eventually continue on to study at a university, but obeying the rules and learning from his teachers were not in the plans of the self-described "school rebel."
He made his first guitar from a block of wood and formed a band called, "The Detours." When his father bought him an Epiphone guitar in 1959, he became the lead guitarist for the band. Soon after, interested in nothing but rock and roll, he was expelled from school. He became a sheet metal worker during the day, while practising and performing nights with the band at weddings, pubs and men's clubs. At the time, the band included Daltrey on lead guitar, Pete Townshend on rhythm guitar, John Entwistle on bass, Doug Sandom on drums and Colin Dawson on lead vocals. After Colin Dawson left the band, Daltrey switched to vocals and Townshend to lead guitar.
Early on, Daltrey was the band's leader, earning a reputation for using his fists to exercise control when needed, despite his small stature. According to Townshend, Roger "ran things the way he wanted. If you argued with him, you usually got a bunch of fives." He generally selected the music they performed, including songs by The Beatles, various Motown artists, James Brown, and other rock standards. In 1964, he also helped decide on a new name for the group that had been suggested by Townshend's roommate, Richard Barnes — "The Who."
The Who
With the band's first record deal in early 1965, Townshend began writing original material and Daltrey's dominance of the band began to recede. (Their second single, Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere was the only song on which Daltrey and Townshend collaborated.) As Townshend developed into one of rock's most accomplished composers, Daltrey's vocals became the vehicle through which Townshend's visions were expressed, and he gained an equally vaunted reputation as an incomparably powerful vocalist. His habit of swinging the microphone around by its cord on stage became a signature sign of his exuberance.
Daltrey's stuttering expression of youthful anger, frustration and arrogance in the band's breakthrough single, My Generation, captured the revolutionary feeling of the 1960s for many young people around the world and became the band's trademark. Later, his scream near the end of Won't Get Fooled Again became a defining moment for the band.
Yet, in the midst of the band's success, Daltrey repeatedly found himself fighting to keep the other members of The Who away from the drug and alcohol dependence that he believed would destroy them. He once flushed drummer Keith Moon's pills down the lavatory and, when Moon protested, knocked him down with one punch. Later, in October, 1973, with Townshend at a low point after struggling through the Lifehouse and Quadrophenia projects while Daltrey was experiencing some success with his solo projects and acting roles, tension between the two created more sparks. During a recording session (in an incident that Daltrey claimed was overblown), Townshend whacked the singer over the head with his guitar and Daltrey responded by knocking Townshend unconscious, again with a single blow. With each of The Who's milestone achievements, Tommy, Who's Next, and Quadrophenia, Daltrey was the face and voice of the band as they defined themselves as the ultimate rebels in a generation of change. When Tommy appeared as a feature film in 1975, Daltrey played the lead role and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture".
Solo music career
Roger Daltrey's first solo album, Daltrey
While he has always considered The Who his primary ambition in life, Daltrey has released eight solo albums. 1973's Daltrey was not the first solo release by a member of The Who, following albums by both John Entwistle and Pete Townshend. The top single off the album, "Giving It All Away," reached number five in the UK and the album, which introduced Leo Sayer as a songwriter, made the Top 50 in the United States. The emotional range displayed in Daltrey proved that the singer was capable of operating outside the context of The Who and of expressing his own moods, not just Townshend's.
When Sayer launched his own career as an artist, Daltrey called on a widening group of friends to write for and perform on his albums. Paul McCartney contributed the new song "Giddy" to "One of The Boys", where the band included Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee and Mick Ronson.
McVicar was billed as a soundtrack album for the film of the same name, which Daltrey co-produced and starred in. But since it featured all the other members of The Who — Townshend, Entwistle and Kenny Jones — it could almost have passed as a Who album. McVicar included two hit singles, Free Me and Without Your Love and was Daltrey's best-selling solo recording.
The title track to Under a Raging Moon was a tribute to Who drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978. Each of the album's tracks, including "Let Me Down Easy" by Bryan Adams, expresses the frustration of growing older as only a man who sang "Hope I die before I get old" can. On Rocks in the Head, Daltrey is credited (along with Gerard McMahon) for co-writing seven of the eleven tracks.
Daltrey celebrated his fiftieth birthday in 1994 by performing at Carnegie Hall in a show called, "Daltrey Sings Townshend," accompanied by The Juilliard Orchestra, Townshend, Entwistle, Irish dancers and a group of folk musicians. Later he had a short weekly series on BBC Radio 2, presenting a personal choice of rock'n'roll.
As Long as I Have You
Roger Daltrey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I fought my way up to the sun
I had a lot of battles
Some I've lost and some I've won
But let me tell you girl
You ain't seen nothing yet
Ain't nothing in this world
As long as I have you (as long as I have you)
As long as I have you (as long as I have you)
As long as I have you
Oh won't you give me a marriage to crumble
And I'll turn and just say
You let me put this world
In the palm of your hands
A thousand tear drops
Should I sing my way out of the blues
I haven't learned to stand up (whoa)
Even when they scare me
Out of my shoes
But let I tell you girl
You ain't seen nothing yet
There's nothion' in this world
That I can't get
As long as I have you (as long as I have you)
As long as I have you (as long as I have you)
As long as I have you
Oh won't you give me a marriage to crumble
And I'll turn and just say you
You let me put this world
In the palm of your hands
Say you love me
And the Lord in heaven if there was one
Don't you worry 'bout nothing
In the end the best is yet to come
Oh, let me tell you girl
You ain't seen nothing yet
There's nothing in this world
That I can't get
So long as I have you (as long as I have you)
So long as I have you (as long as I have you)
There's nothing I can't do (as long as I have you)
As long as I have you (as long as I have you)
Mm mm mm mm (as long as I have you)
And the troubles will go (as long as I have you)
I'm gonna be ok (as long as I have you)
Alright, alright (as long as I have you)
Oh yeah, oh yeah (as long as I have you)
Oh yeah (as long as I have you)
So long as I have you (as long as I have you)
But let me tell you girl
You ain't seen nothing yet
There's nothin' in this world
That I can't get
As long as I have you (as long as I have you)
Oh yeah (as long as I have you)
Alright, alright (as long as I have you)
Ok, ok (as long as I have you)
All day, all day (as long as I have you)
The lyrics of "As Long As I Have You" by Roger Daltrey describe a journey from darkness to the sun, from battles lost to battles won. He declares that with his lover by his side, there is nothing in this world that he cannot achieve. The lyrics portray a confidence that comes from seeing life in its fullness, with all its challenges and obstacles. The declaration that he can put the world in the palm of his lover's hands is an expression of his belief in their relationship and trust in her love.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of having someone to love, someone who makes everything possible. It is a reminder that in the darkest moments, love can be a source of light and hope. The final lines of the song suggest that even beyond this life, the best is yet to come. "As Long As I Have You" is a song of resilience and hope, declaring that with love by our side, we can always rise above life's trials and tribulations.
Line by Line Meaning
Born in darkness
I faced hardships and struggles from the beginning
But I fought my way up to the sun
But I overcame those struggles and became successful
I had a lot of battles
I faced many challenges
Some I've lost and some I've won
I've experienced both success and failure
But let me tell you girl
Now, let me explain something to you
You ain't seen nothing yet
You haven't witnessed the full extent of my capabilities
Ain't nothing in this world
There is nothing I cannot accomplish
That I can't get
I am capable of achieving anything
As long as I have you (as long as I have you)
As long as I have your support and love
Oh won't you give me a marriage to crumble
I am so confident in our relationship that even if it were to fail, I know I would be fine
And I'll turn and just say
And I would respond by saying
You let me put this world
You gave me the confidence and strength
In the palm of your hands
To achieve anything in this world
A thousand tear drops
Despite how difficult things may become
Should I sing my way out of the blues
If I find myself feeling down
I haven't learned to stand up (whoa)
I am still working on becoming my best self
Even when they scare me
Even when situations intimidate me
Out of my shoes
To the point where I feel vulnerable and exposed
And the Lord in heaven if there was one
If there was a higher power watching over us
Don't you worry 'bout nothing
Do not worry about anything
In the end the best is yet to come
Everything will work out in the end
There's nothing in this world
There is nothing that can stop me
So long as I have you (as long as I have you)
As long as I have your support and love
There's nothing I can't do (as long as I have you)
There is nothing I am incapable of achieving with your help
Mm mm mm mm (as long as I have you)
Just repeating the previous lines
And the troubles will go (as long as I have you)
Any troubles or problems we face will disappear with your support
I'm gonna be ok (as long as I have you)
I know everything will be alright as long as you are with me
Alright, alright (as long as I have you)
Everything will be alright
Ok, ok (as long as I have you)
Everything is fine
All day, all day (as long as I have you)
Repeating that things will be alright as long as you are with me
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Benjamin Weisman, Fred Wise
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markfeeno6921
As a fan since '71, I have to say that this is stunningly good. Roger's voice sounds like it's 1971 all over again.
Congrats, Roger. Great job!
@josephkolmansky8965
The man can cover any true RnB tune and make it sound as if he'd written it with his own guts. Hats off, Sir!
@TheBrokenHead
Uno de los mejores discos del mundo 👍👍👀👀👏👏
@annavornoli391
Fabulous how Roger can express any kind of feeling!
A great singer using his heart more than his mouth! 💖
@SquiralNutkins
Still sounding fab at 74. And he dont need auto-tune either like most of them do today. Just brilliant
@zelenea
Great song, great voice !!!! Still a super artist !!!! Thank you Mister Roger Daltrey !
@REMBRANTTUBE
Fantastic!!! I Love ❤️ This Album!!!
@Starsk25
Love It! His voice is in great shape for a 74 year old guy.
@walternoons5141
It's great, period!
@billyriddle9483
Go rodg