Bullied by Hippies: Pete Townshend's Five Favorite Songs
In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Pete Townshend revealed his five favorite songs, including four by The Who and one from his solo career. He discussed his traumatic childhood, The Who's farewell tour, and the origins of classics like Tommy and Quadrophenia. Townshend also talked about his song 'Won't Get Fooled Again', which was inspired by his experience being bullied by hippies in 1972 who pushed him to join the revolution. He wrote the song to express his skepticism about the promises made by politicians and the people in power.
Townshend's favorite songs are:
- "Love Rain on Me"
- "Behind Blue Eyes"
- "Let My Love Open The Door" (from his third solo album, Empty Glass)
- "Barbara O'Reilly"
- "Won't Get Fooled Again"
The song "Won't Get Fooled Again" is particularly relevant to the modern world, as Townshend believes that leaders are often not good, and people should be cautious about who they vote for. He wrote the song for a project called Life House, expressing his reluctance to join the revolution.
Quadrophenia, A Rock Ballet, a production based on The Who's album, is running for four performances this weekend. Tickets are available online.
Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014, with 39 years in the music industry and 26 years online. Also a published author and former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, Townshend has a diverse background in the industry, including A&R at Fiction Records and early blogging. He once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy and believes cats can improve any situation. His favorite Serbian trumpeter is Dejan Petrović.
