The band evolved out of "Chad Allan and the Expressions" (often shortened to The Expressions), which was a pop rock group with a British Invasion feel fronted by Chad Allan and featuring guitarist Randy Bachman. Both of them had great potential as singer-songwriters. After their cover of "Shakin' All Over" sold well as a single, their record label released the band's album with "Guess Who?" written on the cover, hoping to mislead unsuspecting buyers into thinking it was a British group. The name stuck, however, and from then on they were 'The Guess Who'. The Who musician Pete Townshend later jokingly said that he allowed the Canadian group to take both their style and name, calling himself a fan.
Singer and keyboardist Burton Cummings joined upon Allan's departure in 1966, and the band's classic line-up was born. The guys mixed some jazz-inspired sounds such as flute and electric piano playing into their sound, and they scored hits in Canada with tracks such as "These Eyes", "Undun", and "Laughing". Yet it was when they turned to psychedelic-influenced rock and rock with 'American Woman' (the third album with the Bachman/Cummings line-up) that they broke through in the U.S. The anti-war title cut (a song ironically embraced by some Americans as a patriotic anthem despite the cynical lyrics, though the band didn't complain as the record royalties came in) has received airplay on classic rock radio for years and years now. The Guess Who's success after that album came out proved to be hit and miss, however, and they would have members go in and out.
After the release of 'Share the Land', their second album of 1970, Bachman left to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, leaving Cummings as the band's leader and main songwriter. Though Bachman and his band-mates had achieved huge commercial success, the singer-songwriter felt like he wanted to go off into a whole other muscial direction. Afterwards, the Guess Who experimented in various styles through the 70s, including blues, down-home bluegrass, jazz fusion, and Cummings's trademark piano-based rock ballads. The novelty pop single "Clap for the Wolfman", a 1974 track made for the popular DJ Wolfman Jack that the band members were fans of, ended up being the Guess Who's last chart appearance.
Various combinations of former members of the band have reunited at various times since their breakup in 1975. The Guess Who's classic songs remain radio staples, even into the new millennium. Various greatest hits and multi-artist collections featuring their music have also been released.
See Guess Who for the Romanian rapper Laurentiu Mocanu.
The Answer
The Guess Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When your hands are tied
Cause your friends found you out
When you broke down and cried
And the bright colored balls
That you held inside
Weren't the answer
No, no, no
It's no good anymore
When you know all the rules
Cause your friends pushed you out
And they all look like fools
And the stories that you sang
From the inside room
Weren't the answer
No, no, no
Not the answer
I'd like to help you but you're past that
I'd like to help you but it's too late
I'd like to look around the corner just to find what I could see
It's no good anymore
To abide by the rules
Cause you're graduating soon
From the loser's school
And the country tavern lady
In the house on the hill
Can't be the answer
No, no, no
She's not the answer
I'd like to help you but you're past that
I'd like to help you but it's too late
I'd like to look around the corner just to find what I could see
(Repeat)
Like to help you
But you're too far gone
I'd like to help you out
But it's too late now
The Guess Who's song The Answer portrays a person who is struggling to find a solution to their problems. The first and second stanzas of the song describes how the person's friends discovered their secrets and turned against them, causing the person to feel isolated and lost. The colorful balls that the person held inside symbolize their hopes and dreams which are no longer attainable. The person is desperately seeking the answer but realizes that the things they hold so tightly onto are not the solution.
In the third verse of the song, the person is no longer interested in following the rules and trying to fit in with society. They have come to the realization that trying to please others is pointless and that they are graduating from the "loser's school". The "country tavern lady in the house on the hill" is perhaps a metaphor for a person who provides temporary relief from the person's problems but is ultimately not the answer. The ending of the song depicts the person acknowledging that they are past the point of help, and that it's too late to turn things around.
Overall, The Answer deals with themes of isolation, disillusionment, and the struggle to find a solution to one's problems. The Guess Who's song offers a powerful message that sometimes there is no answer, and that it's possible to reach a point of no return.
Line by Line Meaning
It's no good anymore
Things are no longer working as they used to
When your hands are tied
When you feel powerless and restricted
Cause your friends found you out
Because your friends have discovered something about you
When you broke down and cried
When you showed vulnerability and your emotions got the best of you
And the bright colored balls
All the things that used to bring you joy
That you held inside
That you kept to yourself
Weren't the answer
Weren't the solution to your problems
No, no, no
Absolutely not
Not the answer
Definitely not the solution
When you know all the rules
When you have fully understood how things work
Cause your friends pushed you out
Because your friends have excluded you from the group
And they all look like fools
And they are all making a mistake
And the stories that you sang
All the things you used to believe in
From the inside room
From your own perspective
Weren't the answer
Weren't the solution to your problems
No, no, no
Absolutely not
Not the answer
Definitely not the solution
I'd like to help you but you're past that
I would love to assist you, but it seems too late now
I'd like to help you but it's too late
I wish I could help, but it's already too late
I'd like to look around the corner just to find what I could see
I want to explore and see if there's anything that can be done
To abide by the rules
To follow the rules and standards set by others
Cause you're graduating soon
Because you have advanced and will soon be in a new phase
From the loser's school
From a place where you have been belittled or made to feel inferior
And the country tavern lady
A woman who may seem appealing, but is not the right answer
In the house on the hill
Even if it seems like the perfect situation
Can't be the answer
It's not the solution
No, no, no
Absolutely not
She's not the answer
She is not the solution
Like to help you
I would love to assist you
But you're too far gone
But it seems as though it would be impossible to help you now
I'd like to help you out
I want to assist you
But it's too late now
But it seems as though it's already too late to do anything
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BURTON CUMMINGS, RANDY BACHMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@D10GENES
It's no good anymore
When your hands are tied
Cause your friends found you out
When you broke down and cried
And the bright colored balls
That you held inside
Weren't the answer
No, no, no
Not the answer
It's no good anymore
When you know all the rules
Cause your friends pushed you out
And they all look like fools
And the stories that you sang
From the inside room
Weren't the answer
No, no, no
Not the answer
I'd like to help you but you're past that
I'd like to help you but it's too late
I'd like to look around the corner just to find what I could see
It's no good anymore
To abide by the rules
Cause you're graduating soon
From the loser's school
And the country tavern lady
In the…
@ZebMinett13
In my humble opinion, The Guess Who are one of the best rock bands that have ever graced the Earth. I was very fortunate to have been brought up on this band from a young age as my Dad owned all the albums on vinyl, and then later on CD. I'm only 23 years of age, so unfortunately missed this band's heyday by a long shot, but I can totally appreciate what they've contributed towards music, I just love 'em! And this is arguably one of their best songs too!
@stripervince1
One of the absolute most underrated groups of all time, along with Jefferson starship, supertramp and grand funk rr. All fantastic groups , burton Cummings could sing. These guys made some fantastic music. Song is a gem. It’s no good anymore, to abide by the rules, cause you’re graduating soon from the losers school, amazing lyrics
@billconwell390
Amazing band. I was lucky enough to see these guys a few times ,including this lineup. It was between the release of the American Woman album and Share the Land.My friend Richie Brennan and I went to see them(Carbondale Illinois I think) from Scott AFB where we were stationed at. Tripping of course, since we had scored a bunch of LSD for a very low price at the Kickapoo Creek rock festival that we had been at about a week earlier. That was in Iowa and we got there early before they were regulating where people parked.I actually was able to pull my '58 MGA close enough to be able to see the stage from my car.Try getting away with that at a concert nowadays.
@DonVal86
The chords after the chorus are part of the hook, I’ve never ever heard that in a song. Amazing.
@oakwoodacademy
What a magnificent song! Recently came across this one as well as the entire TWTW lp. This and Silver Bird, and others from the album, rank with the very best from that era. It's unfortunate exposure was lacking when these gems were recorded. These four guys were unmatched in musicianship, vocals, and of course, songwriting. This, sadly, was the end of the original lineup---but what a group it was.
@theinvincibleviolet5617
What a cool song !!!! IT's rock and jazz and everything good.. Thank you, :)
@cleciusviana7623
Música excelente do The Guess, lembrando estilo do Clássica IV.
@stripervince1
Wow, just fantastic music
@TheMatzker
This has the rockin' melancholy feel of Marvin Gaye , and could blend nicely into a What's Goin' On playlist.
@Sandbagger300
ZebMinett13 Yeah same thing with me, I was brought up on Guess Who as my Dad has their Albums on cassette and LP's. Great band!