"I suppose I like this least of all the stuff", wrote Townshend. "It suffered from being the first thing we did after Tommy, and also from being recorded a few too many times. We did it once at my home studio, then at IBC where we normally worked then with Kit Lambert producing. Then Kit had a tooth pulled, breaking his jaw, and we did it ourselves. The results are impressive. It sounded great in the mosquito-ridden swamp I made it up in, Florida at three in the morning drunk out of my brain with Tom Wright and John Wolf. But that's always where the trouble starts, in the swamp. The alligator turned into an elephant and finally stampeded itself to death on stages around England. I don't think we even got to play it in the States." (Actually, this is not true, as the band did perform it for about two weeks on their 1970 American tour.) Released in the UK as Track 604036 on March 21, 1970, it reached #19 in the charts. Released in the U.S. as Decca 732729, it hit the Billboard charts on April 11, 1970, eventually peaking at #44. The Who revived the song on the 2006-2007 tour for Endless Wire.
* Canadian rock group Rush recorded a cover of the song on their 2004 album Feedback.
* Scottish singer Fish recorded a version for his 1993 covers album Songs from the Mirror.
* The supergroup The Raconteurs performed a version with Pete Townshend on backup vocals for the Attic Jams album.
# The song was featured in the 2007 video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV, as well as the 1999 films American Beauty and The Limey, and the 2008 documentary Religulous.
# A cover by Big Linda featured in the film "The Seeker".
# Used in the documentary Religulous
The Seeker
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've looked under tables
I've tried to find the key
To fifty million fables
They call me The Seeker
I've been searching low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
I asked Bobby Dylan
I asked The Beatles
I asked Timothy Leary
But he couldn't help me either
They call me The Seeker
I've been searching low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
People tend to hate me
'Cause I never smile
As I ransack their homes
They want to shake my hand
Focusing on nowhere
Investigating miles
I'm a seeker
I'm a really desperate man
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
I learned how to raise my voice in anger
Yeah, but look at my face, ain't this a smile?
I'm happy when life's good
And when it's bad I cry
I've got values but I don't know how or why
I'm looking for me
You're looking for you
We're looking in at other
And we don't know what to do
They call me The Seeker
I've been searching low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
The Who's "The Seeker" is an introspective song about the human need to seek and search for meaning in life. The song begins by describing the singer's search for the "key" to millions of stories, suggesting that he is trying to find the answer to the big questions of life. He has looked everywhere, under chairs, tables, and even sought help from literary and musical legends, but the search remains unfulfilled.
As the song progresses, the singer's desperation to find meaning becomes more apparent. He is willing to search anywhere, focus on anything, and investigate any distance, underscoring the intensity of his search. He is "a really desperate man," someone who is not distracted by things that most people find joyful, such as smiling. He is unhappy because he has not found his purpose.
The chorus repeats that he is "The Seeker" and won't get what he's after until the day he dies, reinforcing the idea that the search is never finished, and the searchers are always seeking. The final lines reveal that the singer is not just searching for the meaning of life but is searching for himself. He is looking for his identity and is curious about the identity of others, indicating a deeper exploration of human nature.
Line by Line Meaning
I've looked under chairs
I've searched everywhere including the hidden places.
I've looked under tables
I've searched beneath things for answers.
I've tried to find the key
I've attempted to discover a solution to my problem.
To fifty million fables
To the many fictional stories or lies people tell.
They call me The Seeker
I'm known as a person who searches for answers.
I've been searching low and high
I've been searching in every possible place.
I won't get to get what I'm after
I won't reach my goal or obtain what I desire.
Till the day I die
Until the end of my life.
I asked Bobby Dylan
I asked the musician Bob Dylan for help.
I asked The Beatles
I asked the band The Beatles for assistance.
I asked Timothy Leary
I asked the psychologist Timothy Leary for guidance.
But he couldn't help me either
But even though I asked for help, I didn't receive any.
People tend to hate me
People don't like me because of my behavior.
'Cause I never smile
Because I don't show happiness outwardly.
As I ransack their homes
As I search through their possessions looking for answers.
They want to shake my hand
Ironically, even though I invade their privacy, they still treat me kindly.
Focusing on nowhere
Trying to concentrate on something but can't find the answer.
Investigating miles
Searching far and wide for an answer.
I'm a seeker
I'm always looking for answers, even if I never find them.
I'm a really desperate man
I'm very anxious to find these answers.
I won't get to get what I'm after
I won't reach the answers I'm seeking.
I learned how to raise my voice in anger
I've learned how to express my frustrations, but it doesn't solve the problem.
Yeah, but look at my face, ain't this a smile?
Even if I'm smiling, it doesn't mean I've found the solution to my problems.
I'm happy when life's good
I find joy when things are working out for me.
And when it's bad I cry
I'm emotional and upset when things aren't going well.
I've got values but I don't know how or why
I have beliefs and morals, but I don't understand the reasoning behind them.
I'm looking for me
I'm searching for a true understanding of myself as a person.
You're looking for you
You're searching for your own self-discovery.
We're looking in at other
We're examining ourselves through each other.
And we don't know what to do
And we're both lost in our search for answers.
I won't get to get what I'm after
I won't reach the answers I'm seeking.
Till the day I die
Until the end of my life.
Lyrics © Sentric Music
Written by: PETER TOWNSHEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wu Wei
I've looked under chairs
I've looked under tables
I've tried to find the key
To fifty million fables
They call me The Seeker
I've been searching low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
I asked Bobby Dylan
I asked The Beatles
I asked Timothy Leary
But he couldn't help me either
They call me The Seeker
I've been searching low and high
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
People tend to hate me
'Cause I never smile
As I ransack their homes
They want to shake my hand
Focusing on nowhere
Investigating miles
I'm a seeker
I'm a really desperate man
I won't get to get what I'm after
Till the day I die
I learned how to raise my voice in anger
Yeah, but look at my face, ain't this a smile?
I'm happy when life's good…
strictlynorton
The Ox and Moony... the engine of the Who. They broke the mold when the music Gods made that duo... Rest easy gentlemen. You earned it!
Quality3rr0r
Not the same without them. Both of them added things that cant be replaced ♥️ if only I was there when they reached threir halcion.
jwaldhelm
@Quality3rr0r I fortunately was, by virtue of my age. Saw them twice in their prime and at the peak of their powers. 👍🎸
tom dorn
Absolutely TD Atlanta
perfectionbox
The Who's discography is one of life's great existential quests. They asked so many fine questions over and over. 🥰
andy massingham
“As I ransack their homes they want to shake my hand.” Still one of the best lyrics ever. And Pete’s mandolin-like solo always makes me smile.
Adiel Stephenson
Absolutely agreed.
Necro Damus
"People tend to hate me because I never smile. As I ransack their homes they want to shake my hand" No wonder they hate him. He's literally ransacking their homes like link breaking pots to get Rupees
George Tebbens
That "mandolin" might be piano.
jfalk35
Reminds me of Clockwork Orange.