Friday August 6, 2021 “Baba O’Riley” The Who vs “Best Song Ever” One Direction

I recently watched a documentary about The Who’s rock opera “Tommy” and discovered that nothing Pete Townsend writes is exactly as it seems.  He has very deep and somewhat obscure interpretations on many of his songs.  I also discovered that although he is one of the legendary guitarists he is also a remarkable keyboard player.

The title “Baba O’Riley” comes from Meher Baba, who was then Pete Townshend's spiritual guru while the second part comes from Terry Riley, an experimental, minimalist composer Townshend admired. And since it is not mentioned within the lyrics the song is often referred to as “Teenage Wasteland”.

The boy band One Direction clearly lifted at least the beginning of “Best Song Ever” from the signature synthesizer portion of “Baba O’Riley” and what does Pete Townsend think about that?  He says he likes the song and the group and added “I met with Randy Bachman, once the leader of Guess Who, who told me that he not only copied ‘Baba O Riley’ for their hit ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,’ but he even called his band after us. Why would I not be happy about this kind of tribute?”

Stay safe and well...and even if One Direction borrowed from The Who they did name it ‘the best song ever’.

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Baba O’Riley

Out here in the fields

I fight for my meals

I get my back into my living

I don't need to fight

To prove I'm right

I don't need to be forgiven

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Don't cry

Don't raise your eye

It's only teenage wasteland

Sally, take my hand

We'll travel south 'cross land

Put out the fire and don't look past my shoulder

The exodus is here

The happy ones are near

Let's get together before we get much older

Teenage wasteland

It's only teenage wasteland

Teenage wasteland, oh, yeah

Teenage wasteland

They're all wasted

Best Song Ever

Maybe it's the way she walked (wow)

Straight into my heart and stole it

Through the doors and past the guards (wow)

Just like she already owned it

I said, "can you give it back to me?"

She said, "never in your wildest dreams"

And we danced all night to the best song ever

We knew every line, now I can't remember

How it goes but I know that I won't forget her

'Cause we danced all night to the best song ever

I think it went oh, oh, oh

I think it went yeah, yeah, yeah

I think it goes (ooh)

Said her name was Georgia Rose (wow)

And her daddy was a dentist

Said I had a dirty mouth (I got a dirty mouth)

But she kissed me like she meant it

I said, "can I take you home with me?"

She said, "never in your wildest dreams"

And we danced all night to the best song ever

We knew every line, now I can't remember

How it goes but I know that I won't forget her

'Cause we danced all night to the best song ever

I think it went oh, oh, oh

I think it went yeah, yeah, yeah

I think it goes (ooh)

You know, I know, you know I'll remember you

And I know, you know, I know you'll remember me

And you know, I know, you know I'll remember you

And I know, you know, I hope you'll remember

How we danced, how we danced (one, two, one, two, three)

How we danced all night to the best song ever

We knew every line, now I can't remember

How it goes but I know that I won't forget her

'Cause we danced all night (we danced, we danced)

To the best song ever (it goes something like, yeah)

And we danced all night to the best song ever

We knew every line, now I can't remember

How it goes but I know that I won't forget her

'Cause we danced all night to the best song ever

I think it went oh, oh, oh

I think it went yeah, yeah, yeah

I think it goes (ooh)

Best song ever

It was the best song ever

It was the best song ever

It was the best song ever