Why did Pete Townshend write Behind Blue Eyes?

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Why was Behind Blue Eyes written?
Who originally wrote the song Behind Blue Eyes?
When did Behind Blue Eyes come out the who?
What key is Behind Blue Eyes?

Songfacts®:

"Behind Blue Eyes" is written from the perspective of a man who is hated and shunned. He's asking for empathy, but is clearly unhinged and seems to have anger issues.
The lyrics are based on The Who guitarist Pete Townshend's own feeling of angst, that no one knows what it's like to be him, with high expectations and pressure to be someone he's not.
Pete Townshend originally wrote this song about a character in his Lifehouse project, which was going to be a film similar to The Who's Tommy and Quadrophenia. Townshend never finished Lifehouse, but the songs ended up on the album Who's Next.
In Lifehouse, it was going to soundtrack a villain named Jumbo. >>

Suggestion credit:
Brian - Paoli, IN
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey both have blue eyes, but the song is not purely autobiographical. Townshend has said that he wrote it to show "how lonely it is to be powerful."
A run-in with a groupie was the impetus for this song. Pete Townshend never behaved like a typical rock star when he was on tour, especially when it came to groupies, which he tried to avoid. He got married in 1968 and was tempted by a groupie after The Who's June 9, 1970 concert in Denver. As Townshend explained, he went back to his room alone and wrote a prayer beginning, "If my fist clenches, crack it open..."
The prayer was more or less asking for help in resisting this temptation. The other words could be describing his self-pity and how hard it is to resist. >>
Suggestion credit:
Geoff Morgan - Brookfield, WI
The original demo version is a lot quieter and more stripped-down. Townshend released this version on his 1983 album Scoop.
Roger Daltrey recorded a new version of this song with the Irish group The Chieftains, which was released on the group's 1992 album An Irish Evening. This rendition, recorded live at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, features traditional Irish instruments, including fiddle and bodhrán.
"Behind Blue Eyes" is one of the most popular live songs from The Who, played at the majority of their concerts. Pete Townshend has said at various stages of his career that while he believes it's a great song, he doesn't get any satisfaction performing it, as he feels it is out of context of his Lifehouse project.
To the horror of many Who fans who turned up their noses at nu-metal, Limp Bizkit covered this song on their 2003 on their album Results May Vary, taking it to #18 UK and #71 US (the only cover version to chart). This version was used in the Halle Berry movie Gothika. Berry appears in the video, which was directed by Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Conveniently enough, Durst included a scene where he kisses Berry - can't blame him for that!
The Limp Bizkit also appears in The Angry Birds Movie (2016) and is part of the soundtrack.
Roger Daltrey's dog got run over on the day he recorded his vocals for this song - it was the first dog he ever had. The Who singer recalled to AARP The Magazine that he "was desperately trying to hold it together."

‘Behind Blue Eyes’ is one of the most iconic moments in the entirety of The Who’s back catalogue. Featuring the arpeggiated acoustic guitar at the beginning, the introspective lyrics, dovetailing vocals and the raucous end as the band kick in, the song is a classic that needs no real introduction. Taken from the band’s 1971 masterpiece Who’s Next, the track made such a dent in popular culture that even V-necked bro-metallers Limp Bizkit covered it for 2003’s Gothika.

The chorus lyrics are some of the most affecting that Pete Townshend ever penned, as he dials in: “But my dreams they aren’t this empty / As my conscience seems to be / I have hours, only lonely / My love is vengeance / That’s never free”. Given that the song’s emotional undercurrent is so tangible, it comes as no surprise that it has a backstory.

The song originated after a Who show in Denver, Colorado, on June 9th, 1970. The story goes that after the performance, Townshend was tempted by the advances of a groupie. However, he instead opted not to pursue the sexual dalliance and returned to his room alone. It has been claimed that the decision stemmed from the influence and teaching of his spiritual leader, Meher Baba. Famously, Baba inspired the title of the hit single from Who’s Next, ‘Baba O’ Riley’.

During this period of the band, Townshend is noted for his unwavering and somewhat ridiculous dedication to the teachings of Baba. When he returned to his room, he began writing a prayer, and the first words were: “When my fist clenches, crack it open”. Of course, these are the first words sang when the “climactic rocking section” kicks in towards the end of the track.

It wasn’t just spiritual teachings that influenced the song’s creation, however. The rest of the material was crafted to be released as part of Townshend’s aborted Lifehouse project in what was a multi-media space opera intended as a follow up to Tommy. However, it was swiftly aborted due to logistics but ended up playing a significant role in forming the basis of Who’s Next.

The song’s autobiographical nature stems from the way that Townshend wrote it from the perspective of the project’s antagonist, Jumbo. The lyrics are styled in the form of a lament from Jumbo, who’s angry because of the pressures and temptation that consume his existence. If the project came to fruition, ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ was to be Jumbo’s theme song.

Townshend said: “‘Behind Blue Eyes’ really is off the wall because that was a song sung by the villain of the piece (Jumbo), the fact that he felt in the original story that he was forced into a position of being a villain whereas he felt he was a good guy.”

In reality, there are many parallels to be drawn between Townshend’s existence at the time and those of the fictional Jumbo. All the discussion of temptations, and the frustration stemming from them, sounds mightily like what is inferred that Townshend was feeling after returning to his hotel room.

Either way, it’s a marvellous song, and the power of Roger Daltrey‘s voice brings to life these frustrations and makes the lyrics have a universal appeal, a genius piece of songwriting.

Listen to ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ below.

Why was Behind Blue Eyes written?

Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey both have blue eyes, but the song is not purely autobiographical. Townshend has said that he wrote it to show "how lonely it is to be powerful."