About the song
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” stands as an enduring anthem of defiance and disillusionment, penned by Pete Townshend for The Who’s iconic album *Who’s Next*, released in August 1971. Initially conceived as the concluding piece for Townshend’s ambitious Lifehouse project—a multimedia venture exploring themes of spiritual enlightenment and societal revolution—the song found its place as the album’s climactic track and a cultural touchstone of its era.
Townshend’s inspiration for “Won’t Get Fooled Again” stemmed from his disillusionment with the political and social upheavals of the late 1960s, particularly symbolized by an incident at Woodstock where he confronted activist Abbie Hoffman. This confrontation, coupled with his study of spiritual concepts like the “universal chord” from Inayat Khan’s writings, fueled the song’s thematic core. The lyrics, anchored by the famous refrain “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss,” underscored Townshend’s skepticism towards revolutionary ideals and the cyclical nature of power dynamics.
Musically, the song is distinguished by its explosive energy and innovative use of synthesizers, a groundbreaking choice at the time. Townshend’s experimentation with the EMS VCS 3 synthesizer, melding it with a traditional organ sound, produced a distinctive electronic texture that punctuated the song’s narrative urgency. The track’s structure, featuring a driving rhythm and Pete Townshend’s trademark power chords, showcased The Who’s prowess in blending rock with experimental elements.
The recording process itself was a testament to the song’s evolution. Initially attempted at the Record Plant in New York, the band later re-recorded at Mick Jagger’s Stargroves estate with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, where producer Glyn Johns opted to retain Townshend’s original synthesizer track due to its unique vitality. This decision, combined with Keith Moon’s precise drumming and John Entwistle’s solid bass lines, solidified “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as a masterpiece of both production and performance.
Upon its release, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” achieved critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching the top ten in the UK charts and becoming a staple of The Who’s live performances. Its enduring legacy is further underscored by its inclusion in Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and its influence on subsequent generations of musicians. Beyond its musical impact, the song’s themes of skepticism towards authority and the quest for genuine change continue to resonate, making it a timeless reflection on the complexities of human idealism and reality.
In conclusion, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” stands not only as a defining moment in The Who’s discography but also as a powerful cultural statement that continues to resonate with audiences, illustrating Pete Townshend’s enduring ability to fuse personal introspection with universal themes of societal relevance.
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Lyrics
We’ll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song
I’ll tip my hat to the new Constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
A change, it had to come
We knew it all along
We were liberated from the fold, that’s all
And the world looks just the same
And history ain’t changed
‘Cause the banners, they all flown in the last war
I’ll tip my hat to the new Constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again, no, no
I’ll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half-alive
I’ll get all my papers and smile at the sky
For I know that the hypnotized never lie
Do you?
Yeah
There’s nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are effaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
I’ll tip my hat to the new Constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I’ll get on my knees and pray
We don’t get fooled again
Don’t get fooled again, no, no
Yeah
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss