I Don't Even Know Myself by The Who

Album: Who's Next (1971)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Pete Townshend: "I wrote a couple of songs in a period where people were writing extensive analysis of my character and stuff like this. And I thought, 'Well, f--k it. You don't know me. I don't know myself, how can you know me?'"
This song was released as the B-side to "Won't Get Fooled Again."
Pete Townshend included his original demo on his 1999 solo album Lifehouse Chronicles. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Fintan - Manchester, England, for all above
This song was first recorded at Pete Townshend's own Eel Pie Studio in 1970 and was often played in concert during 1970-1971. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France

Comments: 3

Leonard Anthony from Reno, NvChristmas comes early, I'm a Big Who fan! I didn't even know... After 50 years (+/-) I just found this song for the first time. Another great tune for the catalog.
Tony from UsaPeter was always so flippant about the songs he wrote. Stuff like this comes from the soul, not a reaction to some magazine articles.

"There's only five who know my real name
And my mother don't believe they know it
What she called me is the way I'm staying
And no one'll ever know it"

Peter had rough time at home, it's reflected in much of his material if you dig deep enough. Quadrophenia chronicled his time as a teen when all these voices were forming in his head and as close as we will ever get to him. That's all true music is, someone's voice wanting to be heard. I always wonder why Peter always made light of his motivation to write many of his songs. By his own account he was a shy person, perhaps that's why he finds it so hard to admit this stuff comes straight from his gut. A fan since the days of the first pressing of this album. Saw the entire band live once before Keith passed away, many time since.
Paul from Cardiff, United Kingdomi would love to know more about this song - one of pete's best - and coupled with WGFA, probably the best single they ever released!

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)Will Glahe

In 1939, a polka craze swept America thanks to "Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)."

BloodstreamEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's "Bloodstream" was written after an experience taking MDMA during a wedding celebration in Ibiza; it's basically about all the feelings that he got from that time.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who is about a revolution, but it doesn't have a happy ending, since in the end the new regime becomes just like the old one. Pete Townshend thought that whoever was in power was destined to become corrupt.

Good TimesChic

The disco song "Good Tmes" by Chic was a huge influence on early rap, providing the bassline for "Rapper's Delight."

Dancing QueenABBA

ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson conceived "Dancing Queen" as a dance song with the working title "Boogaloo," drawing inspiration from the 1974 George McCrae disco hit "Rock Your Baby." Their manager Stig Anderson came up with the title "Dancing Queen."

Uptown FunkMark Ronson

The actress Michelle Pfeiffer gets namechecked in the 2014 megahit "Uptown Funk" ("Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold"). When it was released, "Riptide" by Vance Joy was on the charts; that song also mentions her ("Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen").