Song of the Day 5/9: The Who, “The Song Is Over”

The Who has announced another farewell tour. Yeah, sure, you might scoff – wasn’t their first farewell tour back in 1982?

Yes it was, and it took seven whole years for them to decide that maybe they had been hasty. They regrouped for their 25th anniversary and have toured fairly regularly since. This time they hedged their bets – this is their final North American tour (they’ll play Philly’s Wells Fargo Center Aug. 21). Given that Pete Townshend is 79 and Roger Daltrey 81, they won’t have much chance to go back on the decision this time.

They’re calling it The Song Is Over Tour, which is appropriate – the tune closed Side 1 of the band’s best LP, “Who’s Next.” Like most of the songs on that 1971 album it was written for Townshend’s aborted “Lifehouse” multimedia project, and would have played over the final credits of the intended film. Townshend and Daltrey share lead vocals, backed by Nicky Hopkins on piano.

A demo version of the song was released on Townshend’s 2000 “Lifehouse Chronicles.”