The Who are known not only as one of the top rock acts to come out of the 1960s but also as one of the most chaotic. They were known for their raucous stage antics, which included the destruction of their instruments and explosions. This gave The Who a reputation in rock music, on top of their electric and daring sound. By 1978, The Who had multiple successful releases that helped define rock and roll. The band as a whole was still peaking, while personally, the members were slowly deteriorating. Their 1978 hit, “Who Are You”, summarized how guitarist Pete Townshend saw his life at the time. The track was inspired by a true story and was detailed as such in the lyrics.
Townshend had left an 11-hour royalty meeting in London, referenced in the lyrics “eleven hours in the tin pan / God, there’s got to be another way.” After the meeting, Townshend went out drinking and ran into two members of The Sex Pistols, Steve Jones and Paul Cook. After a long night of heavy drinking with the punk rockers, Townshend passed out in a doorway in Soho. He was woken up by a police officer who recognized the guitarist and told him he could go home if he could “get up and walk away.”
I woke up in a Soho doorway
A policeman knew my name
He said, “You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away”
I staggered back to the underground
And the breeze blew back my hair
I remember throwin’ punches around
And preachin’ from my chair
Townshend famously responded to the officer, saying, “Well, who are you?” This led to a hit song.
Pete Townshend Detailed His Frustrations With Fame
I took the tube back out of town
Back to the Rollin’ Pin
I felt a little like a dying clown
With a streak of Rin Tin Tin
I stretched back, and I hiccupped
And looked back on my busy day
Eleven hours in the tin pan
God, there’s got to be another way
Sadly, Townshend reflects on his career and states that he feels like a dying clown. At the time, Townshend was struggling with alcoholism while other members of the band were struggling with drug addiction. Notably, this would be The Who’s final album with drummer Keith Moon before he tragically lost his life due to a drug overdose. Townshend brilliantly details how he feels in the music industry, using metaphors in the final verse.
I know there’s a place you walked
Where love falls from the trees
My heart is like a broken cup
I only feel right on my knees
I spit out like a sewer hole
Yet still receive your kiss
How can I measure up to anyone now
After such a love as this?
The Who’s ‘Who Are You’ Was A Massive Success Just Before Tragedy
Who Are You was released on August 18, 1978, and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Additionally, the album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums chart. The track, “Who Are You”, peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Less than a month after the album’s release, drummer Keith Moon overdosed and lost his life. Many pointed out a strange coincidence on the album cover. The chair Moon is sitting in reads, “Not to be taken away.”
Another strange coincidence occurred as Moon died in the same flat that Cass Elliot of The Mamas & The Papas had died in just four years earlier. He rented the flat from Harry Nilsson, who felt the place was cursed. Nilsson was concerned about renting it to Keith Moon, but Pete Townshend assumed lightning wouldn’t strike twice. He advised Moon to move into the place, which ultimately ended in tragedy.
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