"My Generation"
Single by The Who from the album My Generation
B-side	"Shout and Shimmy" (Brown) (UK) "Out in the Street" (USA)
Released	November 5, 1965
Format	Vinyl record (7")
Recorded	October 13, 1965
Genre	Proto-punk, Hard rock
Length	3:19
Label	Brunswick 05944 (UK) Decca 31877 (US)
Producer	Shel Talmy
The Who singles chronology
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (1965) My Generation (1965) Substitute (1966)
Music sample
" My Generation" Problems? See media help.

"My Generation" (help· info) was one of the biggest early hits of the British rock group The Who, and quickly became one of their most recognizable songs. It has entered the rock and roll pantheon as one of the most celebrated, cited, and referenced songs in the idiom; it was named the 11^th greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and 13th on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll,^[1] as well as placing second on the greatest rock anthems of all time on Digital Dream Door.^[2] It's also part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Written by Pete Townshend in 1965 for rebellious British youths called mods, it expressed their feeling that older people "just don't get it". A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... Shout and Shimmy is a hit R&B song by James Brown. ... For other persons named James Brown, see James Brown (disambiguation). ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Protopunk is a term used to describe a number of performers who were important precursors of punk rock, or who have been cited by early punk rockers as influential. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Braunschweig may also refer to the administrative region of Germany. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Shel Talmy (born August 11, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, United States) is a notable record producer. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere was a single released by The Who in 1965. ... Substitute is a song by The Who written by Pete Townshend. ... Image File history File links TheWhoMyGenerationSolo. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links TheWhoMyGenerationSolo. ... Rock band (or rock group) is a generic name to describe a group of musicians specializing in a particular form of electronically amplified music. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... This article is about the magazine. ... ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994 and VH1: Music First until 2003) is an American digital television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll is based on the permanent exhibit of the same name. ... Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The song was released as a single on November 5, 1965, reaching #2 in the UK and #74 in America.^[3] "My Generation" also appeared on The Who's 1965 debut album, My Generation (The Who Sings My Generation in the United States), and in greatly extended form on their live album Live at Leeds (1970). The Who re-recorded the song for the Ready Steady Who! EP in 1966, but this version was only released in 1995 on the remastered version of the A Quick One album. The main difference between this version and the original is that instead of the hail of feedback which ends the original, the band play a chaotic rendition of Edward Elgar's "Land of Hope and Glory". In the album's liner notes the song is credited to both Townshend and Elgar. A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Live at Leeds (1970) is The Whos first live album, and indeed is their only live album that was released while the band was still recording and performing regularly. ... A Quick One (1966) is the second album released by British rock band The Who. ... Audio feedback (also known as the Larsen effect after the Danish scientist, Søren Larsen, who first discovered its principles) is a special kind of feedback which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input (for example, a microphone or guitar pickup) and an audio output (for example... Sir Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. ... Land of Hope and Glory is an English patriotic song. ...

Inspiration

Townshend reportedly wrote the song on a train and is said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother who is alleged to have had Townshend's 1935 Packard hearse towed off a street in Belgravia because she was offended by the sight of it during her daily drive through the neighbourhood.^[4] Townshend has also credited Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues" as the inspiration for the song, saying "Without Mose I wouldn't have written 'My Generation'."^[5] Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite; 4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002), was the Queen Consort of King George VI of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 1936 until his death in 1952. ... For people named Packard, see Packard (surname). ... Funeral carriage, Museum of Funeral Customs For the extreme metal band, see Hearse (band) A hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the coffin from e. ... Belgravia is a district in the City of Westminster in London, to the south-west of Buckingham Palace. ... Mose John Allison, Jr. ...

Lyrics and Melody

Perhaps the most striking element of the song are the lyrics, considered one of the most distilled statements of youthful rebellion in rock history. The tone of the track alone helped make it an acknowledged forebear of the punk rock movement. One of the most-quoted—and patently-rewritten—lines in rock history is "I hope I die before I get old", famously sneered out by lead singer Roger Daltrey. Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944), is a rock vocalist, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. ...

Like many of The Who's earlier mod output, the song boasts clear influences of American R&B, most explicitly in the call and response form of the verses. Daltrey would sing a line, and the backing vocalists, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle, would respond with the refrain "Talkin' 'bout my generation": This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first. ... Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for rock band The Who. ...

"My Generation" vocal melody with call and response

People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)


The vocal melody of "My Generation" is an example of the shout-and-fall modal frame.^[6] This call and response is mirrored in the instrumental break with solo emphasis passing from Townshend's guitar to Entwistle's bass and back again several times. Download high resolution version (857x209, 10 KB)My Generation vocal melody with response, also tumbling strain modal frame (music) example Created by Hyacinth using Sibelius and Paint. ... Download high resolution version (857x209, 10 KB)My Generation vocal melody with response, also tumbling strain modal frame (music) example Created by Hyacinth using Sibelius and Paint. ... Shout-and-fall or tumbling strain is a modal frame very common in Afro-American-derived styles and are featured in songs such as Shake, Rattle and Roll and My Generation. Gesturally, it suggests affective outpouring, self-offering of the body, emptying and relaxation. The frame may be thought of... In music a melodic mode (van der Merwe 1989, p. ...

Another salient aspect of "My Generation" is Daltrey's delivery: an angry and frustrated stutter. Various stories exist as to the reason for this distinct delivery. One is that the song began as a slow "talking" blues number without the stutter, but after being inspired by John Lee Hooker's "Stuttering Blues", Townshend reworked the song into its present form. Another reason is that it was suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British mod on speed. It is also proposed, albeit less frequently, that the stutter was introduced to give the group a framework for implying the expletive "fuckoff" in the lyrics: "Why don't you all fff... fade away!" However, producer Shel Talmy insisted it was simply "one of those happy accidents" that he thought they should keep. The BBC initially refused to play "My Generation" because it did not want to offend people who stutter, but it reversed its decision after the song became more popular. Stuttering is a speech disorder in which pronunciation of the (usually) first letter or syllable of a word is repeated involuntarily. ... Blues music redirects here. ... John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an influential American post-war blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter born in Coahoma County near Clarksdale, Mississippi. ... Amphetamine or Amfetamine(Alpha-Methyl-PHenEThylAMINE), also known as beta-phenyl-isopropylamine and benzedrine, is a prescription stimulant commonly used to treat Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Shel Talmy (born August 11, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, United States) is a notable record producer. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

The instrumentation of the song duly reflects the lyrics: fast and aggressive. Significantly, "My Generation" also featured one of the first bass solos in rock history. The song's coda features drumming from Keith Moon, as well, whereupon the song breaks down in spurts of guitar feedback from Townshend, rather than fading out or ending cleanly on the tonic. A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. ... The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ...

Pete Townsend said in numerous interviews that the song was written after reading the novel Catcher In The Rye by J.d. salinger

"My Generation" in popular culture

• The performance of "My Generation" on the The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour by The Who was another defining moment in the television comedy series. As they often did during that period, The Who destroyed their instruments at the conclusion of their performance. However, a stage hand, at the request of the band, had overloaded Keith Moon's kick drum with explosives. When they were detonated, the explosion was so intense, Moon was injured by cymbal shrapnel and bandmate Pete Townshend's hearing was permanently damaged.
• "My Generation" was sung live by three of the main stars of the 1980s BBC sitcom The Young Ones (Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer). Edmondson, as Vyvyan, said "Why don't you all fuck off", in place of the original line containing "fade away".
• The line "I hope I die before I get old" was the inspiration for the They Might Be Giants 1985 song "I Hope I Get Old Before I Die", a reaction against the stereotypical values of rock and roll in the 1960s.
• "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Polkas On 45" closes with a polka version of the first verse of "My Generation".
• Danny Tanner sings his own comedic attempt at the song with Jesse and the Rippers in an episode of Full House.
• British pop singer Robbie Williams also released a song in 1997 called "Old Before I Die". The song reached #2 in the UK charts.
• The Who's BBC Radio version is featured in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
• A clip of "My Generation" was played in a 2004 episode of The Simpsons, "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays".
• MC Lars parodied the line "I hope I die before I get old" in his 2005 single "iGeneration" (also referencing the title "My Generation"), with the line "I hope I die before I get sold".
• The song was parodied by the webcomic xkcd.

The Smothers Brothers are an American musical-comedy team, formed by real-life brothers Tom and Dick Smothers. ... The Young Ones was a popular British sitcom, first seen in 1982, which aired on BBC2. ... This article is about the musical group. ... This article is about the musician himself. ... Singles from In 3-D Released: February 28, 1984 Released: April 1984 Released: June 4, 1984 Weird Al Yankovic In 3-D, sometimes referred to simply as In 3-D, is the second album by Weird Al Yankovic, released in 1984. ... Daniel Ernest Tanner (born 1957) is a character on the TV series Full House, portrayed by Bob Saget. ... Jesse and the Rippers is the fictional band of which Full Houses Uncle Jesse was the lead singer. ... Full House was a popular American television family sitcom that originally ran from September 22, 1987 to May 23, 1995 on ABC. // Full House is set in San Francisco, California, where Danny Tanner is left to raise his three young daughters D.J., Stephanie and Michelle following the death of... For other people with the same name, see Robbie Williams (disambiguation). ... Old Before I Die is a April 1997 single released by Robbie Williams, the first one from his 1997 debut album Life Thru A Lens. ... BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. ... Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me is the second film in the Austin Powers series started with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued in Austin Powers in Goldmember. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Marge vs. ... Andrew Robert Nielsen (born October 6, 1982) is an American rapper, known by his stage name MC Lars. ... iGeneration or IGeneration may refer to: The iMac, iPod, i Generation The internet generation The song iGeneration by MC Lars, in which it refers to the iMac, iPod generation. ... xkcd is a webcomic created by Randall Munroe,[1] a Christopher Newport University graduate who worked as a contractor for NASA.[2] It calls itself a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. ...

Notable covers

"My Generation" has been covered by numerous artists. Some of the most recognized include Iron Maiden, Green Day, Phish, Floater, The Zimmers, Gorky Park, Generation X, Acrylic Steel and The Sweet. The latter is supposedly Townshend's favourite cover of the song. "My Generation" was Patti Smith's standard set-closer from 1974-1978, and a live version appeared on record as the B-side of her 1975 single "Gloria" (with John Cale guesting on bass). This recording has since appeared as a bonus track on some CD re-issues of her album Horses. A live version with Michael Balzary (Flea) from Red Hot Chili Peppers playing bass appears on the 2005 30th Anniversary CD release Horses Horses. It was covered in French by Chapeaumelon, and appears on the soundtrack to the 2004 film EuroTrip. Australian Progressive Rock band Acrylic Steel reproduced the song in loyal fashion complete with prop destruction during the May 2007 'Tram Party' festival in Newcastle, NSW. Oasis released the track as a B-side on their 2002 UK single "Little by Little" / "She is Love" and have closed their live shows with this track for several years, such as on their Don't Believe the Truth Tour. German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz also covered the song as a B-side on their 2004 single "Onkelz vs. Jesus". Teen pop singer Hilary Duff recorded "My Generation" as a bonus track on pressings in Japan of her third album, Hilary Duff (2004), and as a B-side on the "Someone's Watching over Me" (2005) CD single; for her cover, the lyric "I hope I die before I get old" was changed to "I hope I don't die before I get old". (This cover has been named the 9th "Worst Cover Song" by digitaldreamdoor.com.) Roger Daltrey has recorded the track with British band McFly in 2005 to celebrate the launch of HMV's download site. Most recently, an Age Concern campaign to raise awareness for the plight of old people in the UK saw the formation of The Zimmers, who covered "My Generation" as their debut single. The Swedish punk band KSMB did an own version of the song under the name Torbjörns horor (Torbjörn's bitches). This article is about the band. ... This article is about the band Green Day. ... This article is about the band. ... For other uses, see Floater (disambiguation). ... Cover from The Zimmers single My Generation The Zimmers are a British band, and thought to have the oldest members in the world:[1] the lead singer, Alf, is 90, and the oldest member, Buster, is 100. ... While Gorky Parks fame in the United States was short-lived, they are an important band historically because their success is deeply rooted in the events that took place during the final years of the Cold War. ... Generation X were a pop-influenced punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe. ... Sweet (referred to as The Sweet on albums before 1974 and singles before 1975) were a popular 1970s British band. ... Patricia Lee (Patti) Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American musician, singer, and poet. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... Gloria is a rock song written by Van Morrison and originally recorded by Morrisons band Them in 1964 as the B-side of Baby Please Dont Go, which reached #10 on the UK charts. ... Not to be confused with J.J. Cale. ... Horses is the debut album by Patti Smith released in November 1975, produced by John Cale. ... Michael Peter Balzary (born October 16, 1962 in Melbourne, Australia), better known by his stage name Flea, is the bassist for the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. ... Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. ... Horses/Horses is an album recorded by Patti Smith. ... EuroTrip is a 2004 American comedy film produced by the same people as Road Trip and Old School. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991, led by lead guitarist and primary songwriter Noel Gallagher and his younger brother, lead vocalist and songwriter Liam Gallagher. ... For The Rolling Stones song, see Little by Little. ... British rock band Oasis had embarked a massive worldwide concert tour, in promotion of their new record <what> and had booked many large venues and gigs. ... The Böhse Onkelz (German böse Onkels - evil uncles) were one of Germanys most successful rock groups. ... Adios is the last studio album of the German Hard Rock band Böhse Onkelz. ... Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, fashion designer, and spokesperson. ... In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. ... Limited Edition cover Singles from Hilary Duff Released: August 2004 Released: November 2004 Released: December 2004 Released: December 2004 Released: January 2005 Hilary Duff is the self-titled third album by American pop singer Hilary Duff, released by Hollywood Records in the United States on September 28, 2004 (see 2004... Someones Watching over Me is a pop song written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks, and produced by Shanks for Hilary Duffs self-titled second album, Hilary Duff (2004). ... Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944), is a rock vocalist, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. ... For the characters of Back To The Future, see McFly family. ... His Masters Voice, often abbreviated to HMV, is a famous trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record company. ... Age Concern is the name of a number of charitable organizations specifically concerned with the needs and concerns of old people. ... Cover from The Zimmers single My Generation The Zimmers are a British band, and thought to have the oldest members in the world:[1] the lead singer, Alf, is 90, and the oldest member, Buster, is 100. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... KSMB was a Swedish punk rock band 1977 - 1982. ...

References