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.
It's A Hard Life
Roger Daltrey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you feel down
And nobody understands you
They leave you hanging around
You waste all your days
Miss all your nights
Sit round just dreaming
You can do nothing right
It's a hard life
When your alone
Cramped in your lonely little room
Under dressed like a bone
You Walk in the streets
And people are so blind
Won't give you there penny
They just don't have the time
Ooooh It's a hard life
Up on the road
You better check it well first
Before you meet all the blows
For you won't like the walkin'
You'll get caught in the rain
But the steep on the highway
Lord you wish you never came
Roger Daltrey's It's A Hard Life is a song that speaks to those who feel down and misunderstood. The lyrics express the frustration and helplessness that come with trying to fit in and feeling like nobody cares. The first verse talks about wasting all your days and missing your nights, which suggests a feeling of emptiness and lack of purpose. The second verse takes a more concrete approach, describing a lonely existence in a dingy room, where no one will help you out. The third verse moves further into despair, warning of the dangers of hitting the road without proper preparation - getting caught in the rain and wishing you'd never come.
The song is a poignant expression of the difficulties we all face at some time in our lives. We've all felt alone and misunderstood, and Daltrey's lyrics capture that feeling perfectly. His gentle, folksy style only adds to the sense of vulnerability and sadness that the song evokes.
Overall, It's A Hard Life is a reminder that we're not alone in our struggles. Even a rock star like Roger Daltrey has felt the weight of sadness and the pain of alienation. The song speaks to our common humanity, and reminds us that we're all in this together.
Line by Line Meaning
It's A hard life
Life can be challenging and difficult to navigate.
When you feel down
When you are feeling sad or unmotivated.
And nobody understands you
When others cannot relate or empathize with your struggles.
They leave you hanging around
Others may abandon or ignore you during tough times.
You waste all your days
You may feel unproductive or aimless.
Miss all your nights
You may struggle with sleep or have trouble falling asleep.
Sit round just dreaming
You may spend a lot of time imagining a different, better reality.
You can do nothing right
You may feel like you can't succeed or live up to expectations.
When your alone
Being lonely and isolated can be difficult.
Cramped in your lonely little room
Living in a small, uninviting space can exacerbate feelings of loneliness.
Under dressed like a bone
Feeling underdressed or unprepared for social situations.
You Walk in the streets
Going outside and interacting with others can be daunting.
And people are so blind
Others may not recognize or take the time to understand your situation.
Won't give you there penny
Others may not offer financial or emotional support.
They just don't have the time
Others may have their own busy lives and responsibilities.
Up on the road
When traveling, life can also be difficult.
You better check it well first
It's important to prepare and plan ahead before embarking on a journey.
Before you meet all the blows
Before confronting all of the challenges and difficulties that may arise while traveling.
For you won't like the walkin'
Walking long distances, often with heavy luggage or in poor weather conditions, can be unpleasant.
You'll get caught in the rain
Weather conditions can be unpredictable and may make travel even more difficult.
But the steep on the highway
The difficulties encountered while traveling may be more than expected or challenging to overcome.
Lord you wish you never came
Regret may set in and you may wish you had not embarked on the journey at all.
Lyrics © GOWMONK, INC.
Written by: DAVID COURTNEY, LEO SAYER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@viriniadownham9116
Roger daltrey was and will always be one of the musical greats
@brianeaston8917
Totally agree and not so good he is forgotten about. He was outstanding in the Who and even when he was solo. Never forgotten 😏
@davidh6364
Roger Daltrey and Ian Gillan, my 2 favorite rock voices! These boys can reach into your soul
@jjuliorito1634
One of the best rock singers ever. I was lucky to have bought a copy of this album. I still have it!
@eddyfinkful
I had it, on Cassette. Still play it!
@ashe984
I agree
@ashe984
Bono too
@eddyfinkful
me too, albeit, on a cassette!
@brandonsnook3865
I agree my gud friend awesome stunning love the who aswell
@ashe984
Wow Roger Daltrey is amazing and has a good voice.