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 1996â1997. 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.
I'm a Boy
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another little girl was called Felicity
Another little girl was Sally Joy
The other was me, and I'm a boy
My name is Bill, and I'm a head case
They practice making up on my face
Yeah, I feel lucky if I get trousers to wear
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But my ma won't admit it
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But if I say I am, I get it
Put your frock on, Jean Marie
Plait your hair, Felicity
Paint your nails, little Sally Joy
Put this wig on, little boy
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But my ma won't admit it
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But if I say I am, I get it
I want to play cricket on the green
Ride my bike across the street
Cut myself and see my blood
I want to come home all covered in mud
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
But my ma won't admit it
I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy
I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy
I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy
The Who's song "I'm a Boy" tells the story of a young boy named Bill who is forced to dress and act like a girl by his mother. The lyrics describe the names of four children, three girls and one boy. Bill is the boy, and despite being male, he is made to wear dresses and have his face made up by his sisters, who take hairpins from his hair at night.
The chorus of the song repeats "I'm a boy," with Bill acknowledging that he is male, but his mother refuses to accept it. If he were to say that he is a boy, he would get in trouble. The last verse of the song shows Bill expressing his desire to participate in activities typically associated with boys such as playing cricket, riding a bike, and getting dirty.
The song is about gender norms and restrictions on boys who want to express themselves in ways that defy traditional masculinity. It also touches on the theme of parental expectations and gender roles. The song is a commentary on the societal expectations of gender and how it can impact an individual's sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
One girl was called Jean Marie
There was a girl named Jean Marie among the group mentioned
Another little girl was called Felicity
Another girl in the group was named Felicity
Another little girl was Sally Joy
A third girl in the group was called Sally Joy
The other was me, and I'm a boy
The artist identifies themselves as the only boy in the group of girls introduced earlier
My name is Bill, and I'm a head case
The artist introduces themselves as Bill and mentions the mental health issues they face
They practice making up on my face
The girls in the group experiment with makeup on the singer
Yeah, I feel lucky if I get trousers to wear
The singer struggles to wear typical boy clothing like trousers
Spend evenings taking hairpins from my hair
The girls in the group spend time putting hairpins in the artist's hair
I'm a boy, I'm a boy
The artist repeats their gender identity
But my ma won't admit it
The artist's mother refuses to accept their gender identity
But if I say I am, I get it
The singer is punished or criticized when they assert their identity as a boy
Put your frock on, Jean Marie
The artist tells Jean Marie to wear a dress
Plait your hair, Felicity
The singer tells Felicity to braid her hair
Paint your nails, little Sally Joy
The singer tells Sally Joy to paint her nails
Put this wig on, little boy
The singer is told to wear a wig to appear more feminine
I want to play cricket on the green
The artist desires to engage in typically masculine activities
Ride my bike across the street
The artist wants to ride their bike, an activity typically associated with boys
Cut myself and see my blood
The singer is curious about the physicality of their body, including the shedding of blood
I want to come home all covered in mud
The singer desires to engage in activities that would result in getting dirty, which is often considered typical boy behavior
I'm a boy, I'm a boy, I'm a boy
The artist continues to emphasize their gender identity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PETER TOWNSHEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Geoff Clarke
One of my favourite Who songs. Brilliant!
pat cole
Those lyrics are brilliant.
Byrdmaniac
Love the power pop songs of The Who! This one's got fun lyrics too.
Harry Hackney
Has to be one of the best songs of the 60s a classic then and a classic now 2021. It was on every jukebox in the country. Remember asking for it when they changed the records every few months used to sell them for a Tanner or shilling ended up going sherwins in Hanley and having to pay full price for it about 3shilings and threpence just as well it stayed on jukeboxes for years. In cafes pubs youth clubs The who would go from one extreme to another always guaranteed a tune from the guys. Would leave the likes of the Beatles in the shade not really a fan of their music. A few perhaps personalities not a chance. Far too many groups around to really have a favourite.
F U
My favorite Who song!
Kelly Tudderbam
This, Happy Jack and Boris the spider đ
Warriors of Camelot LOTRO
Legends!!! Thank you so much for this!!!
Bill Garguilo
Always loved this tune...cuz "my name is Bill and I'm a head case" It speaks to me!
Ken Seibert
When the Who sang this in 67 I was a 2 year old boy and I grew up listening to the who đ¶đđ”đ”đâ€ïžđ”đ¶đ”đ”đ”
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1:30 best vocal harmony