The Who – Baba O'Riley

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Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven

Don't cry
Don't raise your eye
It's only teenage wasteland

Sally, take my hand
We'll travel south across the land
Put out the fire, don't look past my shoulder
The exodus is here
The happy ones are near
Let's get together before we get much older

Teenage wasteland
It's only teenage wasteland
Teenage wasteland
Oh yeah
Teenage wasteland
They're all wasted!

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Lyrics submitted by Lucky1869_420, edited by Mellow_Harsher, bmcf1lm

Track duration: 05:00


Baba O'Riley song meanings
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  • 0
    My Interpretation:The whole thing of Teenage Wasteland is about someone who is in that time period of their life that they can see they are more mature and they see what they are in and the thoughts and ideas around them are a 'teenage wasteland'
    Flag bmcf1lmon January 09, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:basically this is a protest song about Vietnam, coupled with a story about hippies.
    Flagged PTCGAZon December 31, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The song was written long before I was born. I first heard it on when I saw a Pearl Jam DVD being played in a shop. I went home thinking it was a new Pearl Jam song but discovered it belonged to The Who.

    For years I wondered what the song was about. I always suspected the chorus was a reference to young lives lost in war. The reference to North Vietnam and Vietnam War made early in the comments makes the most sense to me.

    Love this song. Always the first one added to a new playlist.
    Flag keeper5983on June 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:This song has a lot of components like the title of the song and Vietnam but the underlying theme here is definitely Catcher in the Rye. Holden is speaking about himself in the first paragraph. He is the catcher in the rye (fields) and the other lines fit his personality. The second verse is him speaking to Sally whom he asks to marry and run out of town with. I guess Holden's time in the book could be described as a teenage wasteland as well. It would be nearly impossible for the Who to have written this song and not thought of Catcher in the Rye as the basis for the lyrics
    Flag qwertymadguy11on November 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:isn't the song about enjoying yourself when you are young. it does not matter what you do. and the teenage waistland bit is or about older people not respecting the younger people point of view or saying it does not matter what you do because you're young. that is my interpretetanio.
    I only do not get the title
    Flag BrILjanTjeon November 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I saw a film clip of the Blue Man Group do this. It was excellent!
    Flag 5jhon May 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:well i think ' Baba O'Riley ' , has the best Intro for a Song for all time till now. to me its a great rebel song to support people to fight and keep figthing in that hard life ! but after all ..... Rock the life being happy and lover!!. ( im not english)

    me parece que esta cancion es una de las mejores intro de todos los tiempos, muy rebelde ( escencia real del rock) y con un gran mensaje de soportar y luchar en la vida !! y que la gente le diga teenage waste land es muy logico, es lo que mas repite el cantante en los coros.
    Flag nandolatinon April 30, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:its about saying something and backing it up thats what pete said in an interview he saw his generation complain about the problems of the world yet they didnt do really anything to stop it
    Flag jacobbeahmon April 24, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:teenage wasteland means living in the suburbs, living a normal life with out much going on. this song is telling you to go live your life, and do what you want with no regrets. think of who this music was talking to at the time of it's release, middle america. the new generation of kids after the war and discovering rock and roll.
    Flag myoung419on December 06, 2010   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:It's actually "I farm for my meals" not plowed or fight. Fight doesn't make sense because a couple verses down he says he doesn't need to fight. It does sound like fight, but if you listen closely it's farm. This also maakes sense with Pete's LIFEHOUSE project he was working on.

    For the longest time I actually thought it was "fight".
    Flag robsunon September 23, 2010   Link
    • 1 Reply

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