Drowned (song)
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"Drowned" is a song written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist for The Who, for their sixth album, Quadrophenia.
Contents
Lyrics and music
The oldest song featuring on Quadrophenia ("Joker James", though hailing from the Tommy era, did not feature on the album), "Drowned" was initially written as an ode to Meher Baba in early 1970. Townshend sang it facing the tomb of Meher Baba on his first visit to India in January 1972.
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"When the tragic hero of Q[uadrophenia] sings it, it is desperate and nihilistic. In fact, it's a love song, God's love being the ocean and our 'selves' being the drops of water that make it up. Meher Baba said, 'I am the Ocean of Love.' I want to drown in that ocean, the 'drop' will then be an ocean itself."
— Pete Townshend[1]
In Quadrophenia, "Drowned" tells of how Jimmy contemplates drowning himself in the water. At the end, seagulls, crowd noises and waves can be heard, along with Pete Townshend walking along singing the sixth verse of "Sea and Sand". The piano part was borrowed from the song "Hitchcock Railway" by Joe Cocker. The section of music coming directly before the third verse was later slightly reworked and used in the song "5.15".
Recording
In an amazing coincidence, the studio that "Drowned" was recorded in was flooded just after the song was recorded.
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when recording this song it rained so hard in Battersea where our studio is that the walls were flowing with sheets of water. Chris Stainton played piano in a booth and when the take was finished he opened the door and about 500 gallons gushed out! Another glorious coincidence.
— Pete Townshend[1]
Live performances
"Drowned" is one of the most performed songs by the Who from Quadrophenia, being played throughout their tours, and because it required no backing tapes, it was often performed as a full band jam. Though Roger Daltrey sings on the album cut and the original Quadrophenia tours, Pete Townshend took up lead vocals after the death of Keith Moon and Daltrey played harmonica. From the 1996-97 tours to 2012, it was played as an acoustic-guitar-only solo performance by Townshend. The 2012-2013 Quadrophenia and More tour featured a full band arrangement of "Drowned" with Townshend on lead vocals.
The Who albums and videos featuring "Drowned"
In order of release;
- Quadrophenia
- Hooligans
- Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live
- Live at the Royal Albert Hall/The Who & Special Guests: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
- Tommy and Quadrophenia Live
- Live from Toronto
- Quadrophenia Live in London
Cover versions
The jam band Phish covered "Drowned" and the rest of Quadrophenia at their Halloween 1995 concert, which can be heard on Live Phish Volume 14. "Drowned" and the song "Sea and Sand" are also on their live album New Year's Eve 1995 – Live at Madison Square Garden, and Phish have played an extended version of "Drowned" in several of their concerts since.
Personnel
- The Who
- Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
- Pete Townshend – lead vocals in live performances, lead and rhythm guitars, sound effects
- John Entwistle – bass guitar, brass
- Keith Moon – drums, percussion
- Featuring
