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.
Who Are You
Roger Daltrey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A policeman knew my name
He said "You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away"
I staggered back to the underground
You know the breeze blew back my hair
I remember throwing punches around
Who are you?
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I said
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really wanna know
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Took the tube back out of town
Back to the Rollin' Pin
Feel a little like a dying clown
With a streak of Rin Tin Tin
I stretched back and I hiccupped
Looked back on my busy day
I was Eleven hours in the Tin Can
There's got to be better way
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
You know I really need to know
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Let me tell you who I am, I am the man
That is scared of concrete for you I have a plan
I put my money in the bank, I don't keep it in my hand
And sometimes it all goes wrong I make a stand
Whenever, I walk down the street I feel afraid
People want there money cause they want to get paid
All I want is a little love and to live my life
And all I want for return is my very own wife
Why do people in red? Who are you who do you fear?
When I take this knife and in your eyes I sneer
When I look at the people who came from the sixties
Up through the nineties now we reach this pentacle
Understand that the reason to exist
Is that life is something that you live have to persist
Who could just forget the place where we came
My name is Pete Townshend we want you just the same
Who are you? Who who who who are you?
Who are you?
I know there's a place you walked
Where love falls from the trees
My heart is like a broken cup
You know I only feel right on my knees
I spit out like a sewer hole
Yet still receive your kiss
How can I measure up to anyone now
After such a love as this?
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really wanna know?
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
(Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Tell me who are you?
I can just remember about who I am
Who are you?
The song "Who Are You" by Roger Daltrey is a reflection of the singer's troubled state of mind. The opening lines depict him waking up in a Soho doorway, and a policeman recognizing him. The conversation with the policeman triggers a sense of his identity crisis. The recurring line in the song, "Who are you?" is a question that he's posing to himself. He describes his frustration with his life, the lack of love, and how he feels like a "dying clown" at times. The lyrics talk about his desire to find a better way and a sense of purpose.
The song's chorus "Who are you?" is shouted with aggression, which portrays the singer's anger and frustration with society's expectations and life's circumstances. The middle section of the song seems like an attempt at self-affirmation, where he talks about putting his money in the bank and making a stand. The song's final section is an acknowledgment of love (possibly a romantic interest), and he wonders if he could measure up to anyone after it. He ends the song with, "Tell me who are you? I can just remember about who I am. Who are you?"
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up in a Soho doorway
I found myself in the streets of Soho with no memory of what happened before
A policeman knew my name
A police officer recognized me, indicating that I am likely notorious in that area
He said 'You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away'
The police officer let me go but only under the condition that I leave the area on my own
I staggered back to the underground
You know the breeze blew back my hair
I went back to the subway and felt the wind on my face and hair as I walked
I remember throwing punches around
And preaching from my chair
I recall myself punching someone and giving a passionate speech while sitting down
Took the tube back out of town
Back to the Rollin' Pin
I took the train out of town and returned to the Rollin' Pin, a location that seems familiar to me
Feel a little like a dying clown
With a streak of Rin Tin Tin
I feel like a tragic figure, similar to a clown that is slowly losing its charm, and a little bit like Rin Tin Tin, a popular TV series character that symbolizes loyalty and fame
I stretched back and I hiccuped
Looked back on my busy day
I was Eleven hours in the Tin Can
There's got to be better way
I reflected on my day, which was full of surprises and complications, including being confined in a tin can for eleven hours, and realized that I have to figure out a better way to live my life
Let me tell you who I am
I am the man
That is scared of concrete
For you I have a plan
I put my money in the bank
I don't keep it in my hand
And sometimes it all goes wrong I make a stand
Whenever, I walk down the street I feel afraid
People want there money cause they want to get paid
All I want is a little love and to live my life
And all I want for return is my very own wife
Why do people in red
Who are you who do you fear
When I take this knife and in your eyes I sneer
When I look at the people who came from the sixties
Up through the nineties now we reach this pentacle
Understand that the reason to exist
Is that life is something that you live have to persist
Who could just forget the place where we came
My name is Pete Townshend we want you just the same
Who are you
I introduced myself as a man who is afraid of the world made of concrete and has a plan, which is to put his money in the bank and make a stand when things go awry. I expressed my fear when I walk down the street due to people wanting money and emphasized that all I want is to live my life and find love. I questioned the motives of authority figures wearing red and asked who they fear. I challenged people by threatening them with a knife and sneering at their fear. I commented on the changes that have occurred since the 1960s and highlighted that the reason for living is to persist through life. Finally, I introduced myself as Pete Townshend and asked who the listener is
I know there's a place you walked
Where love falls from the trees
My heart is like a broken cup
You know I only feel right on my knees
I spit out like a sewer hole
Yet still receive your kiss
How can I measure up to anyone now
After such a love as this?
I acknowledged that the listener has experienced a place where love is abundant and contrasted that with my damaged heart, which only feels alive on my knees. I described myself as being like a sewer, yet I still receive the listener's kiss. Finally, I wondered how I could compare to anyone after experiencing such a powerful love
Tell me who are you?
I can just remember about who I am
Who are you?
Finally, I asked once again who the listener is and questioned my own identity since I can barely remember anything about myself
Who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
The repeating chorus is a direct question posed to the listener asking them who they truly are
I said (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really want to know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I emphasized my desire to know the listener's true identity and asked the same question repeatedly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Peter Townshend
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Tooke
Easy to forget that he, not Pete, was the lead guitarist when they started out.
Piteus X
Roger used to make his own guitars so he can play as a kid.
Joe Blow
David Tooke I had no idea he shredded on the guitar too!
scott pierce
I had always heard that ole Roger was a pretty good player but there is not much footage around of him actually playing. Good stuff, thanks for the post
James Nasium
Pete had said many times that Roger is a good guitar player.
John Sobey
Never knew Roger played guitar
Guillaume Oesau
That voice !!!! Wonderfull and exceptionnel Roger !!!!!!!
louise
One of the greatest vocalists ever
878set
Roger tears it up! Still one of my all-time favorite performers.
machia0705
Johnny Cash would have approved ... Great vocals and rhythm on that guitar Roger !