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.
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
Joseph Frye
:) i'm glad we had this album but my dad had this too. it was on vinyl first for first pressing then cd for rereleases.
John Dickerson
Great song helps me when I'm fealing low
James Tingler
This is my heart, mind and life
diogenesagogo
This is different to the vinyl LP I bought at the time. There's a complete guitar track missing on the final section. I can't find a version anywhere on youtube containing it. Very strange.
Desdinova Eternal light
Here you go mate
https://youtu.be/el9zRTV-N00
Kelly Perry
This song will be relevant forever
Joao De Deus Lopes Filho
Eu já fui assim.
Batbilo
cool song but in my heart always gonna be Limp Bizkit version :)
ron cheshire
That's me to a tee
thanks babe Attiitu out d'
jan muniz
Prefiro a versão do Limp Bizkit ....