‘I Can See for Miles’ is a song by the English rock band the Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Written by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was the only song from the album to be released as a single. ‘I Can See for Miles’ reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it peaked at number 9, the group's highest showing on the Billboard Hot 100, and in Canada it reached number four. Though Townshend had high hopes for the single, it ended up charting lower than most of the group's records up to that time. He wrote the song in 1966, but had held it back as an "ace in the hole", believing it would be the Who's first number-one single: "To me it was the ultimate Who record, yet it didn't sell. I spat on the British record buyer", Townshend later commented.
Pete Townshend wrote this shortly after meeting his future wife, Karen. It was a reminder that even though he was on the road, he could still keep an eye on her from miles away. The song was inspired by the jealousy and suspicion that would well up inside him when he left to tour. Recorded in several separate sessions in studios across two continents, the recording of ‘I Can See for Miles’ exemplifies the increasingly sophisticated studio techniques of rock bands in the late 1960s, such as those used for the Beatles and the Beach Boys. The backing tracks were recorded at CBS Studios in London, the vocals and overdubbing were performed at Talentmasters Studios in New York, and the single was mixed and mastered at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles.
The song is ranked number 40 on Dave Marsh's "The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made", number 37 on NME's "The Top 100 Singles of All-Time", and number 162 on Pitchfork's "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s." Billboard described the single as a "compelling off-beat number full of excitement and drive," stating that a "strong dance beat supports smooth vocal blend with top production work." Cash Box said that it's a "solid, thumping, hard-driving, discotheque-styled rock stand" that's "a real powerhouse." In a review for AllMusic, Richie Unterberger called ‘I Can See for Miles’ "one of the greatest Who songs", adding that it also features "one of Keith Moon's greatest performances" and "one of the best drum parts ever on a rock record".
It was ranked number 262 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2010. In 2012, Paste ranked the song number four on their list of the 20 greatest The Who songs, and in 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the song number two on their list of the 50 greatest The Who songs. This is the theme song for the TV series CSI: Cyber, which debuted in 2015. It's the fourth in the CSI franchise, with each series using a Who song as its theme. The song has some relevance to the show content, as the detectives use technology to investigate crimes that could be many miles away.
The song may have inspired the Beatles' ‘Helter Skelter’. Paul McCartney recalls writing ‘Helter Skelter’ after reading a review of The Who Sell Out in which the critic claimed that ‘I Can See for Miles’ was the "heaviest" song he had ever heard. McCartney had not heard the song but wrote ‘Helter Skelter’ in an attempt to make an even "heavier" song than the one praised in the review, "to be the most raucous vocal, the loudest drums, et cetera".
Labels – Track (UK), Decca (US)
Songwriter – Pete Townshend
Producer – Kit Lambert
SONG LYRICS
[Instrumental Intro][Verse 1]
I know you've deceived me
Now here's a surprise
I know that you have
'Cause there's magic in my eyes
[Alt. Chorus]
I can see for miles and miles
And miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
[Verse 2]
If you think that I don't know about
The little tricks you've played
And never see you when deliberately
You put things in my way
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Well, here's a poke at you
You're gonna choke on it too
You're gonna lose that smile
Because all the while
[Chorus]
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
And miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
[Verse 3]
You took advantage of my trust in you
When I was so far away
I saw you holding lots of other guys
And now you've got the nerve to say
[Pre-Chorus 2]
That you still want me
Well, that's as may be
But you gotta stand trial
Because all the while
[Chorus]
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
And miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Verse 4]
I know you've deceived me
Now here's a surprise
I know that you have
'Cause there's magic in my eyes
[Alt. Chorus]
I can see for miles and miles
And miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
[Verse 5]
The Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal
Are mine to see on clear days
You thought that I would need a crystal ball
To see right through the haze
[Pre-Chorus 3]
Well, here's a poke at you
You're gonna choke on it too
You're gonna lose that smile
Because all the while
[Outro]
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and
Miles and miles and miles and
Miles and miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles