Pete Townshend said of the song's lyrics:
"Behind Blue Eyes" really is off the wall because that was a song sung by the villain of the piece [Jumbo], the fact that he felt in the original story that he was forced into a position of being a villain whereas he felt he was a good guy."
Behind Blue Eyes
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free, mm-mm-hmm
When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
And if I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
And if I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
"Behind Blue Eyes" is a song by English rock band The Who that was released in 1971. The song is about a person who feels misunderstood and unseen by others. It speaks of the difficulties of being perceived as the "bad" and "sad" man behind "blue eyes." The person in this song feels that nobody understands his experiences, and he blames others for the way they make him feel.
The first stanza of the song talks about how no one knows what it's like to be the "bad man" or the "sad man" who is "behind blue eyes." This person seems to feel detached from society and misunderstood, as though nobody can see the real person behind his exterior. In the second stanza, the singer continues to explain how these feelings manifest themselves in his life: he is constantly telling lies and harbors feelings of vengeance.
The chorus of the song speaks to the emptiness the person feels within himself, despite having dreams and desires. The lyrics suggest that there is a deep sadness that fuels the feelings of vengeance and loneliness that the person experiences. The final stanza of the song hints at a level of self-awareness that the person harbors, as he discusses his own emotional outbursts and urges those around him to help him maintain control.
Line by Line Meaning
No one knows what it's like
No one truly understands the emotions and experiences that I go through
To be the bad man
To be seen as a villain or someone who has caused harm
To be the sad man
To be a person who feels deep sorrow and pain
Behind blue eyes
Despite how I present myself on the outside, I carry immense sadness and pain within me
To be hated
To be despised and rejected by others
To be fated
To be destined or predetermined to live a certain way
To telling only lies
To be a person who constantly deceives others and hides the truth
But my dreams
Despite my hardships, I have hopes and aspirations
They aren't as empty
My dreams are not meaningless or insignificant
As my conscience seems to be
Although I may be perceived as a bad person, I still have a conscience and feel guilt
I have hours, only lonely
I spend much of my time feeling lonely and isolated
My love is vengeance
My desire for revenge motivates me
That's never free
Seeking revenge always comes at a cost
To feel these feelings
To experience the intense emotions that I have
Like I do
In the same way that I experience them, which no one else can fully understand
And I blame you
I hold someone responsible for causing my pain and suffering
No one bites back as hard
Others may not react with the same intensity or anger as I do
On their anger
In response to their frustration or resentment
None of my pain and woe
My suffering and sadness
Can show through
It is not always apparent to others how much pain I am in
When my fist clenches, crack it open
When I feel anger or aggression, I need to find a way to let it go before it becomes destructive
Before I use it and lose my cool
Before I act out in anger and regret it later
When I smile, tell me some bad news
When I am pretending to be happy or content, I need a reminder of the harsh realities of life
Before I laugh and act like a fool
Before I become too carefree and forget about my pain and suffering
And if I swallow anything evil
If I am exposed to something dangerous or harmful
Put your finger down my throat
Help me rid myself of whatever is making me feel sick or ill
And if I shiver, please give me a blanket
If I am feeling cold or scared, comfort me
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
Provide me with the love and support that I need to feel protected and secure
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Pete Townshend
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jesled9559
This is the perfect song describing my soon to be ex husband who is Clinically Diagnosed with ASPD born with a brain wired as a psychopath.
I was about to celebrate when I filed for divorce 😊
But that’s when his mask came off and he went on a Narcissistic Rampage Terrorizing me daily from then on. Hell Bent on showing me who he REALly is and what he has all this time REALly been capable of.
Outrageously frightening with Insidious Reckless Shocking Abuses.
He is a Malignant Narcissistic certified Pyschopath Genius that is criminally insane and the dangerous man hellbent on punishing, torturing, and Destroying me for the rest of my life with Absolute No Regard to our children’s safety and well-being.
He deserves to be accountable for all his malicious abuses and illegal criminal behaviors.
In Jesus Name AMEN!🙏
@sliver850
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies
But my dreams, they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance that's never free
No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams, they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance that's never free
Mm, mm
When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
And if I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
And if I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
@jesled9559
This is my soon to be ex husband
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man (“Evil Vile Reprensible”)
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated (born with brain wired to be psychotic)
To telling only lies (pathological liar)
But my dreams, they aren't as empty (fulfilling them illegally at all means necessary with aliases and technological hacking)
As my conscience seems to be (ASPD don’t have empathy concern for others only themselves-immoral indecency Psychotic)
I have hours, (90% free time while “work”)
only lonely (paying prostitutes for company)
My love is vengeance that's never free (Hence, he’s Hell-Bent on Tormenting me forever)
No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you (see never accountable for his illegal lifestyles)
(PSYCHO!)
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
(Then people will see behind his Mask what he’s spent his lifetime hiding from everyone)
But my dreams, they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance that's never free
Mm, mm
When my fist clenches, crack it open (restrict him access to technology..)
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
And if I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
And if I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
My love is vengeance that's never free
@saltwater7366
"No one knows what it's like to be the Batman"
@Gm-ce5kg
because im bad man
@FestivaLagoon
"To be the sand man"
@FestivaLagoon
@@simpleme246 it's Bruce Wayne.
@BatmanJUSTICE
@@FestivaLagoon Correct
@nikolausnikolausnikolaus
The dynamic duo: Bad Man and Robbing
@jjemerald186
One of the best songs of all time, Who’s Next is perfect.
@soniczone4118
Quadrophenias better imo
@jjemerald186
HapHazard Quadrophenia is amazing, easily the album that inspires Me the most. But, I love every Who album. They’re just such a great band.
@T-Dawg-lp2sh
@@jjemerald186 oh shit I know you from the discord sever lol :D