# I did not know there was a song titled "Teenage Wasteland" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989 "2011-06-19T00:05:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/1 "2011-06-19T00:05:30Z")
I always thought anyone who talked about the song “Teenage Wasteland” was an idiot. Now I find out I’m wrong. I **love** [Teenage Wasteland](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEdxnu-PLwQ). This tune does share some lyrics with Baba O’Riley, but goes in a rather different direction. Of course, Baba O’Riley is damn good too. Just had to share that. More info here: [Baba O'Riley - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_O%27Riley#.22Teenage_Wasteland.22) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/2 "2011-06-19T00:52:00Z")
Interesting Lifehouse Trivia: In 1970, Pete offered his original version of Baba O’Riley to a group of film makers who called themselves “Tattooist International”. The song was to be featured on the soundtrack for a project called “Guitar Farm”. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/3 "2011-06-19T01:13:02Z")
I gotta say the sight of a string section, backup singers, “percussionist” (with singing bowls?) and who knows what else on that stage sent me running to my copy of “Who’s Next” for safety 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/4 "2011-06-19T01:37:11Z")
But did you know they’re all wasted? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/5 "2011-06-19T03:25:47Z")
I prefer Baba O’Riley. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/6 "2011-06-19T14:43:47Z")
Me, too, but this stretched my brain. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/7 "2011-06-19T16:06:48Z")
Interesting. I’m hearing a bit of Baba O’Riley in the music as well as the lyrics, and shades of Behind Blue Eyes, as well. It’s really not bad. It’s not Baba O’Riley, but it’s not bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/8 "2011-06-19T16:13:03Z")
I was at this show! My brother and I traveled from Kansas City, MO to London for the show. He had bought the tickets as a souvenir. But then I checked airlines, and found that Virgin was running some amazing deals, and we got round trips from Chicago for $349. We had to get him a passport in a hurry. He was working as a commission salesman and couldn’t take time off, so he worked all day Friday, flew up to Chicago, met me, we flew to London, sleeping on the plane (thank you Ambien!) saw the show at Sadler’s Wells Saturday night, slept in our tiny hotel room, flew out Sunday morning and he was back at work Monday morning. By the way, the black girl in the shiny suit screwed up the chorus of [Baba O’Reilly](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0J85ydsb_w) the first time, which is why there was such a huge cheer when she hit it. The other thing is that Townshend literally had to kneel down put his head in the monitor speaker to tune his guitar, due to his tinitus. The opener was the orchestra performing music by Terry Reilly. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-did-not-know-there-was-a-song-titled-teenage-wasteland/585989/9 "2011-06-19T18:13:06Z")
Very cool, **gaffa**! The middle section reminds me of “Do Ya” a bit. Though that song sounds kind of like a Who song to begin with. (on edit, maybe “Let My Love Open the Door” is maybe more apt). The middle backup singer looks a bit like Dave Thomas (Mr. F, not the burger man).