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.
Melancholia
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My heart is sold to melancholia
My clothes are torn, my shoes are worn
My heart is born to melancholia
A strange surprise, what I despised in other guys is here in me
They lose their girl, they lose their world
Then they cry for all to see
The fires drive me mad
The sheets are gray, left since the day she went away, I lost all power
The dust is thick, the dog is sick, the kids have picked most of the flowers
The sun is shining, but not for me
The sun is shining, but not for me
I've never felt so bad
The fires drive me mad
The sheets are gray, left since the day she went away, I lost all power
The dog is sick, the dust is thick, the kids have picked
Most of the flowers
Luna-the-bag-of-nails
In The Who's song Melancholia, the singer describes a state of deep melancholy and despair following the loss of a loved one. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, with the singer feeling lost and powerless without his former partner. The repetition of the phrase "my heart is sold/born to melancholia" emphasizes the singer's sense of being trapped and unable to escape the grip of his sadness.
The second verse introduces a twist, as the singer realizes that the same qualities he used to judge other men for after losing their partners are now present in himself. This suggests that he may have been too quick to judge and that he now sees the pain of heartbreak in a different light. The final repetition of "I've never felt so bad/the fires drive me mad" underscores the intensity of the singer's emotions and the all-consuming nature of his grief.
Line by Line Meaning
My coffee's cold, my paper's old
My morning is starting poorly; my coffee is no longer hot and my newspaper is no longer new.
My heart is sold to melancholia
I am completely consumed by sadness and can't shake it off.
My clothes are torn, my shoes are worn
I am disheveled and run down, reflecting my inner turmoil.
My heart is born to melancholia
I am predisposed to being melancholic, and it's a part of who I am.
A strange surprise, what I despised in other guys is here in me
I'm surprised and disappointed to find that I am experiencing the same sorrow that I once looked down upon in others.
They lose their girl, they lose their world, then they cry for all to see
Others have faced loss and responded with tears, and I'm no different.
I've never felt so bad
This is the lowest point of my life so far.
The fires drive me mad
My emotions are intense and overwhelming, like a burning fire.
The sheets are gray, left since the day she went away, I lost all power
Everything in my life has lost its color and vibrancy since she left, and I feel powerless to change it.
The dust is thick, the dog is sick, the kids have picked most of the flowers
My surroundings are deteriorating and reflecting my inner turmoil; the dust has accumulated, the dog is not well, and the kids have taken away most of the beauty.
The sun is shining, but not for me
I am so consumed with melancholia that I cannot appreciate the beauty of a sunny day.
The sun is shining, but not for me
My sadness is so overwhelming that it seems to obliterate any happiness that may be around me.
I've never felt so bad
This overwhelming sadness is a new and terrible experience for me.
The fires drive me mad
My emotions are becoming unbearable and driving me to the brink of madness.
The sheets are gray, left since the day she went away, I lost all power
The loss of the one I loved has left me feeling impotent and drained of power.
The dog is sick, the dust is thick, the kids have picked most of the flowers
The things I used to take pleasure in or care for are now decaying or gone, emphasizing the despair within me.
Lyrics © Abcko Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER TOWNSHEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jduff59
When a band throws away songs like this, it makes you wonder what other gems may have been lost completely. This is a great song, and would have been great live!
@paulnagy828
This is just another example of what you find when you dig deep into The Who! There are tons more great stuff. The band is so much more than the material presented ad nauseum on alleged classic rock radio stations!
@metaljimmy217
the who played this song to a friend who told them he loved it and then committed suicide the next day ,.. so they vowed to never release the song,..
@jduff59
@@metaljimmy217 Thanks for than Jimmy - this is the type of song that could push a brittle mind over the edge.
@obdeisibcirrus993
Metal Jimmy I call bullshit without proof.
@pehbs3224
The greatest "forgotten gems" of The Who I have found so far were "Melancholia", "Time Is Passing", "Relay", "Whiskey Man" (which was officially released on the album "A Quick One", but never hit the success it deserved) and the version recorded at Eel Pie Studios of "I Don't Even Know Miself". There are probably still several "forgotten gems" recorded by the band, but I strongly recommend that you listen to all these songs, they are true masterpieces!
@HailFireAndIce
That solo is unbelievable, and John's sharp heavy bass and Keith's banging drums only add more to this gem. Amazing!
@ballhawk387
Stunning! More proof The Who was leaving better stuff in the can than most bands ever released in their entire careers.
@CharlySaenz
"The sun is shining, but not for me,
The sun is shining, but not for me.
I've never felt so bad, the virus drives me mad." Also quite.. foretelling.
@flaviuscharlestango4098
One of the first songs to pop up in my head with whats going on