Maximum R&B: The 'Orrible 'Oo

[Susan Foreman]

November 4th, 1984 - 36 years ago today, ITV begins airing an advert for the American Express credit card featuring Roger at his trout farm in Burwash,
East Sussex, TN21 8UX

LAKEDOWN TROUT FISHERY

[Susan Foreman]

November 5th, 1973 - One of the most infamous days in Who-History

Violence exploded on stage during a concert at the Newcastle Odeon due to the complications with the material from 'Quadrophenia' that was being played. Pete loses it during '5:15' when the backing tapes tapes the band use come in too slow. He attacks road manager Bobby Pridden and drags him over the soundboard. He then starts to rip up the tapes, before announcing to the audience that he will never play live again and stalking offstage

The curtain drops only to go back up ten minutes later as The Who with Pete come back onstage, drop the remainder of the planned set list, and play a set of oldies instead

The following day, the local newspapers cover the story

[Transcribed as much as possible]

The Who in a storm

"Police were called to a Gateshead hotel early today after reports of an incident involving The Who pop group following their stormy appearance before 2,000 fans at a city cinema last night.

The uniformed police went to the groups luxury suite at the Five Bridges Hotel in the early hours of the morning to investigate a reported disturbance.

A senior spokesman at Gateshead police station today said: "When officers arrived it was ??? that everything was quiet and no police action was necessary."

The hotel's deputy manager Mr. Robert Mitchell(?) said "We do not know the full details. We are waiting to hear from the night porter to find out exactly what happened."

Mr. Mitchell(?) added: "We are just discussing it at the moment. There was a disturbance." He said talks would probably be held with The Who later today.
Early inquirers at the hotel today were told: "They are all in bed. There was a party last night"

But by midday the group had left the hotel and were not expected to return until later. They have two more performances at the Newcastle Odeon"

[Transcribed as much as possible]

The Who: A ridiculous display of unwarranted violence

"The Who rock band lived up to its reputation for violence on stage with an expensive display of guitar and amplifier smashing at the Odeon Cinema last night.

The concert was stopped in chaos when guitarist Pete Townshend howled out sound engineers, destroyed pre-recorded backing tapes and smashed up 100 worth of equipment during the groups presentation of its latest rock opera.
It was a ridiculous display of unwarranted violence witnessed by thousands of easily in flunked teenage pop fans.

Townshend, a temperamental but brilliant guitarist is quite notorious for sudden fits of violence on stage which have almost become accepted as part of the stage act by his many followers.

But this time stage hands rushed to disconnect electric amplifiers and Townshend's electro guitar after he swung it at a microphone and then smashed it to pieces on the stage floor.

Tempers flared after drummer Keith Moon had trouble with headphones. He let the drumsticks fly as the sound engineers battled to fix them.

Then Townshend intervened, yelling at the engineers behind control panels on the side of the stage. He ripped out backing tapes and heaved over equipment into the side curtains.

The there other members of the band -- lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon - just stared. The safety net was lowered to the stage but the lights stayed out.

Fans sat, quietly at first in total darkness and ??? obviously quite frightened -- frantically ?? torchlights across the audience.

After 10 minutes, with absolutely no trouble from the audience, the curtain was raised and Daltrey launched the band into a medley of "oldies."

Then he yelled four-letter words at the audience, calling them -- among many other derogatory terms - bastards and tried to explain everything by singing "My Generation" a song about the generation gap and how no one understands the younger generation.

The Townshend hurled his guitar against the upstanding microphone and smashed it into a score of pieces by baking it against the stage floor.
He then turned on a row of filled amplifiers at the back of the stage and hurled the top one to the ground. Keith Moon waded through his range of drums, spilling them across the stage and Daltrey took a last kick at his microphone. They all left to thunderous applause.

It was, in my opinion, an extremely childish publicity stunt with potentially damaging effect on thousands of youngsters who invariably follow their idols in all they do.

Otherwise, The Who were musically immaculate, as always.

Concerts tonight and tomorrow will go ahead as planned."

Bob Pridden backstage after the show

NOTE - also in this picture are members of the support band 'Kilburn And The Highroads' - on the left is bass player Humphrey Ocean [who would later become a painter and Royal Academy Professor of Perspective]; behind Pete, and wearing the hat is pianist Russell Hardy; and with the dark hair and denim jacket to Bob's right is Ian Dury

[Susan Foreman]

November 5th, 2008 - 12 years ago today, Roger and Pete play at the benefit show for the Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City, New York

[Susan Foreman]

Released in December 1972, 'Relay' is another song that was originally written for the 'Lifehouse' album, but then shelved along with the rest of the album. It was then resurrected to be used in another Who album entitled 'Rock Is Dead — Long Live Rock!', that was also ultimately abandoned

A 'wah-wah' guitar, or possibly a 'treated synthesizer guitar' opens a full tilt rocker about the need to exchange information and ideas - or at ;east pass them onto the next generation. With a ringing acoustic guitar in one channel and the wah-wah in the other, not to mention John's exemplary bass playing high up on his fretboard, there is a wealth of good ideas, both musically and lyrically, here. Plus, there is a nice allegory about passing the baton in a relay race

Much too weighty to be released as a single, it reached no. 21 in the UK chart in 1973

'Relay' was also the last non-album single by The Who until 'Real Good Looking Boy' was released 32 years later in 2004

"You can hear it in the street, see it in the dragging feet,
The word is getting out about control,
Spies they've come and gone, the story travels on,
The only quiet place is inside your soul.

From tree to tree, from you to me,
Traveling twice as fast as on any freeway,
Every single dream, wrapped up in the scheme,
They all get carried on the relay.

Relay, things are brewing,
Relay, something's doing,
Relay, there's a revolution,
Relay, relay, hand me down a solution, yeah.
Pass it on, come on, a relay.

Someone disapproves of what you say and do,
I was asked to see what I could really learn you,
Don't believe your eyes, they're telling only lies,
What is done in the first place don't concern you.

From tree to tree, from you to me,
Traveling twice as fast as on any freeway,
Every single dream wrapped up in the scheme,
They all get carried on the relay.

Relay, things are brewing,
Relay, something's doing,
Relay, there's a revolution,
Relay, relay, hand me down a solution, yeah.
Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on, hey you, pass it on,
We're on the relay, get a moving, get on a moving on,
The relay, the relay, the relay, the relay."

The B-side of the single was an instrumental by Keith called 'Wasp Man', although it's thought John actually wrote it and gave the credit to Keith

Three minutes of pure lunacy that allegedly originated when Keith, bored on a long flight from Australia, adopted the guise of a wasp, and ran around the plane making buzzing noises and wearing a groupies bra wrapped around his face!

Relocating to the studio, he continued to buzz while the band played a truly monotonous three chord riff. It would be generous to describe this track as 'filler material'!

On other instrumental songs, Keith had always made a point of doing something special on the drums, but sadly that is not evident here

The band didn't return to Australia until 2004!

"Waspman...
Sting, sting
Don't get stung
You're gonna get stung
[etc.]"

[Susan Foreman]

Album #7:
Quadrophenia

After the Mod album, the experimental album, the themed concept album, the narrative concept album, the live album and the progressive rock album, we get the hard rock album!

The Who were often accused of being obsessed with their own history, and while 'obsessed' is too strong a word, there is no doubt that their experiences as a band – and a bands experiences of life – offered Pete a rich stream of subject matters to chronicle in their songs. No better example of this can be found in the 1973 release 'Quadrophenia' which brought together several essential elements of Pete's style: the song cycle; the synthesizers he pioneered on 'Who's Next'; adolescent frustration; the search for spiritual contentment and effort to try and make sense of his own past, especially the Mod experience which the band had observed in 1964 and were so closely associated with. In doing so, he created a minor masterpiece and one which continues to fascinate new converts almost 50 years after its initial release

Unfortunately, while the timing for the release of 'Tommy' was perfect, 'Quadrophenia' arrived at a time when lengthy rock works (such as this) were beginning to lose their charm. In 1973, rock fans seemed less inclined to sit through and assimilate so much material in one stretch as they were in 1969. A few years later, in 1976, three minute explosions would be all the rage, courtesy of Punk, and works like 'Quadrophenia' roundly vilified – not that the Who hadn't blazed a trail of three minute explosions of their own, of course, but that was conveniently forgotten by their critics

There were also problems playing the album live. As has already been noted, at their best, The Who were a free-flowing, high energy machine, capable of improvising at will and flying off at remarkable tangents. However, great chunks of 'Quadrophenia' used a lot of backing tape synth music and sound effects which dictated a different approach on stage – a more rigid style which allowed little room for the band to play together in the style they excelled. When the band didn't gel with the tapes, or the tapes didn't gel with the band or – even worse – when the tapes came in at the wrong time, and threw everyone off balance, the live 'Quadrophenia' came crashing down, reducing Pete to a spluttering rage. While Roger, John and Keith were always eager to please, they were also concerned that Pete was aiming too high, and they grew equally frustrated.

'Quadrophenia' is the story of the journey of a Mod named Jimmy, whose relentlessness, frustration and ultimate disillusionment drive him almost to suicide. It takes in many Mod concerns – clothes, styles, trips to Brighton, pills and even a concert by The Who themselves – and ends with a triumph when Jimmy manages to free himself from the shackles of the Mod cult. Each member of the band has their own musical theme on the album, and each one represents a facet of Jimmy's quadrophonic personality (although this aspect of the album is never fully investigated). Of course, no-one in The Who was ever a Mod. Roger and John were rockers, Keith was a fan of surf music and wanted to be a Beach Boy and Pete was an art student with an inquisitive mind who latched onto the Mod movement at the suggestion of early manager Pete Meadon as a way to further than bands career. But that didn't stop him from observing the Mods way of their life, their rituals and dances, and sympathising with their attitudes. 'Quadrophenia' was his debt to Mod culture and as such it has become a lasting Mod icon

The front cover of the album featured a Mod (23 year old Terry Kennett, a paint sprayer from Battersea who was discovered by Pete in The Butcher's Arms pub near Ramport Studios) sitting on his scooter, wearing a Parka jacket with 'The Who' spray painted on the back. The faces of the band members can be seen in the mirrors of the scooter

The back cover was a simple wrecked scooter, almost completely submersed in the sea. [As you will see, the concept of 'water' plays a big part in Quadrophenia]

Also included with the release was a gorgeous 22 page booklet of evocative black and white photos illustrating Jimmy's odyssey. Song lyrics and copious sleeve notes complete the package

'I Am The Sea', which opens the album, is a short seascape sound that contains the faint echoes of the four principle 'Quadrophenia' themes. The sea and storm effects are captured perfectly, and (on a good stereo system) sound wonderfully realistic. There is a dramatic cry of 'Can You See The Real Me? Can ya? Can ya?' from Roger before John's bass comes dancing in and the guitars take over. 'The Real Me' is pure unadulterated rock, lifting and descending with asymmetrical drum patterns and sharp guitar chords, plus the brass section that features heavily throughout the album. Towards the end, Pete, who is never obtrusive on the song, cuts out completely to let John and Keith carry the rhythm as only they can do

The song was later covered by W.A.S.P on their 1989 album 'The Headless Children'

"I went back to the doctor
To get another shrink.
I sit and tell him about my weekend,
But he never betrays what he thinks.

Can you see the real me, doctor?

I went back to my mother
I said, "I'm crazy ma, help me."
She said, "I know how it feels son,
'Cause it runs in the family."

Can you see the real me, mother?

The cracks between the paving stones
Look like rivers of flowing veins.
Strange people who know me
Peeping from behind every window pane.
The girl I used to love
Lives in this yellow house.
Yesterday she passed me by,
She doesn't want to know me now.

Can you see the real me, can you?

I ended up with the preacher,
Full of lies and hate,
I seemed to scare him a little
So he showed me to the golden gate.

Can you see the real me preacher?
Can you see the real me doctor?
Can you see the real me mother?
Can you see the real me?"

The title track of the album, 'Quadrophenia', is the first of two instrumentals that appear on the album. This track works in the same way as the 'Overture' from 'Tommy' did - it gives a musical taster of the songs that are to come. The arrangements are surprisingly sophisticated, and the pounding version of 'Love Reign O'er Me' is incredibly powerful

[Susan Foreman]

'Cut My Hair' is one of the weaker songs on the album, where Jimmy tells of his home life and the hopelessness of always trying to stay ahead of the latest fashions

The song, which features Pete singing the verses and Roger on the chorus, quotes from the High Numbers track 'Zoot Suit' and finishes with a news report about the Mods and Rockers fighting on Brighton beach read by BBC announcer John Curle

"Why should I care
If I have to cut my hair?
I've got to move with the fashions
Or be outcast.
I know I should fight
But my old man he's really alright,
And I'm still living at home
Even though it won't last.

Zoot suit, white jacket with side vents
Five inches long.
I'm out on the street again
And I'm leaping along.
I'm dressed right for a beach fight,
But I just can't explain
Why that uncertain feeling is still
Here in my brain.

The kids at school
Have parents that seem so cool.
And though I don't want to hurt them
Mine want me their way.
I clean my room and my shoes
But my mother found a box of blues,
And there doesn't seem much hope
They'll let me stay.

Zoot suit, etc.

Why do I have to be different to them?
Just to earn the respect of a dance hall friend,
We have the same old row, again and again.
Why do I have to move with a crowd
Of kids that hardly notice I'm around,
I have to work myself to death just to fit in.

I'm coming down
Got home on the very first train from town.
My dad just left for work
He wasn't talking.
It's all a game,
'Cos inside I'm just the same,
My fried egg makes me sick
First thing in the morning."

One of the hardest songs on the album, 'The Punk And The Godfather' sees Jimmy coming face to face with The Who - with Pete as The Godfather - and questioning his allegiance towards everything. He realizes that the band have lied to him, and live in a world he doesn't understand or could ever attain to. Opening with a magnificent double tracked guitar chord riff, and with echos of 'My Generation' and crowd noise, uptempo passage fades away to one of the most evocative autobiographical asides that Pete has ever written - "I have to be careful not to preach / I can't pretend that I can teach / And yet I've lived your future out / By pounding stages like a clown"

"You declared you would be three inches taller
You only became what we made you.
Thought you were chasing a destiny calling
You only earned what we gave you.
You fell and cried as our people were starving,
Now you know that we blame you.
You tried to walk on the trail we were carving,
Now you know that we framed you.

I'm the guy in the sky
Flying high Flashing eyes
No surprise I told lies
I'm the punk in the gutter
I'm the new president
But I grew and I bent
Don't you know? don't it show?
I'm the punk with the stutter.
My my my my my mmmm my my my.

GGGGG-g-g-g-g generation.

We tried to speak between lines of oration
You could only repeat what we told you.
Your axe belongs to a dying nation,
They don't know that we own you.
You're watching movies trying to find the feelers,
You only see what we show you.
We're the slaves of the phony leaders
Breathe the air we have blown you.

I'm the guy etc.

I have to be careful not to preach
I can't pretend that I can teach,
And yet I've lived your future out
By pounding stages like a clown.
And on the dance floor broken glass,
The bloody faces slowly pass,
The broken seats in empty rows,
It all belongs to me you know.

You declared etc."

[Susan Foreman]

'I'm One' opens as a gentle folksy ballad with finger picking guitar before the band join in to bring the song into it's own. With less synthesizers, and therefore less overdubs than most of the other songs on the album, it feels more like a live track

Within the story, this is where Jimmy is determined to retain his own identity, regardless of what the crowd may think

"Every year is the same
And I feel it again,
I'm a loser - no chance to win.
Leaves start falling,
Come down is calling,
Loneliness starts sinking in.

But I'm one.
I am one.
And I can see
That this is me,
And I will be,
You'll all see
I'm the one.

Where do you get
Those blue blue jeans?
Faded patched secret so tight.
Where do you get
That walk oh so lean?
Your shoes and your shirts
All just right.
But I'm one etc.

I got a Gibson
Without a case
But I can't get that even tanned look on my face.
Ill fitting clothes
I blend in the crowd,
Fingers so clumsy
Voice too loud.

But I'm one."

In complete contrast to the previous song, 'The Dirty Jobs' has very little guitar but plenty of synthesizer to support roger as he sings about class conflict in the workplace from the point of view of the junior at the (very) bottom of the pile

"I am a man who looks after the pigs
Usually I get along okay.
I am man who reveals all he digs,
Should be more careful what I say.

I'm getting put down,
I'm getting pushed round,
I'm being beaten every day.
My life's fading,
But things are changing,
I'm not gonna sit and weep again.

I am man who drives a local bus
I take miners to work, but the pits all closed today.
It's easy to see that you are one of us.
Ain't it funny how we all seem to look the same?

We're getting put down etc.

My karma tells me
You've been screwed again.
If you let them do it to you
You've got yourself to blame.
It's you who feels the pain
It's you that feels ashamed.

I am a young man
I ain't done very much,
You men should remember how you used to fight.
Just like a child, I've been seeing only dreams,
I'm all mixed up but I know what's right.

I'm getting put down etc."

[Susan Foreman]

'Helpless Dancer' is Roger's 'theme' within the album. It's a dramatic (but lean) operatic-style aria featuring a double-tracked Roger over staccato piano chords, an acoustic guitar and little else. Under arranged, short and decidedly experimental in tone, this is the least Who-like song on the album.

In the story it's intended to show Jimmy's increasing political awareness, but in reality...Mods had absolutely no interest in politics, so it's sensibility is totally out of character. Mind you, that kind of logical argument never bothered Pete when it came to creating a song cycle!

The song ends with a short snatch from 'The Kids Are Alright'

"When a man is running from his boss
Who hold a gun that fires "cost"
And people die from being cold
Or left alone because they're old
And bombs are dropped on fighting cats
And children's dreams are run with rats
If you complain you disappear
Just like the lesbians and queers
No one can love without the grace
Of some unseen and distant face
And you get beaten up by blacks
Who though they worked still got the sack
And when your soul tells you to hide
Your very right to die denied
And in the battle on the streets
You fight computers and receipts
And when a man is trying to change
But only causes further pain
You realize that all along
Something in us going wrong...

You stop dancing."

'Is It In My Head' was one of the earliest songs that Pete wrote for 'Quadrophenia'. It's a medium paced ballad which speeds up on the chorus, but the melody isn't as strong as other songs on the album

Within the story, it shows that Jimmy, although an ordinary kid, not only has a conscience, but he also has self doubt. He worries about his own part, and feels maybe his outlook is clouded by pessimism

"I see a man without a problem
I see a country always starved,
I hear the music of a heartbeat,
I walk, and people turn and laugh.

Is it in my head
Is it in my head
Is in my head here at the start?
Is it in my head
Is it in my head
Is it in my head, or in my heart?

I pick up phones and hear my history.
I dream of all the calls I miss.
I try to number those who love me,
And find exactly what the trouble is.

Is it in my head etc.

I feel I'm being followed,
My head is empty
Yet every word I say turns out a sentence.
Make love to a stranger
Just asking for directions
Turn from being help to being questions.

I see a man without a problem.

[Susan Foreman]

Somewhat over-reaching itself, 'I've Had Enough' opens as a driving rocker, then jerks into a different passage before a final section where Roger sings alone country-style, accompanied only by Pete on a banjo. There are several songs on the album which are like this, and attempt to scale epic heights, but this one doesn't quite measure up because the don't mesh together quite so well

The song quotes from 'Love, Reign O'er Me'

In the story, Jimmy ‘snaps’ when he sees a girl he likes with a friend of his. In a desperately self-pitiful state, he smashes up his prize scooter and decides to go to Brighton where he had such a good time with his friends chasing Rockers and eating fish and chips.

"You were under the impression
That when you were walking forwards
That you'd end up further onward
But things ain't quite that simple
You got altered information
You were told to not take chances
You missed out on new dances
Now you're losing all your dimples

My jacket's going to be cut and slim and checked
Maybe a touch of seersucker with an open neck
I ride a GS scooter with my hair cut neat
I wear my wartime coat in the wind and sleet

Love rain on me
Rain on me
Love rain on me
Love

I've had enough of living
I've had enough of dying
I've had enough of smiling
I've had enough of crying
I've taken all the high roads
I've squandered and I've saved
I've had enough of childhood
I've had enough of graves
[Verse 4]
Get a job and fight to keep it
Strike out to reach a mountain
Be so nice on the outside
But inside keep ambition
Don't cry because you hunt them
Hurt them first, they'll love you
There's a millionaire above you
And you're under his suspicion

My jacket's going to be cut and slim and checked
Maybe a touch of seersucker with an open neck
I ride a GS scooter with my hair cut neat
Wear my wartime coat in the wind and sleet

Love rain on me
Rain on me
Love rain on me
Love

Had enough of dancehalls
I've had enough of pills
I've had enough of streetfights
I've seen my share of kills
I'm finished with the fashions
And acting like I'm tough
I'm bored with hate and passion
I've had enough of trying to love"

Opening the second LP, '5:15' is probably the best known song on 'Quadrophenia' and, when released as a single it reached no. 20 on the UK charts. The song relates Jimmy's extra-sensual experiences on the train from London to Brighton, sandwiched between two city gents. His recollections are in the main unhappy ones - anger, confusion, violence, sexual frustration, and rootlessness dominate his mind as he keeps returning to the thought: "Inside, outside, leave me alone. Inside, outside, nowhere is home."

A memorable riff, emphasized by a horn section, it was probably too raw to be a serious chart contender, but listen out for Keith imitating the sound of train wheels decelerating - an effect which had been used to great effect during 'A Quick One (While He's away)'

This performance on 'Top Of The pops' resulted in the band getting a life-time ban from the programme...although it didn't last! [Apologies about the last few frames in the video]

"Why should I care, why should I care?

Girls of fifteen
Sexually knowing
The ushers are sniffing
Eau-de-coloning
The seats are seductive
Celibate sitting
Pretty girls digging
Prettier women

Magically bored
On a quiet street corner
Free frustration
In our minds and our toes
Quiet storm water
M-m-my generation

Uppers and downers
Either way blood flows

Inside outside, leave me alone
Inside outside, nowhere is home
Inside outside, where have I been?
Out of my brain on the five fifteen

Out of my brain on the train
Out of my brain on the train
On a raft in the quarry
Slowly sinking
Back of a lorry
Holy hitching
Dreadfully sorry
Apple scrumping
Born in the war
Birthday punching

He man drag
In the glittering ballroom
Gravely outrageous
In my high heel shoes
Tightly undone
They know what they're showing
Sadly ecstatic
That their heroes are news

Inside outside, leave me alone
Inside outside, nowhere is home
Inside outside, where have I been?
Out of my brain on the five fifteen

Out of my brain on the train
Out of my brain on the train, on the train, out of my brain
Out of my brain on the train
Here it comes
Out of my brain on the train, on the train
Out of my brain on the train
Why should I care?
Why should I care

[Susan Foreman]

'Sea And Sand' is another disjointed song with several different sections and tempo changes that all boil down to Jimmy deciding to sleep on the beach. There is a confusing false ending and during the final fade out, Roger echos some lines from The High Number's song 'I'm The Face'

For the remainder of the album, the setting changes from Jimmy's life in London to Jimmy's experiences in Brighton and due to this, the concept of water is ramped up to maximum!

"Here by the sea and sand
Nothing ever goes as planned
I just couldn't face going home
It was just a drag on my own
They finally threw me out
My mom got drunk on stout
My dad couldn't stand on two feet
As he lectured about morality
Now I guess the family's complete
With me hanging 'round on the street
Or here on the beach

The girl I love
Is a perfect dresser
Wears every fashion
Gets it to the tee
Heavens above
I've got to match her
She knows just how
She wants her man to be
Leave it to me

My jacket's gonna be cut slim and checked
Maybe a touch of seersucker with an open neck
I ride a G.S. scooter with my hair cut neat
I wear my wartime coat in the wind and sleet

I see her dance
Across the ballroom
UV lights making stars shine
Of her smile
I am the face
She has to know me
I'm dressed up better than anyone
Within a mile

Oh, yeah
So how come the other tickets look much better?
Without a penny to spend they dress to the letter
How come the girls come on oh so cool
Yet when you meet 'em, every one's a fool?

Come sleep on the beach
Keep within my reach
I just want to die with you near
I'm feeling so high with you here
I'm wet and I'm cold
But thank God I ain't old
Why didn't I say what I mean?
I should have split home at fifteen
There's a story that the grass is so green
What did I see?
Where have I been?

Nothing is planned, by the sea and the sand

I'm the face if you want it, baby
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it , baby
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it
I'm the face if you want it, baby
If you want it, if you want it, if you want it, if you want it
If you want it, if you want it, it you want it, if you want it, ah the face"

Written early in 1970, 'Drowned', a tough blues-based rocker, is the oldest song on the album. It was initially written as an ode to Meher Baba, and Pete sang it facing his tomb on his first visit to India in January 1972

Pete:

"When the tragic hero of Quadrophenia] sings it, it is desperate and nihilistic. In fact, it's a love song, God's love being the ocean and our 'selves' being the drops of water that make it up. Meher Baba said, 'I am the Ocean of Love.' I want to drown in that ocean, the 'drop' will then be an ocean itself."

It's a song of redemption - A perfect metaphor for baptism, washing your old sins away and being cleansed with the blood of Christ, being renewed by the spirit and having your sins washed away

The band loved to play on stage for its relative simplicity when compared to the other songs on 'Quadrophenia'. For later Who tours, 'Drowned' would become a solo acoustic guitar performance from Pete

"There are men high up there fishing
Haven't seen quite enough of the world
Ooh, I ain't seen a sign of my heroes
And I'm still diving down for pearls

Let me flow into the ocean
Let me get back to the sea
Let me be stormy and let me be calm
Let the tide in, and set me free

I'm flowing under bridges
Then flying through the sky
I'm traveling down cold metal
Just a tear in a baby's eye

Oh, let me flow into the ocean
Oh, let me get back to the sea
Let me be stormy and let me be calm
Let the tide in, and set me free

Set me free
I am not the actor
This can't be the scene
But I am in the water
As far as I can see

Oh, I'm remembering distant memories
Recalling other names
Rippling over canyons
And boiling in the train

Let me flow into the ocean
Let me get back to the sea
Let me be stormy and let me be calm
Let the tide in and set me free
Set me free
Set me free
I wanna drown
In cold water"