Slit Skirts by Pete Townshend

Album: All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1982)

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Songfacts®:

This is Townsend's personally felt lament to the way a decline in a couple's sex life so often leads to the overall decline and disintegration of the relationship. He tells of it primarily from the point of view of the man, whose libido and performance both tend to diminish with age. >>
Suggestion credit:
S.D. - Denver, CO
The Who was still active when Pete Townshend recorded the All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes album - he snuck it in between sessions for the Who albums Face Dances (1981) and It's Hard (1982). Townshend's marriage was on the rocks at the time, which influenced this song. He and his wife Karen ended up getting back together; they divorced in 2009.
The opening lines reflect the turmoil Townshend had been going through:

I was just 34 years old and I was still wandering in a haze
I was wondering why everyone I met seemed like they were
Lost in a maze

Townshend was 34 years old in 1979, which is when his drinking became a problem. The Who looked like they were going to break up, which triggered his alcoholism. After finally getting sober in 1981, Townshend realized he was using booze (and later, drugs) to deal with his problems instead of facing them head on.
The bass player on this song was Tony Butler, whose band, Big Country, took off a short time later. He shows up in the video.

Comments: 6

Joseph Esposito from New HavenPete is definitely lamenting the immodest dress of wo-MEN he is saying his wo-MAN wouldn't dare be so immodest that she would wear a slit skirt. He is expressing disgust at modern wo-MAN'S immodesty & selfishness
J from Planet EarthBob and Ray, both impressive posits; siding with Bob (or is it Eric) as he is more comprehensive; Townshend generates esoteric lyrics capturing (intentionally or not) the confusion caused when people attempt to have it both ways all the time. Sadly, it can be the human condition when people weaken and feed their illegitimate desires instead of the legetimate desires they commit to; "no one respects the flame..." for example; even though one threw oneself into it. Or as Bob says, Townshend's ex will never just be another desparate middle aged woman to Townshend, even after Townshend chooses infidelilty effectivly causing her to be a desparate, middle aged woman.

Again, we like to feel superior, in control, regardless of our decision, albeit an odd or conflicting decision, to destroy what we legitimatly worked to make or legitimatly comit to. One word for it is pride. Another word for it is selfish. Another could be immaturity, easy come, easy go. Intellectuals, don't we love it?

Fits with smashing the guitars doesn't it? Or, "Hope I die before I get old" ... Fun!

Or: "I just want to be misunderstood, and the toughest little kid in the neighborhood".

Much ado about nothing; PT gets paid. Bully for PT and bandmates.

Why bother lamenting the passing of time? Would time be better invested in making the present and future more meaningful by honoring comittments and valuing others as much as oneself? Logical. How booring!! I'd rather be contradicting myself too, if I could afford it. As Groucho Marx once said: Please accept my resignation as I could never be part of any group that would have the likes of me as one of its members.

Have to say, always liked PT's music and auto destruct mode, just fun! Don't know why.

At last, let's sum it all up with one word...

....say it with me:

POWER - CHORD

Keep up the good work lads.
Bob from San FranciscoThis song is an amazing reflection on the trajectory of a relationship from a moment of physical attraction through lust-driven physical love, fleeting romance, regret and finally dissolution and depression. You can imagine the sweet smell of insence during the early days of a seductive game ending up as the stench from the rotting corpse of a dead relationship. There's the selfishness of sexual freedom (the coil) and entrepreneurial pursuits (the oil) by men not mature (fit) enough for the family life (children) that might have lead to a less lonely trajectory (watching the late TV shows).
Ray B from New JerseyDon’t forget the great Simon Phillips is playing drums. Although the video shows Big Country drummer behind the skins.
Andy from FloridaEric from Virginia; I have to disagree. I think you have the first part right about the disintegration of the marriage - there are plenty of lines to support that - but with regard to her attitude, it talks about how they both have become stagnant - "we have to be so drunk to try a new dance" "she wouldn't dare in those slit skirts" - that suggests he's upset that she has to be drunk just to do anything new...
Eric from VirginiaOh God no. No, No, NO. A thousand nos! (to B.D.'s explanation)

There are a couple of lines in the second verse that can be read as referring to sexual performance, but that is totally missing the point of the song.

This is an incredible meditation on the disintegration of a marriage in middle age. A meditation bristling with frustration, anger, defiance, disappointment -- you name it.

Townshend is both ruing the loss of his youth and the opportunity, romance and idealization that accompanies youth while also saying that his ex (Jeanie) will never be some middle aged faceless woman in a slit skirt desperately trying to find someone new. And he won't be some middle aged wanker in a ripped shirt doing the same. He's ruing the loss of his marriage and of his youth while simultaneously giving the middle finger to being some desperate middle aged has-been. And that his ex is too good for that also.

An absolutely brilliant -- and defiant -- meditation on aging, loss, and heartache.

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