Love, Reign o'er Me
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| "Love, Reign o'er Me" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Who | ||
| from the album Quadrophenia | ||
| B-side(s) | "Water" | |
| Released | October 23, 1973 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Recorded | May 1972 at Olympic Studios, London with additional tracks recorded at "The Kitchen" June 8, 1973 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:07 | |
| Label | Track Records/MCA | |
| Writer(s) | Pete Townshend | |
| Producer(s) | The Who | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| The Who singles chronology | ||
| "5:15" (1973) |
"Love, Reign o'er Me" (1973) |
"The Real Me" (1974) |
"Love, Reign o'er Me" is the final song from The Who's second rock opera, Quadrophenia, and has been a concert staple for years.
The single release is shorter than the album track, missing the introductory rolling surf sound and the first piano intro, slightly different sequence of the lyrics and ends on string synthesizers with piano rather than the drum solo, guitar, gong and brass explosion as on the album.
The song concerns the main character, Jimmy, having a personal crisis and stealing a boat to go off to a small island, presumably to commit suicide.
As Pete Townshend described the song:
| [It] refers to Meher Baba's one time comment that rain was a blessing from God; that thunder was God's Voice. It's another plea to drown, only this time in the rain. Jimmy goes through a suicide crisis. He surrenders to the inevitable, and you know, you know, when it's over and he goes back to town he'll be going through the same shit, being in the same terrible family situation and so on, but he's moved up a level. He's weak still, but there's a strength in that weakness. He's in danger of maturing.[1] |
The song was named the number one Vocal Performance of All Time by DigitalDreamDoor.
[edit] Homage
The song "Windswept Thumb" on Marillion's album Misplaced Childhood includes the line (not included in the official lyrics) "Rain on me". Misplaced Childhood includes numerous musical references, and this line almost certainly refers to "Love, Reign o'er Me".
[edit] References
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