They travel through the scarred wasteland of middle England in a motor caravan, running an air conditioner they hope will protect them from pollution.”Īs for the “Teenage” part, Townshend said: “There are regular people, but they’re the scum off the surface there’s a few farmers there, that’s where the thing from ‘Baba O’Riley’ comes in. Ray is married to Sally, they hope to link up with their daughter Mary who has run away from home to attend the concert. Townshend once commented on the “Wasteland” part of the unofficial titular phrase: “A self-sufficient drop-out family group farming in a remote part of Scotland decide to return South to investigate rumours of a subversive concert event that promises to shake and wake up apathetic, fearful British society. The lyrics were taken from an earlier idea the band had been working on. It’s also a lasting testament to the wonderfully wild and off-centered ambitions of The Who.The five craziest on stage criminal offences It was listed at #340 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and is listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. I’ve heard this song everywhere from movies to post-game fireworks displays to the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. “Baba O’Riley” clocks in at basically five minutes, but the final 90 seconds is a soaring instrumental finale, featuring the infamous synthesizer, crashing cymbals, a guitar solo, and a racing violin, which was apparently added at the suggestion of drummer Keith Moon. Lead singer Roger Daltrey handles the bulk of singing duty, while Townshend croons what’s unequivocally the best part of the song, the middle eight:ĭon’t cry, don’t raise your eye It’s only teenage wasteland
#Baba oriely the who full#
The first version of “Baba O’Riley” was said to be a full 30 minutes long before being distilled into what we now know.Īlthough the song was written by Townshend, he has just two lines of vocals.
When the opera was finally abandoned, all of the salvaged songs allegedly had to be shortened. It’s a crazy plot, but it’s the right brand of crazy. Reading about Lifehouse makes me kind of sad it never came to fruition. Sally, take my hand, we’ll travel south ‘cross land Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals I get my back into my living The song was to be sung by a farmer gathering his family for a journey south, in search of a runaway daughter who left home seeking spiritual renewal in some sort of massive concert event, which sounds like some kind of dystopian Woodstock. The lyrics of the song still work well in a metaphorical way, but their original intent was very literal. More context to the literal meaning of the song can be found if you think about it in its opera sense. Instead of being stuck at the beginning of the opera, “Baba O’Riley” was stuck at the beginning of Who’s Next. The opera never got off the ground, but eight of its songs were salvaged. The song was originally written as part of a rock opera called Lifehouse, set to be a sequel to The Who’s Tommy.
In a September 2009 interview with Guitar World, Townshend said the phrase was inspired by the “absolute desolation of teenagers at Woodstock, where the patrons were smacked out on acid and 20 people had brain damage.”Īs far as the music itself goes, is there anything that sounds more heroic than the opening synthesizer arpeggios? Never trust anyone who hears the “Baba O’Riley” intro and doesn’t immediately want to launch into a dramatic montage. “Baba O’Riley” isn’t a celebration of a teenage wasteland, it’s an indictment of it. “Swimming Pools” isn’t a celebration of drinking, it’s an indictment of it. The song also suffers from the same sydrome Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” does. It also means it has nothing to do with the song on the surface. Given that the two were a heavy influence on the song itself, I suppose it gives the title some deeper meaning. Instead, lead guitarist Pete Townshend elected to make the title a kind of portmanteau, borrowing names from minimalist musician Terry Riley and Indian spiritual guru Mehar Baba.
Many will be surprised to learn that this song is not called “Teenage Wasteland.” In fairness, that would been a pretty good title and something that the masses would instantly associate with this song. The legacy of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” is one of incorrect titles, misunderstood lyrics, and Indian spiritual gurus.
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