[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
The Who — I Can't Explain
Album: single
Avg rating:
7.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1002









Released: 1964
Length: 2:03
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Got a feeling inside (Can't explain)
It's a certain kind (Can't explain)
I feel hot and cold (Can't explain)
Yeah, down in my soul, yeah (Can't explain)
I said ... (Can't explain)
I'm feeling good now, yeah, but (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling blue
The things you've said, well, maybe they're true
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means, but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Yeah, hear what I'm saying, girl (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling bad
The things you've said have got me real mad
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Forgive me one more time, now (Can't explain)
I said I can't explain, yeah
You drive me our ot my mind
Yeah, I'm the worrying kind, babe
I said I can't explain
Comments (95)add comment
 idiot_wind wrote:

Greatest rock drumming ever. 

Crank it. 




I don't know about "greatest", but definitely on the "top 10 list"!
GODLIKE!!!  ICONIC!!!
 tinypriest wrote:

And John before the beard and mustache, looking like Kramer from "Seinfeld" ...


Not being critical of the music but ahhh...to be that young, so self-involved and (yes) stupid (again).  It's true the old adage.  

Youth is wasted on the Young.  

Don't get yer hackles up all you boomers and such.  Or if  you are young and reading this I say good for you.

As I said, I'm not being critical.  Just expressing that I now understand the truth of that statement.  For I was once young and stupid, too.  And I've now lived long enough to see such circles come full 'round and close.  I now stand enlightened within the full hard glare of my own personal stupidity.  

At one point quite young I'd prayed for Wisdom.  I got it.  Or at least something like it.  But if I'd known then the pain involved, and which is the price to be paid for all such wishes, I'd have prayed for wealth and money instead.  🤣🤣😆

So it goes for each and every one of us.

Highlow
American Net'Zen
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Roger looking well-coifed with his pre-Lion's-mane 'do.
Pete proudly sporting the most (in)famous proboscis in the history of rock.
And Moonie looks what, 14? Talk about the candle that burns twice as bright . . .

Entwistle is just, Dad.
Greatest rock drumming ever. 

Crank it. 
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Roger looking well-coifed with his pre-Lion's-mane 'do.
Pete proudly sporting the most (in)famous proboscis in the history of rock.
And Moonie looks what, 14? Talk about the candle that burns twice as bright . . .
 
And John before the beard and mustache, looking like Kramer from "Seinfeld" ...
I prefer the Scorpions version.

Roger looking well-coifed with his pre-Lion's-mane 'do.
Pete proudly sporting the most (in)famous proboscis in the history of rock.
And Moonie looks what, 14? Talk about the candle that burns twice as bright . . .
I certainly enjoy that rendition as well ! EssexTex wrote:
peterata wrote:
Check out Bowie's version on 'Pinups'. Better than the original.
Ha Ha Ha
 

I once read an interview with Alice Cooper where he blatantly admitted he ripped off the riff of this song for "No More Mr. Nice Guy".  Gotta love the honesty, and the fact that this is a great song to nick from.
 k_trout wrote:

can you explain why you walk into a room and cannot recall the reason for being there?
 
Is that like you go to the refrigerator instead of the microwave to warm your coffee ?
8 > 9 

Because it's rock and roll par excellence, a fusion of throwback Eddy Cochran and a vision of the '90s, in the 1960s. 
Nice throwback tune in the mix :)
Red is my favorite color!
 k_trout wrote:

can you explain why you walk into a room and cannot recall the reason for being there?
 
Yes, you can now—and throw in some fancy research into your cocktail discussions. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-walking-through-doorway-makes-you-forget/ 

...A “completely different” idea comes from a team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame.  The first part of their paper’s title sums it up:  “Walking through doorways causes forgetting.

Gabriel Radvansky, Sabine Krawietz and Andrea Tamplin seated participants in front of a computer screen running a video game in which they could move around using the arrow keys.  In the game, they would walk up to a table with a colored geometric solid sitting on it. Their task was to pick up the object and take it to another table, where they would put the object down and pick up a new one. Whichever object they were currently carrying was invisible to them, as if it were in a virtual backpack.

Sometimes, to get to the next object the participant simply walked across the room. Other times, they had to walk the same distance, but through a door into a new room. From time to time, the researchers gave them a pop quiz, asking which object was currently in their backpack.  The quiz was timed so that when they walked through a doorway, they were tested right afterwards.  As the title said, walking through doorways caused forgetting: Their responses were both slower and less accurate when they'd walked through a doorway into a new room than when they'd walked the same distance within the same room.
...

The doorway effect suggests that there's more to the remembering than just what you paid attention to, when it happened, and how hard you tried.  Instead, some forms of memory seem to be optimized to keep information ready-to-hand until its shelf life expires, and then purge that information in favor of new stuff.  Radvansky and colleagues call this sort of memory representation an “event model,” and propose that walking through a doorway is a good time to purge your event models because whatever happened in the old room is likely to become less relevant now that you have changed venues.  That thing in the box?  Oh, that's from what I was doing before I got here; we can forget all about that.  Other changes may induce a purge as well:  A friend knocks on the door, you finish the task you were working on, or your computer battery runs down and you have to plug in to recharge.

Why would we have a memory system set up to forget things as soon as we finish one thing and move on to another?  Because we can’t keep everything ready-to-hand, and most of the time the system functions beautifully.  It’s the failures of the system—and data from the lab—that give us a completely new idea of how the system works."

 


Bill, you guys better be playin' the 45!  {#Crashcomp}
Poe is awesome, and easy on the eyes.  The Who are merely awesome.  {#Bananajam}

copymonkey wrote:
This from someone who gave three (THREE!) Poe songs "10s"—-(I always have to check song ratings from commenters who seem so wrong-headed)
POE!!? There ain't a Poe song on record that's better than the worst Who song. Wake up!
 


Thrash those drums!
Awesome treat DJ, many thanks!!!  (wow is that 45 olde)

Most definitely one of the coolest songs ever performed.  

Fact.

{#Drummer} 

 
Really nice Brit guy was in the office this week; suit and necktie, polished shoes, stylish eyeglasses, and that accent that lends an air of sophistication.  His ringtone was Baba O'Riley.  Cracked me up.

(Yeah, I know that's not really relevant, but I'm NOT going to wait around to catch Bill spinning Baba O'Riley.  That might take years.)
Top o' the mountain with this song.  Check out Keith's drumming on the version from 'The Kids Are Alright'. {#Cheesygrin}

 beeblebrocks40 wrote:
There is no "substitute" for early Who!
 
doh! {#Doh}
 Businessgypsy wrote:
Sending in a team to free you, my brother!

 

Work nights, I can dance as much as I want!!
 Dave_Mack wrote:
Thanks to my old friend John E. for singing lead on this song in my old band.

Great hand claps in this one.

 
Did John E. wear the bucksin jacket and have the Roger Daltrey' patented "microphone lasso-twirl followed by the toss way up high" effect as well?

There is no "substitute" for early Who!
 huebdoo wrote:
how can you not do the mash potato to this song, Oh HR is heading my way ... duck into the cube
 Sending in a team to free you, my brother!

 k_trout wrote:

can you explain why you walk into a room and cannot recall the reason for being there?

 

story of my freekin life.
Thanks to my old friend John E. for singing lead on this song in my old band.

Great hand claps in this one.

The Who rocks!{#Drummer}
1971 Auditorium Theater, Chicago this was the opening song that blasted my ass out of my seat and into whole new world of music. Thanks P,R,J & K.
 Govi wrote:
I can't explain why I liked this once, while now it merely irritates.
 
can you explain why you walk into a room and cannot recall the reason for being there?

 copymonkey wrote:
This from someone who gave three (THREE!) Poe songs "10s"—-(I always have to check song ratings from commenters who seem so wrong-headed)
POE!!? There ain't a Poe song on record that's better than the worst Who song. Wake up!
 
Personally I love them both. Thanks for playing...

 ronniegirl wrote:
I have tickets to see Roger on tour tonight, but gave them to my son, a big WHO fan.   I WILL BE WITH MY NEW GRAND DAUGHTER!!  Starting today, she'll have RP in the background while she is here.    Yup.  {#Yes}
 
Awesome! Congrats! {#Biggrin}
I have tickets to see Roger on tour tonight, but gave them to my son, a big WHO fan.   I WILL BE WITH MY NEW GRAND DAUGHTER!!  Starting today, she'll have RP in the background while she is here.    Yup.  {#Yes}
 copymonkey wrote:


This from someone who gave three (THREE!) Poe songs "10s"—-(I always have to check song ratings from commenters who seem so wrong-headed)
POE!!? There ain't a Poe song on record that's better than the worst Who song.

Wake up!
 
Sorry, but you are WAY off!

 Wisecrowe wrote:
I can explain....

Please.  We're waiting.


I can explain....
 stsman wrote:
the who is relivent in any generation period. I can't explain!!!!
 
They're relevant too!
{#Drummer} Keith Moon!!
lucy, you got some s'plaining to do...

Likewise, I would have said something, but they've asked not to explain.  You had to be there, anyway.

 RedGuitar wrote:


Sorry, man, I can't explain.

 


Baby_M wrote:
Could someone explain this one to me?


Sorry, man, I can't explain.

MsJudi wrote:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
This from someone who gave three (THREE!) Poe songs "10s"---(I always have to check song ratings from commenters who seem so wrong-headed) POE!!? There ain't a Poe song on record that's better than the worst Who song. Wake up!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Could someone explain this one to me?
peterata wrote:
Check out Bowie's version on 'Pinups'. Better than the original.
Ha Ha Ha
This was cool :)
As much a classic as anything by the Stones etc
how can you not do the mash potato to this song, Oh HR is heading my way ... duck into the cube
Stupendous.
the who is relivent in any generation period. I can't explain!!!!
Check out Bowie's version on 'Pinups'. Better than the original.
Here here!!! eastcoast wrote:
Boy, This is a tired song.
Boy, This is a tired song.
algrif wrote:
Shame the last drum beats that finish off this song on the original single are missing from this cut. It feels unfinished to us old farts from UK By the way, I was there when I was student at Leeds !!!
Did you just want to explode up through the ceiling when they played Young Mans Blues? What an eyeful and earful to behold - the Who - in their prime.
I can't explain why I liked this once, while now it merely irritates.
Shame the last drum beats that finish off this song on the original single are missing from this cut. It feels unfinished to us old farts from UK By the way, I was there when I was student at Leeds !!!
Good day to play this . . . (click here) The Who just played live at Leeds where they recorded perhaps one of the best live albums in history in 1970. Topical coincidence?
Gryn wrote:
Can't tell the difference between this song and most songs by the Beetles.
Hi Gryn! Let see ... The Who .. the BeAtles (and it's beatles with and A as in beat) both British invasion bands that had their glory days in the late sixties ... not surprising they sound alike to you ... probably also ... the Kinks, the Animals, Yardbirds, maybe even early Stones etc. etc. etc.... I'm an Old Fart!!!
mojoman wrote:
Someone once Ringo Starr if he was a Mod or a Rocker. He said he was a Mocker. LOL!
That is a scene from "A Hard Days Night". Don't know if it actually happened ... wouldn't be suprised if did though.
Boosiewolf wrote:
This song just f*ing RAWKS!
Sure does!!!!
mojoman wrote:
Someone once Ringo Starr if he was a Mod or a Rocker. He said he was a Mocker. LOL!
maybe he meant 'macher' ?
used to cover this with my band. great opener. love the 12 string guitar solo.
I can't explain: why the day isn't over, why I have to go to another job tonight, why i can't just take walks and listen to music all day.
midnight blast of the Who - right!
UltraNurd wrote:
It's rare to find a song that no one abjectly hates.
Obviously physicsgenius isn't listening right now!
daedalus wrote:
England - 1965. Mods, Lambretta scooters with furry backrests, hipster pants, long shirt collars, parkas, military coats, Rod Stewart hair, and a radically different guitar solo that started it all.. Townshend smashed his guitar on the BBC program 'Ready Steady Go' and caused an uproar.
Someone once Ringo Starr if he was a Mod or a Rocker. He said he was a Mocker. LOL!
Ah, memories of listening to this song through my brother's wall - it was so loud I had no choice!! =)
marian wrote:
Problem solved!
It's rare to find a song that no one abjectly hates.
England - 1965. Mods, Lambretta scooters with furry backrests, hipster pants, long shirt collars, parkas, military coats, Rod Stewart hair, and a radically different guitar solo that started it all.. Townshend smashed his guitar on the BBC program 'Ready Steady Go' and caused an uproar.
Can't tell the difference between this song and most songs by the Beetles.
phineas wrote:
That is pretty amazing --- never seen anything "better" than a 2-10 range on any song.
Problem solved!
90 ratings and the lowest one is still 4. Must be a record for RP!
This song just f*ing RAWKS!
I can't explain why this song rocks so much.
this is one of the few oldies that still really rock for me! YAYUH!
*MAXIMUM R&B* Right On !
F-Man wrote:
46 ratings to date and no 1s - in fact, nothing lower than a 4! Could it be, a song everyone likes?
That is pretty amazing --- never seen anything "better" than a 2-10 range on any song.
46 ratings to date and no 1s - in fact, nothing lower than a 4! Could it be, a song everyone likes?
Makes me want to crank up the speakers.....music of this sort is for work-at-home days!
littleRoom wrote:
The Hives new single totally stole the riff from this song. Steal from the best, i guess!
Yes, indeed, steal from the best!! As Pete Towsnend himself noted, the Who were in turn inspired (prefer "inspired by" from "stole from") by the Kinks, the inventors of the powerchord and the fountainhead for countless hard rock and punk riffs thereafter.
ChardRemains wrote:
Dang that is some crispy stuff. This song is solving many of my problems today.
Uh, yeah, exactly. That about says it.
Fab. and think, they got those sounds with just two guitars: Awesome indeed
A great first single for The Who, although this song really gained its cojones once it hit its late 60s-early 70s stride, a la "Live at Leeds." And contrary to popular belief, apparently Jimmy Page did NOT play rhythm guitar on this track - he did on the B-side, however.
Keith who? Dang that is some crispy stuff. This song is solving many of my problems today.
ooh, play the Bowie cover from Pin-Ups one time too, okay? :)
top-notch guitar-slamming drum-tossing rock 'n' roll. the perfect transition from the buckinghams to the modern era.
The Hives new single totally stole the riff from this song. Steal from the best, i guess!
Timeless pure rock.
Have to be in the right mood for The Who. Thankfully, this is one of those moods. I lvoe the cut on the RUSHMORE soudntrack: A Quick One While He's Away. Or something like that.
Great tune. Simple, catchy hook. Early stuff that really shines. :)