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.
water
The Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The poor people on the porch get it so rough
The truck driver drives like a devil
The policemen, they're acting so tough
They need water
Good, good water
We need water
And I'm sure there ain't one of us here
(Oh no, oh no, man)
The foreman over there hates the gang
The poor people on the porch get it so rough
The truck driver drives like a devil
The policemen, they're acting so tough
We need water
Good, good water
We need water
And maybe somebody's daughter
Sampson seems sorta sweaty
They draftsmen, they smudged their work
The captain of our ship is swimming
And just wore off a keen bank clerk
We need water
Good, good water
We need water
And maybe somebody's daughter
C'mon, gimme good water
C'mon, gimme good water
C'mon, gimme good water
Please don't refuse me, mister
I've seen your daughter at the oasis
And I'm beginning to blister
A Chevrolet just made steam
Your crop is laying foul
My grass skirt's lost it's green
I'm alive, but I don't know how
We need water
Good, good water
We need water
And maybe somebody's daughter
Gimme good water, ooh, baby
What I need
Indian Lake is burnin'
New York's skyline is hazy
The River Thames is turnin' dry
The whole world is a-blazin'
We need water
Good, good water
We need water
And maybe somebody's daughter
Ah, gimme what I need
Woo
Water, water, water, water, water, water
Gimme water
Water
Water (water
And I'm sure there ain't one of us here
Who'd say, "No," to somebody's daughter (oh, no)
Whoa
No, no, no, no, no
No, oh, whoa
The Who’s song Water is a protest song about the lack of access to clean water and the struggle faced by people who are affected by it. The song starts off by highlighting the antagonism between the foreman and the gang, as well as the harsh conditions faced by the poor people on the porch, the truck drivers, and the policemen who are all in dire need of water. The lyrics of the song captures the desperation of people seeking water which resonates throughout the song. The song also makes reference to the possible victims of the water crisis by mentioning “somebody’s daughter.” This gives a human face to the issue of water scarcity.
The lyrics to Water are symbolic and can be interpreted in different ways. The verse “The captain of our ship is swimming, and just wore off a keen bank clerk” is an interesting metaphor which can be seen as a comment on the state of disarray that individuals and society finds themselves in, where no one is safe from the effects of the water crisis. In the chorus, the words “good, good water” are repeated several times, indicating how important this resource is to human life.
The last verse mentions global water scarcity issues by citing various locations around the world where access to water is a problem. The song emphasizes the fact that water is a global problem and not limited to just one specific place. The lyrics implore listeners to take action and do something about the issue of water scarcity. Overall, the lyrics of Water by The Who is a powerful call to action that raises awareness of the importance of water and urges society to work towards providing clean water for all.
Line by Line Meaning
The foreman over there hates the gang
The boss dislikes the workers.
The poor people on the porch get it so rough
The people living in poverty have it tough.
The truck driver drives like a devil
The driver is recklessly fast.
The policemen, they're acting so tough
The police officers are behaving aggressively.
We need water
There is a desperate need for water.
Good, good water
The water that is needed must be clean and pure.
And maybe somebody's daughter
Anyone's child might need water.
Sampson seems sorta sweaty
Someone named Sampson is perspiring heavily.
They draftsmen, they smudged their work
The artists made a mistake with their drawings.
The captain of our ship is swimming
The captain is swimming in the ocean.
And just wore off a keen bank clerk
A bank employee is no longer pasty white from lack of sun exposure.
C'mon, gimme good water
Please provide me with clean water.
Please don't refuse me, mister
I am pleading for help.
I've seen your daughter at the oasis
I have seen your child at the water source.
And I'm beginning to blister
I am getting sunburned without water to cool off my skin.
A Chevrolet just made steam
A car is overheating in the heat.
Your crop is laying foul
Your harvest is spoiling in the heat.
My grass skirt's lost it's green
My clothes are faded and dying in the sun.
We need water
There is still a dire need for water.
And maybe somebody's daughter
Anyone's child might need water.
Indian Lake is burnin'
A body of water is on fire.
New York's skyline is hazy
The air quality in New York is poor.
The River Thames is turnin' dry
The Thames river is drying up.
The whole world is a-blazin'
There are many natural disasters and emergencies happening all over the world.
Ah, gimme what I need
Please give me what I need to survive.
Water, water, water, water, water, water
Water is essential to life.
Gimme water
Please give me water.
And I'm sure there ain't one of us here
Who'd say, "No," to somebody's daughter
Everybody would help a child in need.
Whoa
No, no, no, no, no
No, oh, whoa
The situation is dire and nobody wants to be in it.
Lyrics © ABKCO MUSIC INC PETE TOWNSHEND CATALOG , FABULOUS MUSIC LTD , SPIRIT MUSIC GROUP
Written by: Peter Dennis Blandfor Townshend
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jameshw9751
When Daltrey opens up on vocals, it’s a revelation. The guy was one of the great rock singers of all time.
@brianjacob8728
greatest scream in rock and roll
@n.s2353
@@brianjacob8728 primal roar. The mythic scream of rock.
@Floyd_Flynote
He is still one of the greatest.
@jaimedrum
guy embodies a lion
@allbottledup9513
He’s my favorite rock vocalist of all time, hell maybe just my favorite vocalist period. Rock wise, he’s up there with the greats like Marriott, Plant, Mercury, Gillian, Scott/Johnson, Seger, Richard, etc etc.
@Gruntfuttock100
Moon is the sonic equivalent of heavy artillery
@anthonyfelker1712
FIRE FOR EFFECT!!
@macurban7946
Probably better than Ringo
@shaunm.2738
Daltrey... The power he had at that age was incredible.