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.
Postcard
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're having a lovely time, wish you were here
We're having a lovely time, wish you were here
There's miles of frankfurters and people who hurt us in Germany
We haven't played since yesterday
There's just ten more shows and one week to go
We'd all like to go
Great piles of spaghetti, bad vibes like confetti in Italy
We go by train and not by plane
We'd come home by car if it wasn't too far
To drive home by car
Hope you're well at home,
Next week I'll try to phone,
Not very long to go,
I'll tell you when I'm coming home as soon as I know
[Chorus]
There's lots of French fries, disapproving eyes in the U.S.A.
We've had no shows since I don't know
There's just one thing wrong, we've been here too long
The money's all gone
[Chorus]
There's kangaroos and we're bad news in Australia
Thrown off the plane for drinking beer
So long on the plane it drove us insane
So long on the plane
Hope you're well at home,
Next week I'll try to phone
Not very long to go
I'll tell you when I'm coming home as soon as I know
[Chorus]
We've done very well, but we've been to hell and heaven as well
The Who's song Postcard paints a picture of a band on tour, sending postcards home to loved ones while experiencing the ups and downs of life on the road. The chorus repeats the refrain "We're having a lovely time, wish you were here," juxtaposing the apparent enjoyment of touring with the homesickness felt by the band members. The first verse describes the experience in Germany, where there are "miles of frankfurters and people who hurt us," suggesting the potential difficulties of navigating unfamiliar places and audiences. In Italy, there are "great piles of spaghetti, bad vibes like confetti," further highlighting the contrast between the pleasures and pressures of touring. The verse about the U.S.A. references French fries and disapproving eyes, perhaps implying a certain stereotypical Americana that the band experiences. Finally, the verse about Australia includes a humorous anecdote about getting thrown off a plane for drinking beer and feeling driven "insane" after too many hours in transit.
Overall, the lyrics to Postcard speak to the bittersweet nature of life on the road for musicians. Touring can be exhilarating and rewarding, but it also involves a lot of hard work, long hours, and separation from home and loved ones. The repetition of the phrase "wish you were here" underscores the band's sense of longing and loneliness, while the detailed descriptions of each country suggest both the excitement and the challenges of life on tour.
Line by Line Meaning
We're having a lovely time, wish you were here
Despite enjoying the tour, the singer wishes that their loved ones were present to share the experience with them
There's miles of frankfurters and people who hurt us in Germany
The band is facing challenges on tour such as unpleasant locals and the monotony of food options
We haven't played since yesterday
The band is used to playing frequently, and a day without a show is unusual for them
There's just ten more shows and one week to go
The tour is almost over and there are only a few more shows left
We'd all like to go
The band is starting to feel homesick and would like to return home
Great piles of spaghetti, bad vibes like confetti in Italy
The band had a negative experience in Italy, perhaps due to poor food and an unwelcoming atmosphere
We go by train and not by plane
The band is using trains as their preferred mode of transportation, possibly to save money
We'd come home by car if it wasn't too far
The band would prefer to drive back home if the location was closer, indicating a desire to leave the tour as soon as possible
Hope you're well at home, Next week I'll try to phone, Not very long to go, I'll tell you when I'm coming home as soon as I know
The singer is looking forward to catching up with their loved ones soon, potentially offering a specific homecoming date after getting clarity from their tour manager
There's lots of French fries, disapproving eyes in the U.S.A.
The band is experiencing disapproval and negative attention in the United States, despite having a surplus of fast food options available to them
We've had no shows since I don't know
The band has not had any shows recently, potentially suggesting that their tour is not going as well as intended
There's just one thing wrong, we've been here too long
The anchor of the band's dissatisfaction is their length of stay in the United States
The money's all gone
The band has run out of their budget, which may explain why they have not had any recent shows
There's kangaroos and we're bad news in Australia
The band likely had a negative experience in Australia, possibly due to misbehaving and causing trouble (hence 'bad news')
Thrown off the plane for drinking beer
The band was removed from a flight due to alcohol consumption
So long on the plane it drove us insane
The lengthy travel time is causing the band to feel restless and go insane
We've done very well, but we've been to hell and heaven as well
The band is acknowledging the highs and lows of their tour, facing both excellent moments and difficult ones so far
We're having a lovely time, wish you were here
The band continues to enjoy themselves but still wishes their loved ones could have shared the experience with them
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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Heidi Benner
This is a beautifully quirky song. Only John could've sung this song, absolute masterpiece
Gayla Smith
Always appreciated John Entwistle's songs!
Captain Turrican
Masterpiece,without doubt! This is the PEARL of the entire music at all...not only rock'n roll!
Mr Roberts
It was even better before it was remixed in '98. You can barely hear the keyboards now.
JP
I love Entwistle playing all of the horns on this song!!!
Lawrence Edmiston
Neato song. Did anyone else catch the musical effects in the verses representing different countries? They are: tuba = Germany, mandolin = Italy, disco drum = USA and wobble board = Australia, in that order.
Mike Shannon
Wobble board! That's it! I always wondered how they made that sound....
sonicsnap117
Another very good song by John!
derbystardom
This version of Postcard is slightly different from the original Odds and Sods version, but I still love it! :)
2000toddowen
Found myself humming and singing this song on my way home from work the other night. Surprised at how much of the lyrics I could remember, even though I probably hadn't heard it since around 1983 when my cassette of "Odds & Sods" took a beer bath in the console of my Olds Cutlass due to spilage while hard cornering or fumbling for my bic. Anywho...I take the rememberence of this song as an omen of sorts. Must be some kind of journey coming my way soon.