Gonna Be a Countdown: We’re Not Gonna Take It

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That dirty S word!! Good thing I got the car serviced yesterday. Nothing major expected…and, honestly, around here, usually the first sn*wfall is “Oh cool, it’s sn*wing!” instead of “Oh crap, it’s sn*wing.” I’ll ignore it and get on with the next song that has “gonna” in the title. OF COURSE these guys would be on the list…. We’re Not Gonna Take It - The Who Hope you weren’t expecting that 80s Twisted Sister thing. NO way. No, this is the concluding epic (that’s really three songs — “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “See Me, Feel Me,” and “Listening to You”) that closes out the classic Who rock opera Tommy. Pete Townshend said he didn’t write this originally with Tommy in mind, but rather as a kind of protest/anti-political anthem. Apparently politics in England were just as goofy as they were in American back in the 60s. However, it works splendidly as the conclusion of the opera. Tommy becomes oppressive in his “teachings” (“if you want to follow me you’ve got to play pinball…you ain’t gonna follow me any of those ways”), and he’s quickly rejected by the people who are looking for freedom, not oppression. In the movie the crowd riots, killing Tommy’s mother and stepfather and burning the “holiday camp.” Tommy manages to escape, realizing that he’s NOT the “new messiah.” This is a lot like the Elton John classic “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”: you can separate the songs, but it’s so much better as one unit. We’re Not Gonna Take It Written by Pete Townshend Recorded by The Who From Tommy, 1969 You know where to put the cork!