‘Who Are You’ is the title track on the Who's 1978 album, Who Are You, the last album released by the group before Keith Moon's death in September 1978. It was written by Pete Townshend and released as a double-A-sided single with the John Entwistle composition ‘Had Enough’, also featured on the album. The song was one of the band's biggest hits in North America, peaking at number 7 in Canada and at number 14 in the United States, and has become one of the band's signature tunes at their live shows. The piano on the track is played by Rod Argent.
The lyrics of ‘Who Are You’ were inspired by an incident Townshend experienced. After going out drinking with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, Townshend was found in a "Soho doorway" by a policeman, who recognized him and said he would let him go if he could safely walk away. Townshend explained, “’Who Are You’ was written about meeting Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols after an awful 13-hour encounter with Allen Klein who, in my personal opinion, is the awesome rock leech-godfather. In one sense the song is more about the demands of new friendship than blood-letting challenge. Roger's aggressive reading of my nihilistic lyric redirected its function by the simple act of singing "Who the f**k are you..." when I had written "Who, who, who are you..." Steve and Paul became real 'mates' of mine in the English sense. We socialized a few times. Got drunk (well, I did) and I have to say to their credit, for a couple of figurehead anarchists, they seemed sincerely concerned about my decaying condition at the time.”
However, as explained by Townshend in his autobiography ‘Who I Am’, the last verse is about an earlier incident, that happened on the last North American leg of the 1971 tour: the day before the first concert in Charlotte, North Carolina, Townshend took the opportunity to visit the Meher Spiritual Center—a retreat owned by his guru Meher Baba—in nearby Myrtle Beach.
This is the theme song for the CBS TV series CSI, which went on the air in 2000 (although when the huge "YEAAAHHH!!!!" is heard it's actually from ‘Won't Get Fooled Again,’ also by the Who, which was spliced in). The song is an appropriate choice, as the crime scene investigators try to determine "who" the victims are and "who" killed them. Fans of The Who also fit the demographics of the show, which is targeted to baby boomers. When CBS created spin-off shows, they used more Who songs: CSI Miami (2002) uses ‘Won't Get Fooled Again’; CSI New York (2004) uses ‘Baba O'Riley’; CSI: Cyber (2015) uses ‘I Can See For Miles.’ The Who and CBS have gotten along quite well, as the shows enjoyed stellar ratings and the group has profited very well from the use of the songs.
Labels – Polydor (UK), MCA (US)
Songwriter – Pete Townshend
Producers – Glyn Johns, Jon Astley
SONG LYRICS
[Chorus: Pete Townshend & John Entwistle]Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
[Verse 1: Roger Daltrey]
I woke up in a Soho doorway
A policeman knew my name
He said, “You can go sleep at home tonight
If you can get up and walk away”
I staggered back to the underground
And the breeze blew back my hair
I remember throwing punches around
And preaching from my chair
[Chorus: The Who]
Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really want to know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Tell me who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Because I really want to know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
[Verse 2: Roger Daltrey]
I took the tube back out of town
Back to the Rolling Pin
I felt a little like a dying clown
With a streak of Rin Tin Tin
I stretched back, and I hiccuped and looked back on my busy day
Eleven hours in the Tin Pan
God, there's got to be another way
[Chorus: The Who]
Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Oh, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Come on, tell me who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Oh, who the fuck are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
[Bridge: Townshend & Entwistle]
Who are you?
Ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa ooh
Ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa ooh
Ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa ooh
Ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa ooh
Ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa ooh
Ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa, ooh wa ooh
[Chorus: The Who]
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
I really want to know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really want to know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Come on, tell me who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Because I really want to know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
[Verse 3: Roger Daltrey]
I know there's a place you walked
Where love falls from the trees
My heart is like a broken cup
I only feel right on my knees
I spit out like a sewer hole
Yet still receive your kiss
How can I measure up to anyone now
After such a love as this?
[Outro: The Who]
Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Tell me whoa are you (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Oh, I really want to know (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Tell me, tell me, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Come on, come on, who? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Oh, who the fuck are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
Oh, tell me who are you (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)
I really wanna know
Oh, I really wanna know
Come on, tell me, who are you, you, you, you?
Who are you?