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.
I Don't Even Know Myself
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's nothing in the words I speak that can betray anything I'm knowing
Don't think about the way I dress, you can fit me on a labeled shelf
Don't pretend that you know me, 'cause I don't even know myself
Ooh, I don't know myself
I don't mind if you try once in a while
I don't mind if I cry once in a while
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream
Don't listen to the words I say, weighing up if I'm enlightened
Don't shiver as you pass me by, 'cause mister, I'm the one who's frightened
The police just came and left, they wanted me and no one else
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself
Ooh, I don't know myself
I don't mind if you try once in a while
I don't mind if I cry once in a while
The doors aren't shut as tight as they might seem
And I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream
Don't pretend that you know me, 'cause I don't even know myself
Ooh, I don't know myself
Do you remember me, I don't remember you
Do you still love me, you know I think you do
I have been gone, and some prison warder knows my scream
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream
There's only five who know my real name
And my mother don't believe they know it
What she called me is the way I'm staying
And no one'll ever know it
Come on all of you big boys, come on all of you elves
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself
Ooh, I said I don't know myself
I don't mind if you try once in a while
I don't mind if I cry once in a while
The song I Don't Even Know Myself by The Who is a song about self-discovery and struggling with one's identity. The lyrics address the fact that it is difficult for others to truly know someone, as even the individual themselves may not fully understand who they are. The lines "There's nothing in the way I walk that can tell you where I'm going" and "Don't think about the way I dress, you can fit me on a labeled shelf" suggest that appearances can be deceiving and do not necessarily reveal one's true identity. The lines "I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream" and "There's only five who know my real name" suggest a sense of confusion and a desire to break free from societal norms and expectations.
The lyrics also address the idea of judgment and fear of being misunderstood or judged by others. The line "Don't listen to the words I say, weighing up if I'm enlightened" suggests a skepticism towards those who try to analyze or categorize others. The line "Don't shiver as you pass me by, 'cause mister, I'm the one who's frightened" suggests a sense of vulnerability and fear of judgment from others.
The chorus of the song repeats "I don't even know myself" multiple times, emphasizing the struggle of self-discovery and the idea that it is difficult for anyone, even the individual themselves, to fully understand who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nothing in the way I walk that can tell you where I'm going
My outward appearance doesn't reveal anything about my inner thoughts or plans.
There's nothing in the words I speak that can betray anything I'm knowing
Even if I talk about something, it doesn't mean that I actually know or understand it.
Don't think about the way I dress, you can fit me on a labeled shelf
My clothing style doesn't define who I am and shouldn't be used to judge or categorize me.
Don't pretend that you know me, 'cause I don't even know myself
I'm still trying to figure out who I am, so don't claim to know me better than I know myself.
I don't mind if you try once in a while
It's okay if you make an effort to understand me, even if you might not succeed.
I don't mind if I cry once in a while
It's okay if I show emotions and vulnerability sometimes.
The doors aren't shut as tight as they might seem
I might seem closed off, but there's still a chance for people to get to know me.
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream
I'm struggling to find my place in the world and figure out my true identity.
Don't listen to the words I say, weighing up if I'm enlightened
Just because I speak about certain topics or issues, it doesn't mean I have all the answers or that I'm more enlightened than others.
Don't shiver as you pass me by, 'cause mister, I'm the one who's frightened
Don't be afraid of me or intimidated by my appearance, because in reality, I'm the one struggling with fear and uncertainty.
The police just came and left, they wanted me and no one else
I might have a troubled past or have been in trouble with the law, but that doesn't define who I am now.
Do you remember me, I don't remember you
Even if we've met before, I might not remember you, especially if we didn't have a meaningful connection.
Do you still love me, you know I think you do
Even if we haven't talked in a while, I still believe that those who love me will continue to do so.
I have been gone, and some prison warder knows my scream
I might have been through tough times, like being in prison, but those experiences don't define me or my worth.
There's only five who know my real name
I might have changed my name, or only those closest to me know my true identity.
And my mother don't believe they know it
Even my own mother might not be aware of my true name or identity.
What she called me is the way I'm staying
I might have embraced a new identity or name that is different from what my mother called me, but it's my choice and my way of defining myself.
Come on all of you big boys, come on all of you elves
Addressing the larger society, inviting them to try to understand me for who I really am, beyond stereotypes.
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself
Reiterating the theme that it's impossible for others to fully understand me, because I'm still trying to find my own identity.
Ooh, I said I don't know myself
Summarizing the main message of the song: that the artist is still trying to understand their own identity and place in the world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Peter Dennis Blandfor Townshend
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JJ
on Won't Get Fooled Again - Original Album Version
It was Racist
Philip Kassabian
on Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
The Who have so many great songs it's difficult to even describe.
Philip Kassabian
on See Me, Feel Me
Yet another excellent song by The Who one of the best bands of the 1960's.
Philip Kassabian
on I Can't Explain
A really good song by The Who.
Philip Kassabian
on I Can See for Miles
A song that definitely gets stuck in your head.
Philip Kassabian
on My Generation
An amazing song by The Who.