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Baba VS Jesus



The Who Mailing List Digest wrote:

> Speaking of lyrics.  I have heard a least two meanings behind the infamous
> words
> "Teenage Waste Land" in Baba O'Riley.
> 1. Reference to the Woodstock fields.
> 2. Reference to the Vietnam war fields.

Joe:

I'd say that while the first may have given Pete some reference point by
which to create an image, that neither of these have any bearing on the
lyrics of Baba. It was part of Lifehouse, and while never specified as
such it sounds a LOT like the opening song (as we know The Song Is Over
was to be the last). If we take the lyric:
"Out here in the fields/I work for my meals/I get my back into my
living..."
It sounds to me like the character is a farmer. If "work" is "fought,"
then perhaps you have some basis for Viet Nam but then how does he get
his back into his living?
My guess is Pete was just setting up a character. Unfortunately for
those of us who would like to put it all together as it was meant to be,
Lifehouse was not meant to be events set to music (like TOMMY & QUAD)
but instead sort of an added extra to give more meaning to the work.
Only Townshend can tell us the correct order, and it doesn't seem he's
inclined.

> ML (hi!), re:

Howya doin'!

> Probably...but have you ever heard Carl Anderson do it?  I've never heard
> anybody better.

No; that must be a tour performer and I've never seen it live.

-- 

       "Each to his own sewage..."
                 James Michael Cooper

                      Cheers                ML