With an introduction not unlike 'Behind Blue Eyes', '
Imagine A Man' is a dramatic ballad with a lovely distinctive melody and profound lyrics about the tedium of day-to-day life - something that rock stars were not supposed to know about!
Pete:
"It just might be a key to the way that rock could grow old. It's about that feeling of being...not a failure, but over the hill. It's about that pathetic, pointless, tragic situation that a man gets into where -- well, I've never been a great puller of birds, so it's not autobiographical -- but for example where he can't pull without a big scene, and he's not really all that mad or drinking anymore, and to tell the truth he really does quite like watching television. It's a bit of an effort to get out on the pitch and play football on Saturdays and, to be perfectly honest, he does quite like sex on a regular basis so he can build himself up to it and not let the old lady down. It's that type of thing, and it's about how incredible all that is. And I realized after I'd written it what an amazingly perceptive piece of writing it was, and that either I was getting like that or somebody that I knew intimately was getting that way. Then of course I realized the song was about me. And if The Who end up recording this song, then it will definitely be a landmark in our career because it's got the kind of honesty there is in a song like 'Substitute.'"
"Imagine a man
Not a child of any revolt
But a plain man tied up in life
Imagine the sand
Running out as he struts
Parading and fading, ignoring his wife
Imagine a road
So long looking backwards
You can't see where it really began
Imagine a load
So large and so smooth
That against it a man is an ant
Then you will see the end
You will see the end
Imagine events
That occur everyday
Like a shooting or raping or a simple act of deceit
Imagine a fence
Around you as high as prevention
Casting shadows, you can't see your feet
Imagine a girl
You long for and have
And the body of chalky perfection and truth
Imagine a past
Where you wish you had lived
Full of heroes and villains and fools
And you will see the end
You will see the end
And you will see the end
You will see the end
Oh yeah
Imagine a man
Not a child of any revolt
But a man of today feeling new
Imagine a soul
So old it it is broken
And you will know your invention is you
And you will see the end
You will see the end
You will see the end
You will see the end
Oh yeah"
'
Success Story' was written by John, and featured him playing an 8 string bass on record for the first time. The malaise that affected Pete had the same effect on John as well because the message of this catchy autobiographical rocker seems to be that where being a member of The Who used to be fun, it no longer was
John's songs rarely slotted into whatever theme occupied Pete's mind when the band were recording, but this time he was spot on
The line "
I may go far, if I smash my guitar" can only have been written about Pete!
"Friday night, I'm on my way home
They oughta make work a crime
I'm home for the weekend
I'm going to make the most of my time
There's a rock and roll singer on the television
Giving up his music, gonna take up religion
Deserted rock and roll
To try to save his soul
Saturday night, gotta gig with a band
Playing the electric guitar
Someday I'm going to make it
Going to be a super-duper-star
Get a big flashy car
And a house for my Ma
The big break better happen soon
Because I'm pushing twenty-one
Just like Cinderella
When she couldn't go to the ball
A voice said, "I'm your fairy manager
You shall play the Carnegie Hall"
I got to give up my day job
To become a heartthrob
I may go far if I smash my guitar
Away for the weekend
I've got to play some one-night stands
Six for the tax man, and one for the band
Back in the studio to make our latest number one
Take two-hundred-and-seventy-six
You know, this used to be fun
Monday morning, I just got home
Six and the birds are singing
I need a drink and my clothes are wet
Oh, and my ears are still ringing
There's a rock and roll singer bopping on the TV
He used to be a preacher, but now he sings in a major key
Amended his decision to the new religion"