From album
The Who
The Who · 1980 · Track 5
Details
TonalidadG
Compás4/4
Tempo129 BPM
Duración2:45
ÁlbumThe Who
Año1980
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The story behind
What makes Pictures of Lily so particular is the story it tells, a mix of melancholy and fantasy that unfolds from the very first notes. The lyrics, written by Pete Townshend, begin with the image of someone who cannot fall asleep. The solution comes from his father, who shows him some photographs of a certain Lily. This vision seems to calm him, but soon the desire for Lily as a person, and not just an image, takes hold of him. The final revelation, that Lily passed away in 1929, does not stop the protagonist's fantasy, who takes refuge in it again. Townshend himself has suggested that the idea arose from seeing an old postcard of a vaudeville star, Lily Bayliss, with a dedication that played with the idea of having multiple photos of the same person. Curiously, he also mentioned Lillie Langtry, a music hall figure, as a possible inspiration, who died in the same year mentioned in the song. The recording, which took place on April 5, 1967, was produced by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, and was made at IBC Studios in London.
This track, released as a single on April 21, 1967, became a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number four. While it did not have the same impact in the United States, reaching number fifty-one, it did resonate strongly in continental Europe, achieving good positions in countries like Germany and the Netherlands. The song was later included in the 1971 compilation Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy. As for its live performance, Pictures of Lily was first heard in 1966 and remained in The Who's repertoire until 1968. It had a one-off return in 1979, and was then incorporated again in tours in 1989 and 2015. During the recording, Keith Moon's participation in the high notes is noteworthy, and it has been mentioned that Roger Daltrey attempted to emulate the sound of a World War I siren with the French horn solo, in reference to the era of the girl in the photo.
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