Eminence Front Lyrics

Performed by The Who

Eminence Front, The Who: Ultimate Collection
written by Pete Townshend

The sun shines
People forget
The spray flies as the speedboat glides
People forget
Forget they're hiding
The girls smile
People forget
The snow packs as the skier tracks
People forget
Forget they're hiding.

Behind an eminence front
Eminence front - It's a put-on.
It’s an eminence front
It’s an eminence front – It’s a put-on
An eminence front
Eminence front - put-on
Eminence front
It’s an eminence front
I’ts an eminence front – It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on

Come and join the party
Dress to kill
Won't you come and join the party
Dress to kill
Dress to kill.

The drinks flow
People forget
That big wheel spins, the hair thins
People forget
Forget they're hiding
The news slows
People forget
The shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
Forget they're hiding.

Behind an eminence front
An eminence front - it's a put-on
It is an eminence front
Eminence front – It’s a put-on
An eminence front
An eminence front - put-on
Eminence front
It’s an eminence front - it's a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on
It’s a put-on

Come and join the party
Dress to
Come and join the party
Dress to
Come on join the party
Dress to
Come and join the party
Dress to kill

Dress yourself to kill.

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stop hiding behind your veil | Reviewer: Cameron Kirby | 2/3/12

This track represents a union of cross-cultural revolutions. Its lyrics can be debated, both from an artistic and shock perspective. End of the day - can everyone just agree that this guitar riff is one of the greatest of all time?! It has as much soul as any Robert Johnson 4-bar. Muddy was proud when he heard it. Buddy Guy has covered this tune. Nuff said.

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ironically the lyrics tell us plenty about your song analyses | Reviewer: Your Friend | 1/4/12

First of all, no hating, just insights here: I read all the comments and most every one is thoughtful and valid.

But drop back to basics and common sense derived from your own experience to understand why this song is great. For example, Sarte [per earlier comment] is a fine insight, but we need not understand existentialism to define the power of this song. Additionally, we need not understand the 80's party people or drug habits or even The Who as a band.

All of these filters in your attempts to understand the song DO "work" and give insight; to a person, for example, studying philosophy or variously to a person who lived the 80's or etc. etc. But ironically, just consult the song: All these filters are . . . yes, you got it, just a put-on. For whatever your eminence front is, possibly?

The song's power is much more basic, the same basics that power all great art and propaganda: it works on multiple levels, for multiple people. And mostly this includes the multiple "people" that are in YOU, think about that.

Be honest - when your consciousness first sorted this song out of the thousands of others vying for your attention, you might have just discerned . . . . hmm, they're saying something about a front, a put-on . . . and maybe this resonated with you?

It's universal, you know, realizing at some point that someone else is full of B.S., and some aspect of them that you took seriously had then become suddenly transparent to you? . . . also it's universal, the relatively slower coming understanding that life in general is full of B.S. . . . and finally, isn't it also universally true, though not recognized by all, that (myself included) we ourselves are ALSO full of B.S.?

This subtle but very real construct in everybody's existence, which has nothing specifically to do with Roger or Pete or The Who, was likely defined for you, in your mind's language, BY THE SONG. Consciously or unconsciously. As you discovered the different levels of B.S. in the world, get it?

As each level of B.S. is identified . . . The flash of recognition, the bit of cynicism plus the bit of relaxation that enters you as you realize you don't have to take something at face value . . . oh, ok this is just a put-on too . .. they're just fronting . . . hiding . . .

And of course you never would have heard the lyrics -- heard them mostly unconsciously btw -- if you first weren't led to the feeding trough by the awesome groove, a timeless composition. The groove piped you there and kept your mind open so those peeps claiming "its the groove" are right too.

kindest regards.

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the jam | Reviewer: Anonymous | 12/23/11

to the earlier anon hater:

bunch of fans here, and clueless you. It ain't about Who being a good band or not - which of course they are, but we won't bother getting into that right now - it's about the *song* being good! (That being said: I'm not going to defend anything contemporary with this, except maybe You Better You Bet.)

No rule that says once a band leaves their heyday they can't put out the occasional genius product. Heck, even Aerosmith might release a good song again one day?

The rhythm section groove, alone, crushes you. The melodic bass parts; the 2/4 fill bar; even Townshend's screw-up in the first chorus - which they fixed later, but it's fine w/ me; (if band ain't going to fix when it's fresh, then why bother later?); The breakdown; etc.

Now, I've given (brief) reasons why it's the jam, but u give no reasons why it ain't.

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All about the 1% | Reviewer: A thinker I am not | 12/10/11

This song is about socialites and the rich playing in their boats, on the slopes, at the parties and the clubs. It's about the lifestyle that appears to be glamorous and free, yet is instead disguised in self-denial about one's personal failings and the vicissitudes of life. And when it all comes crashing down the humbleness of failure reminds us all that we are hiding behind an Eminence Front.

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Its About Hiding from Your Own Mortality | Reviewer: Sue Thslayer | 8/29/11

The "everydayness" of life preoccupies us to the point that we "forget" that its all pointless i.e. that we're all gonna' die some day. All of these things which we think are so important or situations that we believe to be so grave are actually trivial and meaningless. But its not necessarily a passive amnesia. Many (most?)people actively "hide" behind these "fronts" of seriousness. Read Jean-Paul Sartre for more info.

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Great Song! | Reviewer: beeggs | 5/25/11


Townsend wrote great songs in more styles than anyone other than Lennon And McCartney.
I have to admit though, as a kid, when I first heard the song I thought Roger was saying "Tenement Slut". I soon recognised my mystake, but I still sing the song with that line and several others of my own devising.

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meh | Reviewer: Eminence | 10/19/10

This song is like any other song that's every been writen. It has a meaning that the writer was trying to say, and the meaning of each person that hears it. Everyone has a different interpertation of what a song means. That's the beuty of music. It means what the person listening to it thinks it means. For me, it just got good melodies and catchy groove.

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Just good music, who cares what it is about! | Reviewer: Anonymous | 9/8/10

I have heard this song a lot over the years and I couldn't understand what they were saying...I just liked the rhythm and music! Once I was able to look up the playlist on my radio station, I found the lyrics and artist...and all of these comments! Can't we just enjoy music for music's sake anymore?

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Drugs | Reviewer: Phil | 8/15/10

This song has absolutely nothing to do with being molested by a Catholic Priest. It's all about the effects of cocaine. It causes people to party harder and have a good time, but afterwords, "people forget".

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This song is NOT about sexual abuse by a Catholic clergy | Reviewer: Nick | 4/5/10

A quick read through the lyrics should lead any (intelligent) person to the conclusion that each instance before "People forget" is an instance of what people typically call "fun". The song is about people living behind a "eminence front" of fun, hedonistic living...and it's a "put on". People are trying to hide behind this fun-filled lifestyle instead of dealing with their problems. It's a simple as that.

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All of you are wrong | Reviewer: Saheeb | 2/10/10

This song is about Pete Townsend being sexually abused by the clergy. Eminence is a title for Catholic priest or clergy. I figured it out when the song was out however, he admitted to being abused by the Pope's boys when he was young later in his life. He is now an admitted homosexual and accused pedifile. Anyway this song is great, it has a wicked melody and they should have played it at the Superbowl 2010.

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Great Song | Reviewer: Dirk T.- Belgium | 12/2/09

I'm 52 years old now and have been listening to the Who since I was a 14-years old boy. 'It's hard' is the only album of the Who that deceived me. Now I rediscovered 'Eminence front' on the Toronto double live-CD. The song offers intelligent lyrics and a fantastic, very exciting melody.'Eminence front' is about drug abuse and the wrong attitude of many people, including myself for many years. Love for other people reigns over us when we drop all images about ourself and show us to others naked, humble, without fists, with open,empty hands.
On the live-CD Kenney Jones isn't Keith Moon, of course, but he does his job very well. The older I get, the more I appreciate the Who!

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stuck | Reviewer: sara | 6/14/09

The dog is barking at the back door, I forget. I block it out. The lyrics remind us that we forget the important simple things in life. We cover the pain of striving to get ahead and take the most precious things for granted. We forget, until our soul calls out and reminds us that it's a put on. Will it be too late before we realize the truth or do we leave this earth without caring?

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Wow... | Reviewer: Anonymous | 5/28/09

I can't believe the comments. This song is horrible. You are all delusional, and cannot let go of the fact that at this point, the Who hadn't been good for years.

And who can forget the wonderful voice of Townshend, who sounds like a cat that has been stepped on in just the very first line of this song.

It's like Stones fans who think that Waiting For a Friend is some sort of classic.

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Haunting | Reviewer: Dan | 1/29/09

Knew the song for a long time, always humming along. Never really knew the name or the words.
As a speaker of english as a second language I just now bothered to look up the lyrics - and I had to look some words up in the dictionary.

I find the lyrics concise, meaning sharp, to the point, and accurate in depicting an ongoing theme in social behaviour that seems evident around the globe and across all groups of civilization.

Besides, it's a wicked catchy tune, too.

In short, I agree with Mark

Who isn't two-faced nowadays?

I can already see it in our children...

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