'
Welcome' is another song written prior to the opera about Pete's growing feeling of spirituality. The gentlest song on the album with Roger at his most melodic, speeds up during the middle section with Roger on harmonica, then returns to its mannered, rather dreamy aura
The song was not performed in the live version.
"Come to my house
Be one of the comfortable people.
Come to this house
We're drinking all night
Never sleeping.
Milkman come in!
And you baker,
Little old lady welcome
And you shoe maker
Come to this house!
Into this house.
Come to this house
Be one of us.
Make this your house
Be one of us.
You can help
To collect some more in
Young and old people
Lets get them all in!
Come to this house!
Into this house.
Ask along that man who's wearing a carnation.
Bring every single person
from Victoria Station,
Go into that hospital
and bring nurses and patients,
Everybody go home and fetch their relations!
Come to this house
Be one of the comfortable people.
Lovely bright home
Drinking all night never sleeping.
We need more room
Build an extension
A colourful palace
Spare no expense now
Come to this house
Be one of us
Come into this house
Be one of us
Come to this house
Into this house
Welcome"
Despite Keith getting a writing credit for the short vocal link '
Tommy's Holiday Camp', the song was actually penned by Pete. In fact, Keith doesn't even perform on it. Nor do any other members of the band apart from Pete, who used his original demo version
Pete:
"As we were leaving IBC Studios one day, I said to Keith and John as they were walking down the stairs, 'I've really got to do something with this whole business of the establishment, the church, or what turns out to be the church at the end of the story. I've got to work out something to give it life, to make it real, to make it palatable, but not something churchy, which would make the whole tone of the album pretentious.' Keith said, 'Well I've been thinking that it would be a good idea to set the whole thing in a Holiday Camp.' I said, 'What a great idea,' and Keith said, 'Well O.K. I'll write that tonight.' I thought, 'God Almighty, if Keith goes off and gets into writing songs about Holiday Camps, I don't know how they'll fit in.' So I said to him, 'Don't worry Keith, I've already written it.' Keith got the credit for it because it was his idea, and also I felt, it turned out just as he himself would have written it"
The album finishes on fine style with the three song medley '
We're Not Gonna Take It' / '
See Me, Feel Me' / '
Listening To You'. The first song is a catchy riff based piece about rejecting fascism, and the second is a circular, looping prayer for unification. With it's churning major chords, the finale to 'Tommy' is among the most simple, yet effective, pieces of music that Pete had ever written. 'See Me, Feel me' is the most obvious hymn to his spiritual leader Meher Baba - or any deity come to that - in the bands catalogue, although there are other examples in songs on 'Who's Next' and 'Quadrophenia'. 'Listening To You' is crystal clear homage, and when it is played live, it seems that The Who are indeed paying a remarkable tribute to the audience they are performing for. In this respect, it couldn't fail to lift the spirits, just as hymns are meant to do. And when the stage and venue lights are turned on, The Who's auditorium becomes a cathedral in which preachers and congregation are united in a mass celebration of rock music. Hell, I have even seen disabled fans waving their crutches in the air during the song, and a few people walking away from their wheelchairs!
"Welcome to the Camp,
I guess you all know why we're here.
My name is Tommy
and I became aware this year
If you want to follow me,
you've got to play pinball.
And put in your earplugs
put on your eyeshades
you know where to put the caulk
Hey you getting drunk, so sorry!
I've got you sussed.
Hey you smoking Mother Nature!
This is a bust!
Hey hung up old Mr. Normal,
Don't try to gain my trust!
'Cause you ain't gonna follow me any of those ways
Although you think you must
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
Never did and never will
We're not gonna take it
Gonna break it, gonna shake it,
let's forget it better still
Now you can't hear me,
your ears are truly sealed.
You can't speak either,
your mouth is filled.
You can't see nothing,
and pinball completes the scene.
Here comes Uncle Ernie to guide you to
Your very own machine.
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
We're not gonna take it
Never did and never will
Don't want no religion
And as far as we can tell
We ain't gonna take you
Never did and never will
We're not gonna take you
We forsake you
Gonna rape you
Let's forget you better still.
See me.
Feel me.
Touch me.
Heal me.
Listening to you,
I get the music.
Gazing at you,
I get the heat.
Following you,
I climb the mountains.
I get excitement at your feet.
Right behind you,
I see the millions.
On you,
I see the glory.
From you,
I get opinions.
From you,
I get the story."