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Old 18th November 2020, 02:57 PM
Susan Foreman's Avatar
Susan Foreman Susan Foreman is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Childhood home of Billy Idol - Orpington
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'The Rock' is the second instrumental on the album. It's a lengthy passage in which the four main themes are reprised in a different order to the earlier 'Quadrophenia' track

This is where the album changes from the Franc Roddam film. In the film, Jimmy steals the Ace Face's scooter and rides to Beachy Head where he sends it over the cliff to it's destruction. On the record, however, Jimmy steals a boat and sails out to a small rock in the sea. He then falls asleep, and the boat drifts off, leaving him stranded there


'Love Reign O'er Me' is Pete's theme. Four resounding notes, descending into the abyss that is both a stormy sea and Jimmy's confusion, herald the best known theme from 'Quadrophenia' and a song that the band continued to play throughout their career. The song reaches for greater heights than simply the climax of Jimmy's story and - with Love as an allegory for God - becomes a prayer to the heavens seeking absolution and contentment. Epic in scale and epic in performance, it is a shattering climax to a richly rewarding listening experience

As for Jimmy...he is left abandoned on the rock, and his ending is ambiguous


"Only love can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers layin' in the fields

Love, reign o'er me
Love, reign o'er me
Rain on me, rain on me

Only love can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high

Love, reign o'er me
Rain on me, rain on me
Love, reign o'er me
Rain on me, rain on me

On the dry and dusty road
The nights we spend apart alone
I need to get back home to cool, cool rain

I can't sleep, and I lay, and I think
The night is hot and black as ink
Oh God, I need a drink of cool, cool rain

Love, reign o'er me
Reign o'er me, o'er me, o'er me
Love, reign o'er me, o'er me
Love"
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