The Who – My Generation

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "My Generation" Ringtone to Cell

People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby

Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Don't try to dig what we all s-s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to 'cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

My generation
This is my generation, baby

Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to 'cause a b-big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
My my my generation

People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we g-g-get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

This is my generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
My generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation, baby (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)

Send "My Generation" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by oofus

Track duration: 03:18

"My Generation" as written by William Frederick Durst, Wesley Louden Borland, Leor Dimant, John Everett Otto, Samuel Robert Rivers

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, T.R.O. INC.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


My Generation song meanings
Add your thoughts

69 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:a-a-a-awesome song
    Flag Yazardshiron May 17, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:peter townsend wrote this song when he was young as a f***-off to all grown ups. His line "hope i die before i get old" is very famous
    Flag aerosmith4evaon December 27, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:fricken love the who
    roger daltry was so sexy with his voice and all
    Flagged peytonlovesthewhoon November 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Pete Townshend wrote this song in response to the Queen Mother having the singer's Packard Hearse towed because its sight offended her on her daily drive through the neighborhood. It's been speculated that the stuttering in the song is a poke at the Queen and her strange way of speaking.

    It's an awesome song that's become the anthem of many generations since it's original release. I love it.
    Flag dnay809on April 20, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Like most great songs, there is ambiguity to the origin of the lines and the song in general. Daltry did have a natural stutter in the early days, nothing to do with amphetamines (cause he never took them). But the stutter worked due to many mods taking speed at the time, so it sounded cool to the audience the song was aimed at. Secondly, the f-f-fade away was hinting at 'fuck', remembering that until the mid-70's all radio in Britain was Government controlled, so it was a great way to allude to the censored word without being banned from broadcast.
    The actual meaning of the song is directed toward the older generation of the time who were extremely conservative, particularly by English standards. The inspiration came from three main sources, a) the WW2 generation, who refused to talk about what they went through, feeling the hardship endured only concerned them, and b) Pete's hearse being towed as it was blocking the path of the daily drive of the Queen's guard through London (possibly a myth, although he did drive a hearse!) and c) the basic call for respect for the younger generations different ways. Greatest bass line ever IMO.
    Flag ihatepitchforkon January 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always thought the stutter was just him being silly, or just singing a different way. Anywhoo, I know how my baby boomer parent's interpreted the song..."hope I die before I get old". Well, now they're old, and so am I!

    Talkin bout my generation.
    Flag Brunicason December 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:guys i love this song im like 16 i love it also listen to the pixies they are the best lol ty
    Flag Pixies21on April 02, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:"I hope I die before I get old"

    Fucking classic line!
    I can totally, totally relate to.
    Flag MissNeuroticon March 31, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:yeah, the stutter was a way of getting it to sound like he would say fuck off on the radio to further frustrate old people, the song is burning the older generation, in the mid '60s the Who basically lived off Mods and how they ate them up so they wouldn't bash them, and they were mods themselves
    Flag TheFranzFerdinandon January 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Why don't you all ffffff-uck off!!
    As an old guy, I remember singing this to the song in the 60's at parties - a la the party in Quadrophenia.
    Fade away meant nothing, fuck off meant everything then
    Flag nagromnaion January 10, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain