THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

926-The Who-My Generation.

1965-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 2.23.I always publish a songs chart position, but unfortunately it is no guide to a bands actual talent, as The Who never had a Number 1 single, but Westlife had 16, Boyzone had 6, and One Direction had 4. It’s a funny old world we live in.

‘My Generation’ was written by Pete Townsend (see also best songs 891- 306 and 265) at the age of 20, for the rebellious British youths known as ‘Mods,’ to express their feelings that the older generation just don’t understand today’s youth. He wrote the song while on a train ride from London to Southampton, on May 19th, 1965, the day of his birthday. Townsend has said,’My Generation was very much trying to find a place in society, I was very, very lost.’

The song contains one of the most famous lyrics in Rock N’ Roll history, ‘I hope I die before I get old.’ Townsend has said,’ Old”, meant, ‘Very rich.”Townsend has also credited Blues singer,’Mose Allison’s lyrics to his 1959 song,’ Young Man Blues,’ as inspiration, saying,’ Without Mose I wouldn’t have written My Generation.’Lead singer Roger Daltrey had always had a stutter, and it was The Who’s manager Kit Lambert who suggested that Daltrey should sing the song with a stutter to sound like a ‘Mod’ on speed. Daltrey has said,’I have got a stutter, I control it much better now. When we were in the studio Kit Lambert came up to me and said,’Stutter,’ I said, ‘What?’ He said stutter the words, it makes you sound like your pilled.’

‘Why don’t you all f-fade away,don’t try to dig what we all s-s-s-say.’