Pete Townsend – the idol of my early teenage years, and whose first memorable line was “I Hope I Die Before I Get Old” – turns 75 today.
The lesson? Be careful what you become known for at 19…
4 thoughts on “Mission Not Accomplished”
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If all of the 60’s hippies, including Pete, had taken Pete’s advice and bumped themselves off at 30, America would be a better country today.
For any reprobates reading this; better late than never.
You’ve got to ask whether it’s more embarrassing to have sung “hope I die before I get old”, or whether the real shame is those hideous polyester pants he’s wearing.
Keith Moon took the advice. I get it that nobody more than 10 years younger than me gets The Who. They remain one of my favorite groups. Listen to “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Of course, we did.
I saw them with my brother when they came to Xcel last year. The concert was overproduced, with a 40 piece orchestra for the operatic songs. But there was still power in Daltrey and Townshend, just the two of them, singing “We Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Worth every penny for that one song, sung like it was their first time 50 years ago.