The Who developed from an earlier group, the Detours, and established themselves as part of the pop art and mod movements, featuring auto-destructive art by destroying guitars and drums on stage. Their first single as the Who, "I Can't Explain", reached the UK top ten, followed by a string of singles including "My Generation", "Substitute" and "Happy Jack". In 1967, they performed at the Monterey Pop Festival and released the US top ten single "I Can See for Miles", while touring extensively. The group's fourth album, 1969's rock opera Tommy, included the single "Pinball Wizard" and was a critical and commercial success. Live appearances at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight Festival, along with the live album Live at Leeds, cemented their reputation as a respected rock act. With their success came increased pressure on lead songwriter Townshend, and the follow-up to Tommy, Lifehouse, was abandoned. Songs from the project made up 1971's Who's Next, which included the hit "Won't Get Fooled Again". The group released the album Quadrophenia in 1973 as a celebration of their mod roots, and oversaw the film adaptation of Tommy in 1975. They continued to tour to large audiences before semi-retiring from live performances at the end of 1976. The release of Who Are You in 1978 was overshadowed by the death of Moon shortly after.
Kenney Jones replaced Moon and the group resumed activity, releasing a film adaptation of Quadrophenia and the retrospective documentary The Kids Are Alright. After Townshend became weary of touring, the group split in 1982. The Who occasionally re-formed for live appearances such as Live Aid in 1985, a 25th anniversary tour in 1989 and a tour of Quadrophenia in 1996–1997. They resumed regular touring in 1999, with drummer Zak Starkey. After Entwistle's death in 2002, plans for a new album were delayed. Townshend and Daltrey continued as the Who, releasing Endless Wire in 2006, and continued to play live regularly.
The Who's major contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall stack, large PA systems, use of the synthesizer, Entwistle and Moon's lead playing styles, Townshend's feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the development of the rock opera. They are cited as an influence by hard rock, punk rock and mod bands, and their songs still receive regular exposure.
The Who is one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century. Their appearances at Monterey and Woodstock helped give them a reputation as one of the greatest live rock acts and they have been credited with originating the "rock opera". The band has sold over 100 million records worldwide.
The group's contributions to rock include the power chord, windmill strum and the use of non-musical instrument noise such as feedback. The band influenced fashion from their earliest days with their embrace of pop art and the use of the Union Jack for clothing. The guitar-smashing incident at the Railway Hotel in 1964 is one of Rolling Stone magazine's "50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock 'n' Roll".
Pink Floyd began to use feedback from their early shows in 1966, inspired by the Who, whom they considered a formative influence. Shortly after arriving in London in 1966, Jimi Hendrix visited Marshall's music shop demanding an amp setup like Townshend's and manipulated electronic noises in ways that Townshend had pioneered. The Beatles were fans and socialised with Moon in particular during the mid-1960s. In 1965, Paul McCartney said the Who "are the most exciting thing around" and was inspired to write "Helter Skelter" in the group's "heavy" style; John Lennon borrowed the acoustic guitar style in "Pinball Wizard" for "Polythene Pam".
The loud volume of the band's live show influenced the approach of hard rock and heavy metal. Proto punk and punk rock bands such as the MC5, the Stooges, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Clash and Green Day cite the Who as an influence. The Who inspired mod revival bands, particularly the Jam, which helped other groups influenced by the Who become popular. The Who influenced hard rock bands such as Guns N' Roses. In the mid-1990s, Britpop bands such as Blur and Oasis were influenced by the Who. The Who have also influenced pop punk band Panic! at the Disco.
The Who has inspired many tribute bands; Daltrey has endorsed the Whodlums, who raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Many bands have covered Who songs; Elton John's version of "Pinball Wizard" reached No. 7 in the UK.
5.15
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girls of fifteen
Sexually knowing
The ushers are sniffing
Eau-de-coloning
The seats are seductive
Celibate sitting
Prettier women
Magically bored
On a quiet street corner
Free frustration
In our minds and our toes
Quiet storm water
M-m-my generation
Uppers and downers
Either way blood flows
Inside outside, leave me alone
Inside outside, nowhere is home
Inside outside, where have I been?
Out of my brain on the five fifteen
Out of my brain on the train
Out of my brain on the train
On a raft in the quarry
Slowly sinking
Back of a lorry
Holy hitching
Dreadfully sorry
Apple scrumping
Born in the war
Birthday punching
He man drag
In the glittering ballroom
Gravely outrageous
In my high heel shoes
Tightly undone
They know what they're showing
Sadly ecstatic
That their heroes are news
Inside outside, leave me alone
Inside outside, nowhere is home
Inside outside, where have I been?
Out of my brain on the five fifteen
Out of my brain on the train
Out of my brain on the train, on the train, out of my brain
Woo
Out of my brain on the train
Here it comes
Woo
Out of my brain on the train, on the train
Out of my brain on the train
Why should I care?
Why should I care
The Who's song 5:15 is a reflection on the relationship between youth culture and sexual exploitation in the 1960s. The lyrics paint a picture of girls who have grown up too fast, and men who take advantage of them. The song begins with the lines "Why should I care, why should I care?", which suggest a sense of apathy or detachment on the part of the singer. He is then confronted with a scene of "girls of fifteen, sexually knowing", who are being preyed upon by ushers who are "sniffing eau-de-coloning". The seats themselves are described as "seductive" and the girls are "pretty" but also "digging" for attention from "prettier women". This alludes to the power dynamic between women and men, which is particularly pronounced in the entertainment industry.
The second verse paints a picture of youth culture more generally, with the singer describing the feeling of being "magically bored" and the sense of "free frustration" that comes with it. The phrase "quiet storm water" suggests a sense of tension or unease beneath the surface, while "m-m-my generation" alludes to the idea of generational conflict. The final part of the song describes a variety of different contexts in which the singer feels out of place, from being "out of my brain on the train" to "on a raft in the quarry" to "in the glittering ballroom". This sense of displacement ties back to the idea of feeling like "nowhere is home", which is a recurring theme throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Why should I care, why should I care?
The singer questions the importance of caring about the events described in the song
Girls of fifteen
Young teenage girls
Sexually knowing
Aware of sexual matters beyond their years
The ushers are sniffing
The theater staff are suspicious and monitoring the audience
Eau-de-coloning
A reference to the use of perfume to mask or hide certain scents
The seats are seductive
The environment is designed to be alluring
Celibate sitting
People sitting alone without romantic attachments
Pretty girls digging
Young women paying attention or showing interest
Prettier women
Older women who are more attractive
Magically bored
Feeling bored in a way that is inexplicable or hard to define
On a quiet street corner
In an unremarkable location
Free frustration
Releasing pent-up anger or emotions
In our minds and our toes
Throughout our entire beings
Quiet storm water
Calm but intense feelings
M-m-my generation
A reference to the singer's generation
Uppers and downers
Drugs that produce contrasting effects
Either way blood flows
Regardless of the drug being used, it affects the body
Inside outside, leave me alone
The singer wants to be left alone without interference
Inside outside, nowhere is home
The singer doesn't feel at home anywhere
Inside outside, where have I been?
The singer feels disconnected and unsure of their place in the world
Out of my brain on the five fifteen
Under the influence of drugs on a train at 5:15pm
Out of my brain on the train
Under the influence of drugs while riding a train
On a raft in the quarry
In an unsafe, unstable situation
Slowly sinking
Gradually becoming worse
Back of a lorry
Hiding in the back of a truck
Holy hitching
Hitchhiking in a way that is religious or purposeful
Dreadfully sorry
Feeling regretful and apologetic
Apple scrumping
Stealing apples from someone's property
Born in the war
Coming of age during a time of conflict
Birthday punching
A tradition of punching someone on their birthday
He man drag
Performing in a masculine or macho manner
In the glittering ballroom
At a fancy and impressive venue
Gravely outrageous
Serious and shocking
In my high heel shoes
Confident and empowered
Tightly undone
Appearing to be put together but actually being on the verge of falling apart
They know what they're showing
Performers who know how to captivate their audience
Sadly ecstatic
Feeling both happy and sad at the same time
That their heroes are news
The performers are seen as important figures
Woo
An exclamation of excitement or anticipation
Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER TOWNSHEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
steve
great stuff before they morphed into this too progressive vibe