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.
Silas Stingy
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By the name of Silas Stingy
He carried all his money in a little black box
Which was heavy as a rock, with a big padlock
All the little kids would shout when Silas was about
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
Silas didn't eat, which was just as well
He would starve himself for a penny
He wore old clothes and he never washed
'Cause soap cost a lot and the dirt kept him hot
All the little kids would shout when Silas was about
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
In the back of his head was a voice that said
"Someone will steal it all
You'll be lying in the gutter with an empty box
The thieves will be having a ball"
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
He bought a safe to put the box in
And a house to put the safe in
And a watchdog on a chain to make quite sure
And his face was very funny
When he counted up his money
And he realized he hadn't any more
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
The Who's song Silas Stingy tells the story of a miserly old man named Silas Stingy. He carries all of his money with him in a little black box, which he keeps heavily padlocked. The kids in the town taunt him as he walks by, calling him "mingy Stingy." Silas goes to extreme lengths to save his money, even going without food and hygiene to avoid spending a penny. He buys a safe to put the box in, and a house to put the safe in, and a watchdog to guard it all.
As the song progresses, we hear the voice in Silas's head telling him that someone will steal his money and he'll be left with nothing. In a twist ending, Silas eventually discovers that all of his money is gone. The song ends with the kids taunting him once again, singing "There goes mingy Stingy" as he walks away, broke and alone.
This song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of becoming too obsessed with money and hoarding wealth. It highlights the emptiness and isolation that can come with extreme greed, as well as the ultimate futility of trying to control and protect something as fleeting as money.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time there lived an old miser man
In a distant past, an elderly man characterized by his extreme greed and stinginess existed
By the name of Silas Stingy
This old man was known by the name of Silas Stingy
He carried all his money in a little black box
Silas kept all the wealth he had in a tiny container painted black
Which was heavy as a rock, with a big padlock
The box was incredibly heavy as it held lots of coins, and it had a massive lock to secure it
All the little kids would shout when Silas was about
Whenever Silas was seen, children would start yelling and teasing him
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
They would chant the phrase 'money, money, money bags' repeatedly in mockery of Silas' obsession with riches
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
They would also call him 'mingy Stingy' as it suited his behavior
Silas didn't eat, which was just as well
Silas was so stingy that he would not waste any money buying food for himself
He would starve himself for a penny
In fact, he preferred to go hungry in exchange for saving resources
He wore old clothes and he never washed
Silas' appearance was rugged and dirty since he would wear the same attire over and over again without cleansing
'Cause soap cost a lot and the dirt kept him hot
He had an excuse for not washing due to the fact that soap had an extra cost, and this filthiness served as a way to stay warm during colder days
In the back of his head was a voice that said
Silas had a recurring thought that often plagued his mind
"Someone will steal it all
He had a fear that someone might take all his wealth
You'll be lying in the gutter with an empty box
His phobia often visualized the worst-case scenario, which was him homeless with nothing but an empty box formerly filled with money
The thieves will be having a ball"
He further imagined the thieves having a good time with his riches
He bought a safe to put the box in
As a result of his fear, Silas invested in a secure box to hold his treasure
And a house to put the safe in
He then went ahead and bought a house to store the safe with the box in it
And a watchdog on a chain to make quite sure
To ensure flawless safety, he attained a watchdog on a leash to sound an alert if any intruder dared to come near the box
And his face was very funny
Silas' countenance was hilarious and surprising
When he counted up his money
But when he tried to count the money he had, something unexpected happened
And he realized he hadn't any more
He came to the realization that his worst fear came to pass; all his resources were gone
Money, money, money bags (money, money, money bags)
The children's jeers about his money were now proved meaningless as he was now broke, penniless, and alone
There goes mingy Stingy, there goes mingy Stingy
As a result, there goes his ill-famed name, mingy Stingy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHN ENTWISTLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scarabaeus1
The Who Sell Out is a great album! Love it!
Christopher Casey
It's lighter, more playful. It's a shame The Who rarely plays it live.
SHAKA KHAN
I love Keith's drumming on this track, so orchestral and creative. No other drummer would have ever thought of this approach.
Dave Spagnol
@Mike Pastor. K ... and Nick Mason couldn't manage the drums. The drums were played by producer Norman Smith (who was later known as singer Hurricane Smith).
Mike Pastor. K
Remember a Day' by Pink Floyd has a similar approach and was recorded about the same time.
Christopher Casey
You nailed it. People think he's crazy, but this arrangement makes perfect sense. He was a genius.
fokker313
Saw The Who live a dozen times, the best live band ever....."long live rock"
georgeharrison70
Man, this song is awesome. Go John!
Louis O.
my favorite song off the whole album!
ניר חכם
Yes he so good song