Here's how Peter Townshend explained the opera "Tommy" to the Free Press.

OVERTURE—"It is explained that the father is at war and is expected never to be seen again. Tommy is born just like a normal babe after the father leaves."

1921—"It's three years later and the mother has taken a lover. The father returns and shoots the lover. Tommy sees the scene reflected in a mirror. His parents make him promise to say nothing."

AMAZING JOURNEY— "The whole trauma of the event causes a mental block in the boy. He loses his sight, hearing and then his ability to speak. He completely closes up and goes into himself. He can, however, see one thing — his image in the mirror."

CHRISTMAS—"The father realizes Tommy has difficulty being enlightened and saved. The father is really a very religious man."

COUSIN KEVIN—"His cousin is a very wicked child and tortures Tommy in their games. However, Tommy feels it is the first real communication he's had with anyone. Although it's painful he doesn't translate it in that way. He takes it as a very wonderful thing."

THE ACID QUEEN—"A gypsy gives the boy LSD to try to cure him. He has a bad trip but again thinks of it as a form of communication, an anti-drug song."

UNDERTURE—"During his trip he goes into dreams. Gives The Who a chance to play some music."

DO YOU THINK IT'S ALRIGHT, FIDDLE ABOUT—"Tommy has his first sexual relationship, and it's not with the girl next door."

Peter Townshend, composer of "Tommy."

PIN BALL WIZARD— "Tommy learns how to play the pinball machine. Since he does it from vibrations it becomes an art form and he gets incredibly high scores. Some kids see him and stand in awe. At the age of 12 he becomes the pinball champion."

THERE'S A DOCTOR— "The mother takes Tommy to a doctor to try to cure him. He confirms Tommy's inflictions are a result of a mental block."

GO TO THE MIRROR— The opera then enters the boy's head and finds out he sees himself in the mirror, not as Tommy, but as some guide or teacher. It is the only image known to him and he is very devoted to and worships this idol."

TOMMY CAN YOU HEAR ME, SMASH THE MIRROR, SENSATION, MIRACLE CURE—"The mother tries to converse with Tommy while he is looking at the mirror and of course she can't get through to him. She then smashes the mirror just while Tommy is at the exact peak of religious ecstasy. He sees the image smash into a thousand pieces, each portion containing a guide and a lesson. This rush of consciousness brings him right through until he surpasses normal human consciousness and goes right into a state of sainthood."

SALLY SIMPSON—"Tommy has now devoted his life to showing young, and old alike the way he had lived so it will help them conduct their own lives. A girl named Sally Simpson is seen trying to convince her parents to allow her to go to one of Tommy's rallies. She eventually goes and finds out she should live her own life and not try to be like Tommy."

I'M FREE, WELCOME— "People have now moved into Tommy's home and eventually the followers go beyond simply enjoying his presence but demand action like rules and regulations. They want to be like their god."

TOMMY'S HOLIDAY CAMP—"Now old Uncle Ernie re-appears and decides to capitalize on the situation and sets up a camp where people cover their eyes, mouths and ears and play pinball all day. The people want to be miserable like Tommy had been so they will go through to sainthood."

WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT—"Tommy eventually takes over the camp and puts extremely harsh rules on the people. But the people couldn't cope with it. Soon after Tommy takes over they rebel and leave Tommy as alone and remote as ever. And the opera ends."