Talk:My Generation

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While it made me laugh out loud, the claim that Townshend came up with the song's famous lyric because he heard an old painter muttering "I hope these dry before it gets cold" is certainly spurious. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.224.54.60 (talk) 14:22, 3 July 2008 (UTC)Reply

I removed the cleanup notice. I believe the information it referred to had already been removed. Sensation002 01:53, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Just wondering. This wasn't an original Green Day song, so...—Preceding unsigned comment added by Squid Vicious (talk • contribs) 21:53, 5 January 2006

The song was actually covered by Green Day on the Sweet Children EP. That EP comes on the same disc as kerplunk now.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.94.145.133 (talk • contribs) 18:06, 24 August 2006

I'm having trouble finding out when the title track of "Magic Bus" was recorded. The song is identical in structure and melody to "My Generation. It only differs in beat and lyrics. I'm trying to figure out if it is prototype to My Generation or did it come later as just a rehash?--Mark 2000 06:49, 19 June 2006 (UTC)Reply

I have added the Zimmers' to the list of notable covers. --82.11.32.93 16:00, 20 May 2007 (UTC)Reply

I have never heard of Roger saying "fuck off" instead of "fade away." Can someone provide evidence for this? Sensation002 18:47, 29 May 2005 (UTC)Reply

On Live at Leeds he quite clearly says "fuck off". --Bruce1ee (Talk) 06:20, 30 May 2005 (UTC)Reply

Sorry to bother you, but I have the album and I listened to the song multiple times and I cannot find this. do you mind providing a specific time in the song, just for my clarity? Sensation002 15:24, 30 May 2005 (UTC)Reply

Unfortunately I don't have my copy of Live at Leeds anymore but I can remember those words very clearly because at the time four-letter words on LPs were rare. I'm not sure which release of Live at Leeds you have but the LP I had had a 15-odd minute version of "My Generation" that becomes "See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You". But the original lyrics were supposed to be "Why don't you all f-f-f-fuck off" [1] [2]. Perhaps someone else can confirm (or deny) that Roger Daltrey does replace "f-f-fade away" with "f-f-fuck off" on Live at Leeds. --Bruce1ee (Talk) 09:46, 31 May 2005 (UTC)Reply

No, he sings that verse twice, and very clearly sings "fade away" both times. I have listened to it this very moment. — B.Bryant 11:55, 31 May 2005 (UTC)Reply

Just as a side note, he does say, "fuck off" at the end of Young Man Blues on the same record. Sensation002 13:28, 31 May 2005 (UTC)Reply

I'm listening to Live at Leeds now. Yes, Daltrey ends Young Man Blues with "sweet fuck all". However, he sings "fade away" in My Generation. I assume that the legend arose because people vaguely remembered hearing the word fuck on the album, but were unwilling to sit through all fourteen tedious, self-indulgent minutes of My Generation to make sure where it was.

With regards to "But the original lyrics were supposed to be "Why don't you all f-f-f-fuck off" [3] [4]", the first source is a user comment at Songfacts.com, which is a totally unreliable source, and the second source qualifies this with "supposedly", which is the language of weakness.

Bruce1ee's "On Live at Leeds [Daltrey] quite clearly says "fuck off"" and his subsequent rapidy retreat from this position, which is now preserved on this talk page for all eternity, damages his credibility terribly and will undoubtedly be used against him in any further disputes in which he chooses to participate.

• There is no need to be patronising. Looks like he made an honest mistake. Assume good faith. exolon 22:59, 7 October 2005 (UTC)Reply

• • For someone with such a prissy writing style, he can't even spell "rapidly". -Ashley Pomeroy 13:42, 30 August 2007 (UTC)Reply

I'm sure Pete Townshend was aware of the word fuck in 1965, and I can imagine someone hearing the song for the first time in 1965 might have been shocked or surprised by the stuttering f-f-f-; and I'm doubly sure that Thownsend was fully aware that he couldn't possibly include the f-word in a pop single, and he didn't. The MC5 had enough trouble with the word motherfuckers in 1969, and they were an underground band. When was the first f-word used, uncensored, on a mainstream rock record put out by a major label? John Lennon had a potty mouth, but that was a couple of years hence.

• So far as I know, it was on Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane. "Up against the wall, motherfucker!" Big stink with the company, but they got their way.

Kalisphoenix

Besides which, "Why don't you all fuck off" doesn't fit the song's rhythm, and I'm sure that 'fade away' was a reference to the Rolling Stones' Not Fade Away. -Ashley Pomeroy 20:14, 20 August 2005 (UTC)Reply

In the movie Quadrophenia, the mods listen to My Generation at a party and they all sing it "f-f-fuck off," although the recording probably does not say that. They also listen to The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and sing "so I masterbate at night" instead of "so I can't sleep at night."—Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.128.217.184 (talk • contribs) 02:08, 5 January 2006

....As this question is still being asked in 2018, my husband was a mod and apparently when the song was played at mod nightclubs and the line 'fade away', came up, everyone there shouted 'FUCK OFF!' They couldn't hear Townshend!

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BetacommandBot 06:01, 7 November 2007 (UTC)Reply

How does the notable covers section need to be cleaned up? Hyacinth (talk) 21:59, 16 July 2008 (UTC)Reply

It doesn't. That's what "Notable Covers" sections are supposed to look like. And that other tag ("Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided") under the "In popular culture" section, needs to go as well. There is nowhere else in the entry that the section outlining the effect of "My Generation" in popular culture could go. Some Wiki contributors the moment they see a section titled "In culture", they tag it! -The Gnome (talk) 23:07, 10 March 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think these days more people are familiar with the Limp Bizkit song. It's a lot heavier. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.40.118.28 (talk) 08:25, 29 December 2011 (UTC)Reply

According to the liner notes of the sound track to The Kids Are Alright, the solo was in fact performed on a Damelectro, and that it was the third one Entwistle bought. Middle Eye 512 (talk) 21:30, 21 March 2012 (UTC)Reply

and am not happy with either heavy metal, stoner rock. Wikipedia describes Stones rock as something started in 1990s, and the Who don't (opinion) really fit as Heavy Metal either. Carptrash (talk) 00:21, 5 October 2012 (UTC)Reply

if the section in Popular Culture that reads:

"In a 2009 Pepsi commercial used to promote their new logo"

should read, "The song was used in a 2009 Pepsi commercial used to promote their new logo?" Since I never heard the ad I am not inclined to make this change. Carptrash (talk) 14:19, 7 October 2012 (UTC)Reply

There are problems with both these sections, despite what is said in the above section.

1. They are both entirely uncited. This is never good.
2. What criteria is being used to decide which covers are "notable"? Currently it appears that anyone can list any cover they know of. They don't need to make it verifiable or demonstrate any notability.
3. The "in popular culture" section is 90% trivia of no significance. It demonstrates no, or very little, impact of the song on popular culture. It is amply demonstrated in other parts of the article that the song is well-known and popular, so it's news to no-one that, amazingly, it can be heard on TV and in films. No-one is ever going to read the entirety of this undesirable list format because it says very little of interest.

As of Dec. 9, 2013, there are no covers shown in the article, although there is a category listing for Patti Smith songs. I remember the Patti Smith cover with John Cale playing bass. Also, should there be mention of songs that refer to "My Generation", such as Generation X's "Your Generation" and Sham 69's "Whose Generation"? Jtyroler (talk) 10:00, 9 December 2013 (UTC)Reply

--Escape Orbit ^(Talk) 18:24, 12 November 2012 (UTC)Reply

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Is there any doubt that this is Townshend, Daltry, Moon and Entwistle? I his bio Pete mentions three of them but not Moon. I am going to use that as a source. Pleae feel free to join in the discussion. Carptrash (talk) 20:36, 5 January 2019 (UTC)Reply

In the article for the song "My Generation," the release date in listed as 29 October 1965, but in the sidebar for the album the release date is listed as 5 November 1965. CltNC830 (talk) — Preceding undated comment added 23:24, 29 November 2020 (UTC)Reply

When you go to see the singles chronology, for the release year of this single instead of “1965” it says a bunch of 0’s followed by a singular 7. Is this a joke????????? I hope someone cleans this up. Tengoritmo (talk) 19:12, 24 December 2022 (UTC)Reply

Hi,

I was wondering if we can put in garage rock in this page; considering it has the qualities of a garage rock song and is noted by the sources, though is there a way we can put it in there? 203.185.244.152 (talk) 11:47, 9 August 2023 (UTC)Reply

In the composition section there's a picture of the first 2 lines of the vocal melody written on sheet music. It's in F major, but the song (as mentioned later in that section) is up a step in G major. Should this be changed? Sallysballs (talk) 20:31, 6 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

I am sceptical of the story about the Queen Mother ordering the towing away of Pete's hearse. A hearse is a legal vehicle with a legitimate purpose. While an unusual choice for a personal car, it's not illegal. A royal would likely not have the legal authority, nor would they be expected, to order the removal of a legally parked vehicle on a public street. Such a request would be highly irregular and would likely not be acted upon by the police without an immediate safety or security risk, which a parked hearse does not pose. Royal family members, particularly at the time, were not known for making such direct or petty complaints. Royal protocol would typically involve private secretaries or other staff discreetly bringing such matters to the attention of the appropriate authorities. The idea of the Queen Mother herself pointing out a car and demanding its removal from a passing motorcade seems highly improbable.Pete might have been making a story with some basis in fact ('my car was towed away') more 'interesting' by bringing in the Queen Mother. Burraron (talk) 20:30, 17 August 2025 (UTC)Reply