My Generation Introduction
In a Nutshell
Pete Townshend was only 20 years old when he wrote "My Generation." Decades later, the song and its most famous line—"I hope I die before I get old"—is still played and still covered. It's easy to understand why: The song is as simple, musically and lyrically, as it is powerful.But there's something a bit strange about a song that celebrates the young and denounces the old surviving this long—almost half a century. And there's more than a little irony in young musicians paying tribute to the song's writer, Pete Townshend, by repeating his most famous line.
"My Generation" is a great song by a great band. But its message and its legacy are worth thinking about.
About the Song
| Artist | The Who | Musician(s) | Roger Daltrey (lead vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar, back-up vocals), John Entwistle (bass, back-up vocals), Keith Moon (drums) |
| Album | My Generation | ||
| Year | 1965 | ||
| Label | Decca (U.S.), Brunswick (UK) | ||
| Writer(s) | Pete Townshend | ||
| Producer(s) | Shel Talmy | ||
| Buy this song: Amazon iTunes | Try Listen and Learn (BETA) | ||
Shmoop Connections
Pete Townshend may have just been angry with the Queen Mum for towing his car, but the song that grew out of this anger, "My Generation," was enormously influential. During the tumultuous 1960s, young people in America and Europe embraced the song and its stinging denunciation of age.The song was also crucial to the evolution of the Who. While the band's rhythm and blues roots are evident in the song's call and response vocals, the band's shift toward a more stripped down rock and roll is also apparent.
On the Charts
"My Generation" reached #2 in Britain, and #75 in the U.S.The song is also #11 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.