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.
In the City
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into the city
Where the girls are pretty
And you can't go wrong
Take your time
No need to hurry
Don't have to worry
Well you can surf in the city
You can swim in the pools
Do anything you want
Because there ain't no rules
Drive your super-stock carbur to the long highway
And you can drag.
In the city in the falling right
The kids are hip and they can dance all night
In the city all the girls are pretty and they go...
Come along
Into the city
Where the girls are pretty
And you can't go wrong
Well you can surf in the city
You can swim in the pools
Do anything you want
Because there ain't no rules
Drive your super-stock carbur to the long highway
And you can drag.
In the city in the falling right
The kids are hip and they can dance all night
In the city all the girls are pretty and they go...
In the city, into the city...
Lyrics by Mickjagger43
The lyrics of The Who’s song In The City celebrate the freedom and excitement of urban life. The song seems to be an invitation to leave behind the limitations of small town or suburban life and experience the limitless opportunities and pleasures of the big city. The opening lines encourage listeners to “come along into the city” and promise that “the girls are pretty” and “you can’t go wrong.” There’s no rush, and no need to worry, since the city will satisfy every desire.
The second verse depicts the city as a place of endless possibilities, where you can “surf,” “swim,” and do anything you want because there “ain’t no rules.” The singer exalts the thrill of driving a “super-stock carbur” and racing it along the “long highway” while “dragging” with friends. The refrain repeats the advice to come to the city, enjoy the pretty girls, and revel in the freedom to do as you please.
Line by Line Meaning
Come along
Join us on this adventure
Into the city
Let's explore the city
Where the girls are pretty
This city has attractive women
And you can't go wrong
You're guaranteed to have a good time
Take your time
No need to rush
No need to hurry
We can enjoy ourselves at a leisurely pace
Don't have to worry
No need to stress
Cause it won't take long
We won't be here for too long
Well you can surf in the city
There are opportunities for surfing here
You can swim in the pools
The city has pools for swimming
Do anything you want
The city has no restrictions
Because there ain't no rules
There are no regulations or restrictions in this city
Drive your super-stock carbur to the long highway
You can take your high-performance car to the open road
And you can drag.
You can drag race your car
In the city in the falling right
During the night, the city is lively
The kids are hip and they can dance all night
The young people are cool and enjoy dancing all night long
In the city all the girls are pretty and they go...
The city is filled with beautiful women who are out and about
Into the city
Let's keep exploring the city
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES EDWARD DANIELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Macaco Artico
Venir también
Come along
En la ciudad
Into the city
Donde las chicas son bonitas
Where the girls are pretty
Y no puedes equivocarte
And you can't go wrong
Tome su tiempo
Take your time
No hay necesidad de apurarse
No need to hurry
No tienes que preocuparte
Don't have to worry
Porque no tomará mucho tiempo
Cause it won't take long
Bueno, puedes surfear en la ciudad
Well you can surf in the city
Puedes nadar en las piscinas
You can swim in the pools
Haz lo que quieras
Do anything you want
Porque no hay reglas
Because there ain't no rules
Conduce tu carburador super-stock hacia la carretera larga
Drive your super-stock carbur to the long highway
Y puedes arrastrar.
And you can drag.
En la ciudad en la caída a la derecha
In the city in the falling right
Los niños son modernos y pueden bailar toda la noche.
The kids are hip and they can dance all night
En la ciudad todas las chicas son bonitas y se van ...
In the city all the girls are pretty and they go...
Venir también
Come along
En la ciudad
Into the city
Donde las chicas son bonitas
Where the girls are pretty
Y no puedes equivocarte
And you can't go wrong
Bueno, puedes surfear en la ciudad
Well you can surf in the city
Puedes nadar en las piscinas
You can swim in the pools
Haz lo que quieras
Do anything you want
Porque allí
Because there…
Melissa Borges
In The City there's a thousand things...NO, WAIT
love it
João Pequeno
hhaha
L. Salisbury
Also the title of a Joe Walsh song. Anyone who's seen "The Warriors" knows that...
Harry Knackers
Another hit from Jan and Moon!
Nice Guy
Killer urban track.
Ginger Ann
My data shows written and sang by both John and Keith 💚💜💙
granitsky
Jeez listen to the drumming, super wild for '65. Moon was a legend
Macaco Artico
Venir también
Come along
En la ciudad
Into the city
Donde las chicas son bonitas
Where the girls are pretty
Y no puedes equivocarte
And you can't go wrong
Tome su tiempo
Take your time
No hay necesidad de apurarse
No need to hurry
No tienes que preocuparte
Don't have to worry
Porque no tomará mucho tiempo
Cause it won't take long
Bueno, puedes surfear en la ciudad
Well you can surf in the city
Puedes nadar en las piscinas
You can swim in the pools
Haz lo que quieras
Do anything you want
Porque no hay reglas
Because there ain't no rules
Conduce tu carburador super-stock hacia la carretera larga
Drive your super-stock carbur to the long highway
Y puedes arrastrar.
And you can drag.
En la ciudad en la caída a la derecha
In the city in the falling right
Los niños son modernos y pueden bailar toda la noche.
The kids are hip and they can dance all night
En la ciudad todas las chicas son bonitas y se van ...
In the city all the girls are pretty and they go...
Venir también
Come along
En la ciudad
Into the city
Donde las chicas son bonitas
Where the girls are pretty
Y no puedes equivocarte
And you can't go wrong
Bueno, puedes surfear en la ciudad
Well you can surf in the city
Puedes nadar en las piscinas
You can swim in the pools
Haz lo que quieras
Do anything you want
Porque allí
Because there…
Shane Henning
great song
Luileadolfo
Is this the only "official" collaboration between John Entwistle and Keith Moon as songwriters ? Sad they did not do more, or maybe "Girls Eyes" although credited to Moon, was from both.