Thursday, September 9th, 1971

International Times magazine publishes a letter to Pete attacking the song "Won't Get Fooled Again" for its negative view of the Revolution. "...the danger in the new single seems to be that it fails to differentiate between the megalomanias and the courageous individual who is prepared to stand up and voice the sentiment 'fuck you' to authority."  Pete replies.

Transcription:

After rapping on you so heavy at Moon's party on Wednesday we felt that we would write to you as promised and lay out the reasoning behind the feelings of puzzlement and worry that we feel when playing the new single. Whereas the music is still strong kicking out aggressive music, the lyric is seemingly defensive and negative, even potentially damaging to the consciousness of kids who still strongly identify with the Who as an extension of their lifestyles. In fact its calculated to bring down anybody seeking radical change in which we know you agree is a depressingly corrupt society, So why? 

The problem of ‘Leadership' is discussed at length in most radical group circles, like fer instance the Newton/Cleaver mess or the personality cultism around Hoffman and Rubin ( see latest OZ fer that!). These make a solid case for the old axiom:  Don't follow leaders and watch the parking meters: the problem is however that as ya probably know yourself the accomplishtment of most operations usually requires some dumb bastard to

co-ordinate and get things done, whether its bill sticking, raising crops or newspapers or playing rock music at the right place and time and well.   However, if the individual whose initiative produces results feels he has a right to special treatment and personal adulation from his fellow workers then the idea of "here comes the new boss same as the old boss" is perfectly valid.

So the   first question is do you make this distinction? There are obvious leadership situations which have developed into a very bogus elitism, this is most prevalent amongst leading figures who have used the Rock'n Roll business to communicate their ideas. In a lot of cases where a leader figure has attempted to impose a morally objectionable ethic on his audience and supposed "followers" the idea of "we're not gonna take it" comes strongly into play and it would seem that when such an individual loses touch and ceases to be a reflection of the gestalt of the street he is rejected - often very sadly. Either in outright fashion as with the MCS or reluctantly as with Bob Dylan. There are however people who have come to prominence thru then energies and abilities - Sinclair, George Jackson, Garcia even, who despite amazing suffering and harrassment still are prepared to make themselves a vehicle to channelling ideas without extracting any

heayy personal toll on the way. 

Specifically the danger in the new single seems to be that it fails to differentiate between the megalomaniac and the courageous individual who is prepared to stand up and voice the sentiment "fuck you" to authority. The fact that the techniques of straight media make it impossible for anyone to voice a common philosophy without being elevated to an elitist position is unfortunate and something that may change as more and more kids get pissed off with the phoniness of news, TV, rich hunky pop stars, etc.  Since the days of the High Numbers you have progressively become more famous, successful and wealthy by playing fine and mighty mean rock music and by reflecting the power that this generation has discovered within itself. The Who have become a brand name for change and perhaps even a symbol with kids who are fucked over in the streets can identify with.

Obviously the artist has a right to is own particular opinions and ideas and to the expression of them but at the same time it seems reasonable to expect as a return from the artist a positive attitude to the problems he comments on.  The artist is cushioned against the trips on the street and the problems of the people who attend his shows, in return he must strive to maintain the mental contact which keeps his art alive an kicking and directly meaningful to the audience. Are you expressing a desire to escape the pressures of your situation, to say in effect “all right I’m a Rock Star and nuthin’ else an I can’t help you” - because this is essentially a negative approach to things.  No one really expects to see you opening  a “problems of youth guidance service” but at the same time we’d be interested to know what use a self realized man is gonna be to the community and the world in general. 

Yours, 

Chris Rowley

Mick Farren

J. Edward Barker

Dear Chris,

Just got back from the States with damaged hands and anticipation of having to answer a huge pile of mail. I'm answering this first. I was amused and invigorated by our rap at Keith’s . It's always funny to me to get into any heavy raps like that in the midst or such indulgent fantasia insanity. The invigoration, and I know you're going to go through the roof, is because you proved to me that everyone in the Grove is not dying of their own cloudy idealism.

I suppose if I wasn’t cunt enough to be a Rock star I would be round there with you.  A lot of my people are.  The fact is, and it’s not really surprising, I’m not with you.  Neither in your neighborhood nor frame of mind. It’s weird how the extremes of Rock existence drag you through 20 years of life in a week.  Joplin and Hendrix died of old age quite probably.  The reason we, the Who, escape death is simple.  We are English. We go to the States, we look, perform and then get back to the relative peace of green pastures.  It gives us time and space to observe and reflect more accurately the changing balance of power.

You remain frustrated, we reflect that frustration. You get pissed at people dying in campus warfare just like mum and dad used to die in France and Germany so we reflect that feeling of being pissed off.  It’s hard I know to be essentiatly nonviolent and yet still feel very strongly that our strength, wherever it lies in us (the kids) has to be demonstrated.  We have to be respected, feared and listened to.

The Who don’t ‘return’ a positive attitude to youth because it is expected of them or because they get rich from their music. They REFLECT the negative attitudes which a lot of kids are taking to the fight for power which is being waged in their name, but not on their terms, not using their ethics.  Won’t Get Fooled is partly a personal song but mainly a song which screams defiance at those who feel that any cause is better than no cause, that death in a sick society is better than putting up with it, or resigning themselves to wait for change.  It mainly screams defiance at those who try to tell Us, (the Who) what we have to do to with money that isn’t ours, power that belongs not to us but our audiences and lives that long ago were handed to the Rock world on platters.  We fight to remain. Merely remain.  We are human and feel the instinct of self survival. Not supremacy over existing leaders, the right to live a DIFFERENT life than they. Freedom and self realization are words I use a lot in my songs, you use them a lot in life too I’m sure, but what do they mean?  The revolution in Latin American countries was waged on Fidel principles for seven years before new leaders informed the revolutionaries that Fidel TOO had failed until he tailored his fight to the specific set of circumstances that existed in Cuba and not merely to emulate the Marxist catalogue.  

Today freedom and realization are surely words that apply to the inside of man, to man’s ability to be aware that he IS free.  I get a good buzz when you bring me to my senses, I know the song is negative, I’ve written quite a few before, but suggesting that there might be a possibility that the Who are trying to escape the pressures of our situation - that’s libelous.  We’r the only fucking Rock band apart from the Grateful dEad that know what is happening in the audience at a gig. We play hard, often, long.  We think, we work, we worry, we give money away, we re-invest money in our music, in the road circus, we write, we record, we might even get a little negative at times, but we ain’t fucking well trying to escape from nowhere.  There is no escape from our own Karma, we know what we have to do. We also know how the ground has to be laid in order for us to do this.  Listen to our next single  It was recorded at the same session as Fooled and is a planned predetermined follow up. Read our frustration at not being able to truly push Rock through as the alternative society it deserves to be. Listen to the band play as the shotguns sing.  You have no need to fret, you’re not losing a Rock band, you’re not gaining new leaders, you’re keeping the Who.  After diffing your letter I understand too, that we’re keeping you, and that’s good. Some time will pass before Christmas.

Love, Pete