New Song Lyrics

Performed by The Who

You need a new song
I'll set the words up so they tear right at your soul
Don't take me too long
But there's a danger that I'll plagiarize something old

My fingers kill me as I play my guitar
'Cause I've been chewing down at my nails
My hairline ain't exactly superstar
But there's one thing that never fails
This never fails

I write the same old song with a few new lines
And everybody wants to cheer it
I write the same old song you heard a good few times
Admit you really want to hear it

Whenever I see you
You always treat me like I'm some kind of perfect man
Just 'cause I please you
You explain, but you don't think I can understand

My head is spinning as I scrawl with my pen
'Cause I've been pouring vodka in my soul
Nothing really ever changes my friend
New lamps for old
New lamps for old

We sing the same old song, just like a vintage car
You can look but you won't ever drive it
We drink the same old wine from a brand new jar
We get hung over, but we always survive it

Turn on the radio
Love is proclaimed
Again and again and again
Join in and sing
Now, don't be ashamed
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Let it rain
Let it rain

We hum the same old lines to a different crowd
And everybody wants to cheer it
We run on endless time to reach a higher cloud
But we never ever seem to get near it

We sing the same old song


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Not quite... | Reviewer: Jimmy Carl Black | 10/4/11

While I wouldn't say that any of the other comments are "wrong" or completely off-base, Townshend is on-record regarding what this song is about. At this point in the Who's career, they had a record contract that specified a certain number of albums (It's Hard was the last one made to fulfill that contract). Pete was complaining about how the record executives always wanted "something new" even if it wasn't really new at all. They were happy with the Who rehashing what made them famous. They wanted new material, but weren't willing to wait for them to write something that was actually new and different.

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Pondering punk rock | Reviewer: Anonymous | 10/28/09

Pete is talking about rehashing old ideas, about relevance now...so self effacing-but this song is a reaction to punk, and changing of the (musical) guards...the first wave punks embraced him at the same time the aesthetic was supossedly trying to be new,reacting against his generation,like he did to the generation before him...it's amazing to me that someone who had written such amazing songs,and done so much still considered his 'relevancy'-he took it so serious,which to me means he's always relevant in and of that itself! The Who lives forever!

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irresistibly catchy | Reviewer: Anonymous | 7/8/09

Musically this is one of the highlights from Who Are You and a winner from the start. The up tempo intro with synths and crashing guitar builds up to the chorus with its catchy bass line and Roger's mighty vocals. The bridge of 'Turn on the radio' is beautiful (a reference to Love reign over me from Quadrophenia? 'Let it rain, let it rain' etc.)
The song on the whole is so cleverly crafted, also lyrics wise. Pete's ironic self-assessment as an ageing rocker with 'My fingers kill me as I play my guitar' and 'My hairline ain't exactly superstar' followed by 'but there's one trick that never fails: I write the same old song with a few new lines And everybody wants to cheer it' indicating his fear of becoming something like Elvis, living on past glory because the fans demand it and they don't care if it's basically 'the same old song, just like a vintage car You can look but you won't ever drive it' or 'the same old wine from a brand new jar We get hung over, but we always survive it'. Brilliant lyrics!

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A Different Song | Reviewer: Phil | 6/14/07

While most bands worry about becoming old and losing popularity, The Who (Pete Towshend) worries about geting old and retaining popularity, the kind of popularity from fans that don't care if they listen to rehashed ideas. This is probably one of their most introspective songs. Towshend is trying to get across some sort of message that most listeners won't get, so he thinks.

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