Re: The Who Digest Vol 3 Num 74

[cuda340@tribeca.ios.com (Tesco Vee)]

Alan, Re:

>The songs are always from a male perspective (really, girls on the
>list...do you identify with "I want to cut myself and see my blood, I wanna
>come home all covered in mud" and "you say she's a virgin? well I'm gonna
>be the first in"?) and even the bravado of "I can do anything, any way I
>choose, I can live anyhow" and the cosmically-scaled revenge motif of "I
>Can See for Miles" seem to me to be more male-oriented than female.  "I'd
>pay any price just to win you..."?  do females typically have this
>all-or-nothing compulsion to achieve an objective?

        I kinda wanted this subject I started to die out, but since you asked...
        It is not exclusive of The Who to have songs whose themes are from
a male's perspective.  Females have always been challenged with this, but
have always bought these records anyway.  It would be difficult for me to
determine psychologically why this is.  I can only safely speak for myself,
and so to answer your question...
        Out of context, I have always identified with the line, "I want to
cut myself and see my blood, I wanna come home all covered in mud."
Perhaps it's because my parents never said things like "girls don't do
that, they don't get dirty" when I would go outside and dig for worms with
my friends when I was five.  However, I don't think many people can fully
identify with the entire song, "I'm a Boy," anyway;  It's not exactly
common for a little boy's parents to dress him like, and pretend he's a
girl.  My apologies to those who have had this experience.
        Do you expect a woman to hear this line from Quadrophenia, "you say
she's a virgin? well I'm gonna be the first in," shudder with disgust, and
say "Oh how dreadful!"  Women have known for a long time that teenage (and
adult) boys are capable of uttering something like that.  Ask any woman who
has walked past a construction site.  It would be ridiculous for anyone,
female or male to judge the entire Quadrophenia album based on that one
line.  I would give the female listener of Quad some credit for her ability
to grasp the overall story of the main character, Jimmy.
        I think women can especially relate to the lyrics of "Anyway Anyhow
Anywhere," I certainly can.  I don't think the line, "I can do anything,
any way I choose, I can live anyhow" necessarily has to do with bravado, I
think the message is universal to men and women all over the planet.
        To answer your question concerning "I Can See For Miles" and that
line from "Bargain"--do females typically have this all-or-nothing
compulsion to achieve an objective--YES!!!  The Shakespearian (I think)
line "Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned," proves nothing, but is very
true nevertheless.  Look at Amy Fisher (sorry about that.)  Amy's case is
anything but typical, but it shows the extreme of how a woman could become
obsessed with a lover.  If you have never seen this for yourself, there is
no way I can prove it to you.
        I hope I was able to shed some light.
                                                                Stacey