Substitute

The initial impulse for *Substitute* came from a specific phrase that caught Pete Townshend's attention: "Although she may be cute/She's just a substitute." This line, from a Smokey Robinson and the Miracles track, led him to want to dedicate an entire song to that idea. For the main riff of the verses, Townshend found inspiration in *Where Is My Girl*, a song he had reviewed for the *New Musical Express* in November 1965. The recording of this track took place on February 12, 1966, at Olympic Studios in London, with Pete Townshend as producer. The result was a single released in March 1966 that reached number five in the UK.

The US single version, released in April 1966, featured some variations. A different vocal take was used, altering the chorus line "I look all white but my dad was black" to "I try walking forward but my feet walk back." Additionally, the second full verse and part of the chorus were edited, shortening the song's duration to two minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Contemporary reviews described the song as an "angry, fast-paced blues" about someone feeling miserable for being just a replacement for the person their girl truly wants, highlighting its "raw and folk-rock" sound. This track, along with *I Can't Explain*, has served as a starting point for many of their concerts since 1971.