I'm Free

Album: Tommy (1969)
Charted: 37
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Songfacts®:

  • This was part of The Who's rock opera Tommy. Tommy is free because his mother smashed the mirror that he was kind of trapped in. He always gazed at his reflection and this was the only thing he could really see. Now Tommy wants his disciples to follow him ("How can we follow?") and says he's their Messiah. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    The Seeker - Cheltenham, England
  • Pete Townshend wrote Tommy, but their manager, Kit Lambert, deserves some of the credit for the idea. Lambert's father was a conductor and fairly well known in the world of classical music. Kit helped come up with the idea of a rock opera, which incorporated many elements of a classical piece.

Comments: 12

  • Monty Daniels from Waterford, MichiganI'm Free is another Great Who song by Townshend, that shows his musical genius. His guitar riffs, then he adds the keyboards. How he could see & hear how mixing an up-beat & down-beat together would sound so amazing is certainly another reason Pete Townshend is one of the best in Rock & Roll History.... Interesting that both Pete & John played drum parts for Keith because he couldn't get the intro.... That has never came out before.......
  • Bluewaves from CaliforniaThis song always messes me up right at the beginning, because I can't find the beat. Then it all kicks in about 30 seconds in, and you release that Pete's guitar jabs were right on the on-beat all along. And you'd think that I could figure that out the next time I listen to it, and it would sound normal, but no. The beginning ALWAYS does this to me.
  • Brad from Lexington, KyThe live and soundtrack versions are better than the original album version. Just listen to Roger Daltrey scream "I'M FREEEE!!!" in the movie or in concert. Awesome!
  • Kadir Köz from Istanbul, TurkeyGuitar work is fantastic..
  • Shamomo Apolo Onono from Liverpool, OhThis song is better in the movie, i think. But it's awesome, any version!
  • Joe from Bellingham, WaThe song was impressive, but in the movie Tommy, Roger Daltrey gives the most incredible performance of this song ever! i wished it was like that on cd's, but its not...
  • Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThis song rocks. Pinball Wizard solo rocks. Tommy Rocks. Great.
  • Fintan from Cheltenham, EnglandWohoo, I'm credited for the facts...
    Awesome song, they should've released it as a single.
  • Roger from America, PaThe guitar solo is great
  • Nessie from Sapporo, JapanOne of their best. I love the stagger beat at the beginning. Drums are a little over the top.
  • Jacquie from Sparks, NvAnyone know where I could find the Saab commercial; is it online or anything? My friend's told me about it, but I've never seen it.
  • Jon from Sunnyvale, CaIt's now used in a Saab commercial. The Pinball Wizard riff at the end of the ad is also from this song, not the original Pinball Wizard track.
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