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.
Odorono
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She couldn't ever sing any better
But Mister Davidson never rang
She knew he would forget her
She'd seen him there
And put herself to ransom
He had stared
She had really looked her best
She couldn't ever look any better
But she knew she'd failed the test
She knew he would forget her
Triumphant was the way she felt
As she acknowledged the applause
Triumphant was the way she'd felt
When she saw him at the dressing room door
She was happier than she'd ever been
As he praised her for her grace
But his expression changed, she had seen
As he leant to kiss her face
It ended there
He claimed a late appointment
She quickly turned
To hide her disappointment
She ripped her glittering gown
Couldn't face another show, no
Her deodorant had let her down
She should have used Odorono
It's smooth sailing with the highly successful sound
Of wonderful Radio London!
The Who's song "Odorono" tells the story of a young woman who works hard to make it as a performer, but ultimately fails to win the attention of the man she desires. She sings the best she ever had and looks her best to impress a man named Mister Davidson, but he never calls her despite her expectations. She feels triumphant when she receives applause from her audience and when she finally sees Mister Davidson in her dressing room. However, her happiness is short-lived as he abruptly leaves claiming a late appointment. The girl becomes devastated when she discovers that her trusted deodorant has failed her, which would have contributed to our embarrassment.
The lyrics express themes of longing, rejection, and disappointment. The singer's desire for recognition and romance only leads to heartache. The last verse is a commentary on the commercialization of radio, representing a juxtaposition of the personal and the impersonal.
Line by Line Meaning
She sang the best she'd ever sang
Despite singing her heart out, she knew she couldn't improve any further.
But Mister Davidson never rang
Despite hoping for a call, she knew she couldn't count on him to remember her.
She knew he would forget her
She had a realistic sense of his intentions and didn't get her hopes up.
She'd seen him there
She had noticed him in the audience.
And put herself to ransom
She had made herself vulnerable, hoping to impress him.
He had stared
He had been looking at her intently.
He really was quite handsome
She found him attractive.
She had really looked her best
She had put in a lot of effort to present herself as well as possible.
She knew she'd failed the test
She felt like she hadn't measured up to his standards.
Triumphant was the way she felt
Despite her disappointment, she felt proud of how she'd performed.
As she acknowledged the applause
She basked in the admiration of the crowd.
When she saw him at the dressing room door
She was thrilled to see him making the effort to come and meet her.
She was happier than she'd ever been
Meeting him had made her feel like all her hard work had paid off.
As he praised her for her grace
His compliments made her feel appreciated and valued.
But his expression changed, she had seen
She picked up on his sudden shift in mood, indicating that something was wrong.
As he leant to kiss her face
She was taken aback by his unexpected advance.
It ended there
Their interaction was brief and didn't lead to anything more.
He claimed a late appointment
He came up with an excuse to leave quickly.
She quickly turned
She didn't want him to see how hurt she was.
To hide her disappointment
She put on a brave face and tried to conceal her feelings.
She ripped her glittering gown
Her frustration and despair led to her damaging her own outfit.
Couldn't face another show, no
She had lost all her enthusiasm for performing.
Her deodorant had let her down
She was embarrassed by her own body odor.
She should have used Odorono
She regrets not using a more effective deodorant.
Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
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.