Retro Music 16

~ beetleypete

Back in 1966, The Who were a ‘Mod’ group, wearing the fashions and sporting the hairstyles of that youth cult. Long before their move into long-winded pop, and the eventual transition to Rock Opera with ‘Tommy’, they released a single that I played to death when I was 14 years old. This was the start of ‘Britpop’, decades bfore it was ever called that.

You think we look pretty good together
You think my shoes are made of leather
But I’m a substitute for another guy
I look pretty tall, but my heels are high
The simple things you see are all complicated
I look pretty young, but I’m just back-dated, yeah

(Substitute) Your lies for fact
(Substitute) I see right through your plastic mac
(Substitute) I look all white, but my dad was black
(Substitute) My fine-looking suit is really made out of sack

I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
The north side of my town faced east
And the east was facing south
And now you dare to look me in the eye
Those crocodile tears are what you cry
It’s a genuine problem, you won’t try
To work it out at all, just pass it by, pass it by

(Substitute) Me for him
(Substitute) My coke for gin
(Substitute) You for my mum
(Substitute) At least I’ll get my washing done

I’m a substitute for another guy
I look pretty tall but my heels are high
The simple things you see are all complicated
I look pretty young, but I’m just backdated, yeah

I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
The north side of my town faced east
And the east was facing south
And now you dare to look me in the eye
Those crocodile tears are what you cry
It’s a genuine problem, you won’t try
To work it out at all, just pass it by, pass it by

(Substitute) Me for him
(Substitute) My coke for gin
(Substitute) You for my mum
(Substitute) At least I’ll get my washing done

(Substitute) Your lies for fact
(Substitute) I see right through your plastic mac
(Substitute) I look all white, but my dad was black
(Substitute) My fine-looking suit is really made out of sack

41 thoughts on “Retro Music 16”

      1. One of those bands you have to look the other way to listen. Except for Roger who, as far as rock musicians go, is one of nature’s gentlemen. However it took them two name name changes and some real stinker singles to end up as the Who. Loved the Mod bands and the whole scene. They were high fashion bad boys on Vespas, a far cry from the American undershirted motorcycle boys.

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          1. Me, too. But watching old videos of where the “British Invasion” came from is a bad habit. And watching Brit TV. No one in Hollywood comes close to how well Britain does period costumes. From pre history to the 60s.

            Liked by 1 person

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  13. “I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth…” Lyrics that say so much in a single line! What a band! You can put twenty of their songs up against anyone – yes, Beatles included – what a band!

    Liked by 1 person

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