The Who: My Generation

Warm Up:
Show two versions of the Who performing “My Generation”: first, a live perfomance from 1965, and second, the final moments of their 1967 Monterey Pop Festival appearance.

List five words that come to mind as you watch the second video.


Guided Practice:
1) Compare the performances and discuss how the Monterey Pop example adds power to the song because the Who reinforce the song's message with a particular performance style. Touch on the following questions in your groups:

1. In the Monterey Pop Festival performance, what happens at the end of the song? What do the performers do?
2. Why do you think the performers are doing this? Are they making some kind of statement? If so, what is it?
3. How old do the performers appear to be? Does their age have anything to do with the way they are acting? (Note: Members of the Who were between the ages of 20 and 23 during this performance.)
4. How does the audience seem to react? How do you imagine parents of people in the audience would have reacted?
5. Do the performers' actions remind you of any other performers you have seen? (Note: Different from the Beatles, the Who based their band identity not just on songs and recordings; they wanted their live act to be something entirely new. In effect, to fully understand the band you had to understand what they did in performance.) 

Divide students into pairs. Distribute Handout 1: The Who, “My Generation.” Inform students that they will work together to analyze “My Generation,” the song the Who performs in these videos, and one of the songs most closely associated with the band.

Have students work together to complete the activities on the handout, as described below. If they have access to their own computers, they will view the biography of the Who from this site and view the interview clip with Pete Townsend, the writer of "My Generation."

Students will complete Part 1 of the handout, which asks them to define basic terms used in the lesson and discuss the following questions:

1. What is a “generation”?
2. Do you think of yourself as a member of a particular generation? If so, what title would you give that generation and how would you define it? If not, why do you think being part of a generation is not important to you?
3. Who do you consider to be in your generation? Who is not in your generation? How do you feel about people who are not part of your generation?

Students will read this site's biography of the Who and discuss the following questions:

http://teachrock.org/resources/people/who/

1. When and where were the Who formed?
2. What type of music was the band best known for?
3. According to the biography, was what you just saw in the video typical for the Who?

View the short clip of “My Generation” drawn from a 1965 U.S. television appearance.

http://teachrock.org/resources/video/embed/the-who-my-generation-1965/

Follow along with the lyrics, underlining key words and phrases and taking additional notes as you listen. Discuss the following questions in groups:

1. Whom is the singer speaking to? (Who is “you”?) What is his message to them?
2. Who is the singer speaking for? (Who is “we”?) What is his message on their behalf?
3. When the singer says, “I hope I die before I get old,” what do you think he means?
4. Do you think he means this literally? Or might there be a figurative meaning?
5. Does “old” represent a physical age, a state of mind, or perhaps something else?
6. Why do you think this particular lyric has become widely known?
7. Do you think it was in any way irresponsible of the Who to sing this song to young people?
8. How does the music reflect the lyrics? What instruments do you hear?
9. What is the overall mood and tone of the music?
10. How does the band use music to emphasize the message of the lyrics?
11. Why do you think the singer stutters on certain words? What message might he be trying to convey?
12. Who do you think was the intended audience for this song?
13. Remember that the video you saw at the beginning of the lesson came at the end of a performance of this song.
14. Do the actions in the video reflect the message of the song? If so, in what way?
15. Based on what you know about what was happening in the mid- to late-1960s, why do you think this song resonated with so many young people?
16. Read the background information on the song on Part IV of the handout and discuss the following in groups:
17. According to Townsend, did “old” mean physical age?
18. According to these interviews, was the song from his perspective about age or about acceptance?

Watch the interview clip with Townsend, considering what he says about young people, fashion, and teenagers "all becoming one."

http://teachrock.org/resources/video/embed/pete-townshend-post-war-england/

1. Does Townsend’s explanation of the song change your understanding of it? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think the concept of youth is so important to him?
3. How might one’s feelings about the song change as one gets older?
4. Can the song still have meaning for those who are not teenagers or in their early 20s?

Working in pairs, compose new, updated lyrics for “My Generation,” reflecting your views about your generation in today’s America.

Each pair will present its lyrics to the class, and discuss the following:

1. In what ways do your lyrics focus on key events, ideas, complaints, or concerns related to your generation? Be specific, and quote your work.
2. What is the intended audience for your version of the song?
3. What message are you sending to those audiences? Again, be specific and quote your work.

Assessment:

Write a short paragraph summarizing how the Who’s “My Generation” give voice to the attitudes and concerns of young people in the mid-1960s?



Closure: Share paragraphs from above.