Tuesday, September 28, 2010

the Who's "Naked Eye" and the only One who can move us all

It's a very prophetic song by The Who that you never heard or heard of, even though they did it as the very last song at Woodstock (video here) and some say it basically, singlehandedly (Pete Twonsend's right hand, to be exact) and  presciently inaugurated  punk.

If you have heard of it, it may because it the song that  a substitute drummer (a fan who was at the concert)  got to sit in on once , when Keith Moon passed out...(how would you like to pinch it for Keith Moon?).

Once in a lifetime chance for Scott Halpin, and you can weatch him play it here:



The song, "Naked Eye' was written and recorded during the very early legendary sessions that led to the  masterpiece album, "Who's Next."  It became a concert favorite for awhile, but didn't make the cut for the album. But like many songs from that era of The Who, inevitably connected to the abandened "Lifehooue" project  (read all about that amazing stuff here), quite Godhaunted.

You''ll note that is some live versions, the line that "outed" it as being "about God' (in bold print below)was not sung..
it may have been too direct/evangelical for Daltrey to sing...Gee, it sounds so CCM..

Take a little dope
And walk out in the air
The stars are all connected to the brain.
Find me a woman and lay down on the ground,
Her pleasure comes falling down like rain,
Get myself a car, I feel power as I fly,
Oh now I'm really in control,
It all looks fine to the naked eye,
But it don't really happen that way at all,
Don't happen that way at all.

You sign your own name and I sign mine,
They're both the same but we still get separate rooms,
You can cover up your guts but when you cover up your nuts,
You're admitting that there must be something wrong,
Press any button and milk and honey flows,
The world begins behind your neighbor's wall,
It all looks fine to the naked eye,
But it don't really happen that way at all,
Nah nah no, don't happen that way at all.

You hold the gun and I hold the wound,
And we stand looking in each other's eyes,
Both think we know what's right,
Both know we know what's wrong,
We tell ourselves so many many many lies,
We're not pawns in any game, we're not tools of bigger men,
There's only One who can really move us all,

It all looks fine to the naked eye,
But it don't really happen that way at all










No comments:

Post a Comment

Hey, thanks for engaging the conversation!