See Me, Feel Me

Album: Tommy (1969)
Charted: 12
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Songfacts®:

  • This is the last song on Tommy, the first "rock opera." It tells the story of a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who becomes a pinball champion and is idolized by his followers. This was a very uplifting song to end the rock opera. The show got mostly good reviews.
  • The Who performed the album from start to finish on their tour. Roger Daltrey sang this as the character Tommy.
  • The message of unification and hope in this song was inspired by Meher Baba, a guru Pete Townshend was following. Townshend wrote Tommy in an attempt to bring people together through rock music.
  • Tommy was made into a play as well as a movie. The 1975 movie starred Jack Nicholson, Ann Margaret, Tina Turner and Elton John. Daltrey played Tommy and Keith Moon was the evil Uncle Ernie.
  • On Tommy, this is played as one song with "We're Not Gonna Take It," which follows this on the single release.
  • Some of the names Townshend considered before settling on "Tommy" were "Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy," "The Amazing Journey," and "Brain Opera."
  • The Who played all of Tommyat Woodstock, and they performed this song just as the sun was rising on the third morning of the festival in 1969. That image from Woodstock helped launch Roger Daltrey's career as a sex symbol and The Who's success in America.
  • This title of this song is also the title of a biopic about Who drummer Keith Moon. The full title of the movie is See Me, Feel Me: Keith Moon Naked for Your Pleasure. It is produced by Who frontman Roger Daltrey and Mike Myers plays Moon. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mike - Syracuse, NY

Comments: 38

  • Sam from Rhode IslandIn many ways, this is a recurring 'motif' in the opera, Quadrophenia had a specific one as well present in quite a few songs
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 20th 1970, "See Me, Feel Me" by the Who entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #75; and on November 22nd, 1970 it peaked at #12 {for 2 weeks} and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #2 in the Netherlands and #4 in Canada...
    In 1973 the New Seekers combined it with “Pinball Wizard” and their covered version reached #29 {for 1 week} on April 29th, 1973…
    Between 1965 and 1982 the Who had twenty-six Top 100 records but amazingly only "I Can See for Miles" made the Top 10 {it peaked at #9 for 2 weeks on November 19th, 1967}...
    R.I.P. Drummer Keith Moon {1946 - 1978) and bassist John Entwistle {1944 - 2002}.
  • Brad from Lexington, KyAnd yes, this is a song by itself in some versions, including the single release, several Who compilation albums, and is given it's own seperate track on the most recent "deluxe edition" CD release of Tommy as "Listening to You / See Me, Feel Me".
  • Brad from Lexington, KyActually The Who have played several songs from Tommy other than "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me, Feel Me" live since the Tommy tour, including "I'm Free" and "Tommy's Holiday Camp", both of which are included on the "At Kilburn 1977 DVD" and, on their more recent tours, "Amazing Journey" and "Sparks", not to mention they played Tommy in it's entirety again on their 1989 reunion tour.
  • Scott from Boston, MaI just saw The Who Friday night (Oct. 24, 2008) and the encore consisted of "Pinball Wizard", "Amazing Journey", "Sparks", "See Me, Feel Me", and "Listening to You" before ending the show with "Tea & Theatre".
  • Scott from Boston, MaThis was not its own song on Tommy (as others have pointed out, it's just part of "Christmas", "Go to the Mirror" and "We're Not Gonna Take It"), but it was released as its own single. In concert, The Who often leave out the "We're Not Gonna Take It" part of the song and just play "See Me, Feel Me" and "Listening to You".
  • Marijuana from Really South, Neutral Zonethis song is just a masterpeice me and my band always cover it and just jam it out its just amazing
  • Ken from Louisville, KyWhen I heard the original I, too, was confused on who this song was about...who the "you" was supposed to be. But in the movie, Daltry (as Tommy) is climbing a hill and looking towards the sun, so it seemed obvious it was a God-like figure he was singing to.
  • Ken from Louisville, KyIf you listen to the original version from 1969 and the 1975 movie soundtrack, it is hard to believe the same person was singing. That's how much Roger Daltry's voice and singing style had changed. Daltry switched from a British mod-pop style singer to a more American soul-shouting style.
  • Kiki from Alma, CoSimon, the words "Listening to you..." were actually Pete expressing how he felt about a certain Mehar Baba (spelling). Back in the day, many musical artists had spiritual people to whom they looked for inspiration. So to whom it is dirested in the song is hard to tell for certain. I always pictured many options; his mother to Tommy, his mother to his father, followers to Tommy, Tommy to an outside, unseen source(Mehar Baba), etc.
  • Kiyoto from Vancouver, Canadai keep on watching footage of this song when the who performed this at woodstock, and that is truly a moving performance. roger's voice gave me shivers down my spine, and pete is amazing with all the whirlwinds. shows the who in their prime performinn with all the raw power and sound they had. my favourite band of all time hands down.
  • Craig from Melbourne, AustraliaThey performed this song, "Sparks" & "Amazing journey" as the encore in Melbourne in 2004. I had back row seats, right up the side. Stuff that i thought. I got down to the next level walkway. Then the next. A couple actually walked out just after "Wont get fooled again". That got me to 2nd row on the side, half way down. I then snuck onto the floor and saw these 3 amazing songs from 3 rows from the front! My hair was like it was electrically charged! It was breath taking to experience the power.
  • Sunny from KlNot being pedantic or anything, but wouldn't it sound or look, to be more precise, a bit better if the lines "I get the music" be changed to "I hear the music" and "I get the heat" to "I feel the heat". The word "get" is just way overused in the lyrics: Appears again in "I get excitement", "I get opinions" and "I get the story".
    Nevertheless, a great rallying song indeed.
  • Jon from Tucson, AzSimon, I see it as Tommy singing it. On the Isle of Wight DVD, there is an interview with Pete Townshend where he says the Listening to You part is a prayer. I believe Tommy is finding solace in a higher power after realizing he can't bring others to enlightenment through his camp. Townshend had recently become a disciple of the Meher Baba when he wrote Tommy. I see it as a pro-spiritually but anti-organized religion song.
  • Simon from Vancouver, United StatesI consider myself a Tommy expert. I know the whole story, but there's just one thing that's bugging me. Are the lines "Listening to you,
    I get the music... etc" from Tommy's followers' perspective, or is it Tommy talking about someone or something else? From the lyrics it would make sense that it is from the followers' perspective, but it doesn't make sense because it's at the end of the album. They have already revolted against Tommy, so why would they be praising him? If it is from Tommy's perspective, which would make more sense since the "See Me, Feel Me" part is from his perspective, then who or what is he talking about?
  • Elie from The U.k, Englandthe best version for me is the woodstock one
    great song i love the lyrics
  • Howard from St. Louis Park, MnThe song was part of a medley with Pinball Wizard that was covered by The New Seekers. It was their last Top 40 hit.
  • David Corino from Hawley, PaWhen Daltrey sings "See Me, Feel Me" (just that phrase) is so emotional, and I love the "Listing to you I get the music....." it just goes to show you that everythig will be alright, great way to end Tommy. LONG LIVE ROCK!!!!
  • Jim from Southwest, AlAlso, it was included in the My Generation jam on Live at Leeds
  • Jim from Southwest, AlThis isn't a song. It's only part of "We're Not Gonna Take It", "Go to the Mirror!", etc.
  • Nathan from Defiance, OhI never saw Tommy, is it any good?
  • Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScThey performed this at the Isle of White festival on August 29, 1970? that's so cool! August 29, is my birthday, but I was born in 1988, not 1970. I had my 17th birthday last Monday in fact.
  • Barry from New York, NcAt the Isle of Wight Festival on August 29, 1970 the Who's version of this tune was the climax of their performance as huge spotlights went on, bathing the 600,000 plus crowd in light. This was reminiscent of Woodstock a year earlier where the morning sun rose to SEE ME FEEL ME TOUCH ME HEAL ME....
  • Fintan from Cheltenham, EnglandVincent, Jesus' followers think he's the Messiah and Tommy's followers think he is. So he's a Jesus Christ in a way, at least for his disciples.
  • Vincent from St. Davids, EnglandThis song has a little conection to Jesus Christ. If you think about it...
  • Spencer from Fixing A HoleShana, how is this song in any way homosexual? does it like other songs or something? I think it's just an awesome finale to an outstanding work as a whole.
  • Nessie from Sapporo, JapanI don't give a toss if it's a rock opera. It's an album with a lot of sodding great songs.
  • Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScJust a quick question. when was the album released as a two-cd set?
  • Joel from Palm Beach County, FlActually, I read somewhere that the opera is about autism. For example, in the song, "Go To The Mirror," the doctor states, "his eyes react to light, the dials detect it, he hears but cannot answer to your call," this is a metaphor for the symptoms of the autistic mind, for the reason why would rarely meet an autistic person is because they refuse to be social. I am autistic, so I know this from experience. See Me, Feel Me is a cry to be heard, to be loved as any other person, to be know that his views have been acknowledged
  • Matthew from Palos Park, Il'Tommy' is very uplifting. It's pretty hard to follow, yes, and there are some common misinterpretations (like how it's Captain Walker who shoots the Lover, not the other way around). However, I see it as a song that ultimately spells out redemption. I'ts very similar to "Love Reign O'er Me" finale in 'Quadrophenia', that even with all the trials and tribulations the protagonist must endure, there will always be redemption.

    If you wanna see an album that is a 100% downer, get The Pretty Things' 'S.F. Sorrow'. It was the first rock opera, predating 'Tommy' by a full year. In fact, Arthur Brown encouraged Townshend to write a similar story after hearing it. Comparisons have been drawn, but I think they're too different. Townshend took a very spiritual standpoint, particularly after his finding of Meher Baba and rejection of psychedelic drugs after the Monterey Pop Festival. 'S.F. Sorrow' was actually based off of a short story lead singer Phil May wrote. It's an awesome album, though, especially since it was only made on 3000 pounds (roughly $6500).

    Back to The Who, though. I find 'Quadrophenia' the superior rock opera, as it was much easier to indentify with Jimmy Cooper. They're both good, but everyone's gone through at least part of 'Quadrophenia'. However, both are ultimately about redemption.
  • Matt from Waterloo, Nyhow can u hate this song? great lyrics
    yes, daltry is a little high pitched in the beginning but its a great song
  • Ryan from Lackawanna, NyThis Song was more of a live song, recorded version isn't as good as the live versions, like at Woodstock the DVD It's Awesome, it's completelt different, it gets faster as the song continue's, there's a solo, there are breaks in the song, which makes this an awesome Live Song.
  • Robert from Chicago, IlThe song was taken from We're Not Gonna Take It as a single, but on the recent release of Tommy on 2 CD set, it's now a separate track. At Woodstock, it's said that Roger was tripping on acid from drinking spiked water during the performance.
  • Jacob from Portsmouth, OhThis is one of my favorite albums. It tells a very interesting story and it is a very cool album.Pete Townshind is a great songwriter and The Who is one of the best bands of all time
  • Panther from Houston, Tx"A very uplifting song to end the Rock Opera." This doesn't make any sense to me at all. At least, considering the album (which I am familiar with, as opposed to the film or play), the ending was far from uplifting. We start off with Uncle Ernie finding a new way to get what he wants out of Tommy (this time money as he runs something a bit like a circus focused on the "new messiah"). We then follow the new "disciples" in to learn from Tommy, who finds himself abandoned when what he's saying isn't what people wanted to hear ("we forsake you, gonna rape you, let's forget you better still"). This ends by segueing into Tommy singing in his lost, lonely, haunting voice "see me, feel me, touch me, heal me" and a slightly lighter tone when he reaches the refrain. The last part makes it ambiguous, but all in all, not what I'd call uplifting.
  • Nicoletta from Bronx, Nyyes it is said that keith moon played uncle ernie..pete townshend just played himself.
  • Jeff from Haltom City, TxThis song was never listed as a seperate track on the original version of 'Tommy'. It is heard in several songs on the album ("Christmas", "We're Not Gonna Take It", etc.) but is not identified as a seperate track listing on the album 'Tommy'.
  • Jeff from Haltom City, TxIn the movie Keith Moon played Uncle Ernie, not Pete Townshend.
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