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.
Fortune Teller
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To have my fortune read
I didn't what to tell her
I had a dizzy feeling in my head
Said she'd take a look at my palm
Said "Son, do you feel kind of warm?"
And she looked into her crystal ball
Said it could not be so
Not with all the girls I know
Said when the next one arrives
Looking into her eyes
I left there in a hurry
Much to my big surprise
The next thing I discovered
The fortune teller told me lies
So I ran back to that woman
Mad as I could be
Told her I didn't see nobody
How she made a fool out of me
At last something shook me
As if it came down from above
And now the fortune teller
And I fell in love
The Who's song "Fortune Teller" is about a man who goes to see a fortune teller to have his future read. He is reluctant to tell her much about himself but agrees to let her look at his palm. She tells him that he is in love, but he does not agree with her prediction. He believes that it cannot be true, because there are so many girls in his life that he likes. The fortune teller tells him that the next girl he sees will be the one he falls in love with.
Later, the man realizes that the fortune teller was wrong about her prediction. He hurries back to her to confront her, but in the process, something happens that causes him to fall for her. It is unclear what that something is, but it is meant to be a twist ending to the story.
The lyrics of "Fortune Teller" are meant to be ambiguous and mysterious, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions about what the story means. It is a common theme in many songs from the 1960s, and it is a testament to The Who's ability to create music that is both thought-provoking and enjoyable to listen to.
Line by Line Meaning
Went to the fortune teller
Visited a soothsayer with the intention of learning about my future
To have my fortune read
To get my future predicted
I didn't what to tell her
I was hesitant to reveal anything to her
I had a dizzy feeling in my head
I felt lightheaded and disoriented
Said she'd take a look at my palm
She offered to read my palm to gain insight into my future
Said "Son, do you feel kind of warm?"
Asked me if I was experiencing any physical sensations
And she looked into her crystal ball
She gazed into her crystal ball to further divine my future
Said "You're in love"
Declared that I was currently in love
Said it could not be so
I disagreed with her claim
Not with all the girls I know
I knew I wasn't in love with any of the girls I knew
Said when the next one arrives
She claimed that when I met my next love interest
Looking into her eyes
By making eye contact with them
I left there in a hurry
I quickly departed from the fortune teller's location
Much to my big surprise
To my great astonishment
The next thing I discovered
What I found out soon after
The fortune teller told me lies
The soothsayer gave me false information
So I ran back to that woman
I quickly returned to confront the fortune teller
Mad as I could be
Irked and furious
Told her I didn't see nobody
I informed her that I'd yet to find anyone I was in love with
How she made a fool out of me
I expressed my feelings of foolishness due to her deception
At last something shook me
Finally, something stirred within me
As if it came down from above
As though influenced by a higher power
And now the fortune teller
Now, the woman who'd deceived me earlier
And I fell in love
And I found myself in love with her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLEN TOUSSAINT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patrickstocks3576
Went to the fortune teller
To have my fortune read
I didn’t what to tell her
I had a fuzzy feeling in my head
Said she’d take a look at my palm
Said “Son do you feel kind of warm?”
And she looked into her crystal ball
Said “You’re in love”
Said it could not be so
Not with all the girls I know
Said when the next one arrives
Looking into her eyes
I left there in a hurry
Much to my big surprise
The next thing I discovered
The fortune teller told me lies
So I ran back to that woman
Mad as I could be
Told her I didn’t see nobody
How she made a fool out of me
At last something shook me
As if it came down from above
And now the fortune teller
And I fell in love
@smokinjz
Went to the fortune teller
To have my fortune read
I didn't what to tell her
I had a dizzy feeling in my head
Said she'd take a look at my palm
Said "Son do you feel kind of warm?"
And she looked into her crystal ball
Said "You're in love"
Said it could not be so
Not with all the girls I know
Said when the next one arrives
Looking into her eyes
I left there in a hurry
Much to my big surprise
The next thing I discovered
The fortune teller told me lies
So I ran back to that woman
Mad as I could be
Told her I didn't see nobody
How she made a fool out of me
At last something shook me
As if it came down from above
And now the fortune teller
And I fell in love
@leach1527
I liked the way that Keith Moon was virtually indulging in a drum solo in every Who number
@dildavies793
Every note he plays here has musical relevance. Keith Moon was a great listener.
@user-pu3vr4be6m
Это бля факт!
@TheOromus
Led Zeppelin and The Who greatest bands of all time!!!!!
@dubhuggi
my favorite band of all time
@bodegabonsai7069
One of my favorite Keith Moon performances. I can't imagine any other drummer playing this song the way Keith interprets it.
@gramster77
The best live album ever. Better then Cheap Trick- Live at Budakon, Frampton Comes Alive, James Brown- Live at Apollo. All of them.
@mjf2891
I’m actually torn between this and the Isle of Wight.
@Head318Hunter
Agree but I've got "Get your Ya Ya's Out" up there really high too.
@ennbee2051
Can't be Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club, I'm afraid.