‘My Generation’ is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. One of the band's most recognizable songs, it was placed number 11 by Rolling Stone on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004 and 2010. It became part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. It is considered one of the band's signature songs.
‘My Generation’ was released as a single on 29 October 1965, reaching No. 2 in the United Kingdom (The Who's highest-charting single in their home country along with 1966's ‘I'm a Boy’) and No. 74 in the United States. The song also appeared on The Who's 1965 debut album, My Generation (The Who Sings My Generation in the United States), and in greatly extended form on their live album Live at Leeds (1970).
Townshend reportedly wrote the song on a train and is said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother, who is alleged to have had Townshend's 1935 Packard hearse towed off a street in Belgravia because she was offended by the sight of it during her daily drive through the neighbourhood. Townshend has also credited Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues" as the inspiration for the song, saying "Without Mose I wouldn't have written 'My Generation'." Townshend told Rolling Stone in 1985 that "'My Generation' was very much about trying to find a place in society."
On a later interview for Good Morning America, in 1989, the band was discussing the upcoming 1989 tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tommy, and Townshend talked about the famous line "I hope I die before I get old." He said that, for him, when he wrote the lyrics, "old" meant "very rich". Another salient aspect of "My Generation" is Daltrey's delivery: an angry and frustrated stutter. Various stories exist as to the reason for this distinct delivery. One is that the song began as a slow talking blues number without the stutter (in the 1970s it was sometimes performed as such, but with the stutter, as "My Generation Blues"), but after being inspired by John Lee Hooker's "Stuttering Blues", Townshend reworked the song into its present form. Another reason is that it was suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British mod on speed (amphetamines).
Labels – Brunswick (UK), Decca (US)
Songwriter – Pete Townshend
Producer – Shel Talmy
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, & John Entwistle]People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
[Chorus: Roger Daltrey]
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
[Verse 2: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, & John Entwistle]
Why don't you all f-f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not tryin' to cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
[Chorus: Roger Daltrey]
My generation
This is my generation, baby
[Bass Solo: John Entwistle]
[Bridge: Roger Daltrey]
My, my, my, my, my ge—
My, my, my
[Verse 2: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, & John Entwistle]
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-s-s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not tryin' to cause a big sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
[Chorus: Roger Daltrey]
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
[Bridge: Roger Daltrey]
My, my, ge-generation
My, my, my, my generation
[Verse 1: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, & John Entwistle]
People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we g-g-get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
[Chorus: Roger Daltrey]
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
[Bridge: Roger Daltrey]
My, my, my ge-ge-generation
[Outro: Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, & Roger Daltrey]
(Talkin' 'bout my generation)
(Talkin' 'bout my generation) My generation
(Talkin' 'bout my generation) My generation
(Talkin' 'bout my generation) This is my generation, baby
(Talkin' 'bout my generation) This is my generation
(Talkin' 'bout my generation) This is my generation
(Talkin' 'bout my generation) This is my generation
(Talkin' 'bout my generation) This is my generation