Nikki Menig

Nov/28/16
Creative Writing

Creative Writing - Concept Album Explication / Interpretation PART I

Artist/Band Name: The Who
Album Title: Tommy
Year/Era:1969

Genre:Rock music, Hard rock, Art rock, Power pop

PART 1
1. THE LITERAL LEVEL
The album tells the story of a blind, deaf, and dumb boy named Tommy, and we
follow him while he goes on a journey of self-discovery. The first song Overture
explains that Tommy's father, Captain Walker, is missing in action during WWI. This
leaves Tommys mother alone as a single mom with Tommy as an unborn child. It's A
Boy is short, and briefly summarizes Tommys birth, and the story begins to move
forward. By 1921 (You Didn't Hear It), Tommy is now a young child, and his mother has
found another lover. Without warning, Captain Walker returns home, and is enraged by
his wifes lover and kills him. Tommy witnesses the brutal killing, and his parents
repeatedly tell him that he didn't see it, hear it, and won't tell anyone about what he saw.
Tommy has somewhat of a mental breakdown, and takes the words literally, becoming
deaf, blind, and dumb. The Amazing Journey starts to describe Tommy and introduce
him to the audience. It talks about how Tommy is not interacting with society as an
average person, but with his mind he interprets them as musical dreams.' Tommy can't
speak, hear, or talk, but he is somewhat aware of what is happening around him and
can analyze it in his way. In Sparks Tommy begins to realize he can comprehend the
world around him if he thinks of it as music. Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) During
this time, Tommys parents are getting desperate to find a way to cure him. They meet a
man named The Hawker who is a fraud of a medical expert and says his wife has a
drug that can cure Tommy. With little thought his parents send him on is a way to see
the Hawkers wife. The Acid Queen refers to the wife of the Hawker. She takes Tommy,
and gives him a drug, presumably acid, and then tells his parents that he has been

cured. Tommy is still deaf, blind, and dumb, and instead of being cured, goes on a drug
infused trip. The trip is brought to life by the song Underture. Tommy is still with the
Hawkers wife while this is happening. During this time he tries to analyze the
hallucinations he sees, just like he does with society. After Tommy is given drugs by the
wife, his mother tries to talk to Tommy in Tommy Can You Hear Me?. She is trying to
see if Tommy was cured, and finds out that he wasn't. Tommys parents are starting to
lose hope in fixing him. In Christmas Tommys parents are singing about how they
worry about Tommy and his stand in religion. Since he can not talk, hear, or see, there
is no way for Tommy to know about God or to accept him as his savior. They fear he
won't be saved because he can not say his prayers due to his illness.
Cousin Kevin is about Tommys cousin who is a sadist and tortures Tommy while
babysitting him. His parents start to neglect Tommy and tend to drop him off with
someone in the family so that they can go out. Since Tommy can say or do anything
about this, he becomes an easy target for people like his cousin and uncle. Tommys
mom and dad discuss if it's alright to leave Tommy with Uncle Ernie in Do You Think It's
Alright? At this point in the album, we start to see Tommys parents stop caring about
him, and leave him with whoever just to get rid of him. Fiddle About is when Tommy is
yet again neglected by his parents and is being looked after by his uncle, Ernie. During
this time his uncle uses Tommy for sexual pleasures. This adds to the example that
people do not care about Tommy; they are only using him for personal reasons. The
narrator of the song Pinball Wizard is the pinball champion who is commenting on how
good Tommy is at playing pinball. Even though Tommy is deaf, blind, and dumb, he
somehow can be a wicked pinball player. People are amazed by Tommy and try to
figure out how he came be so good at the game. Even though Tommy seems to be
figuring out how to use his disabilities to help himself, his parents are still trying to fix
him. His father claims to have found a doctor that can cure Tommy in the song There's
A Doctor. This shows that Tommys parents are still desperate to make him normal. In
the song Go To The Mirror! the doctor believes that Tommy is not physically damaged,
but mentally. His subconscious is causing the block in his mind, caused by what
happened in the song 1921 (You Didn't Hear It). As an example, the doctor tells
Tommy to go to the mirror, and he realizes that Tommy can see himself in it. Now

Tommy continues to look at himself in the mirror. His mother starts to have a
breakdown, asking him to stop looking at himself and look at her. In guilt and despair,
she finally decides to break the mirror in the song Smash The Mirror. After the mirror is
broken, it somehow snaps Tommy out of his trance and his able to hear, speak, and
talk. In Sensation he talks about how glad he is what has happened, He also starts to
think about creating a cult to speak and teach about his experiences. In Miracle Cure
Tommy spreads the word about his experience through the newspaper. Claiming that it
was a cure, more and more people come to hear his teachings. This causes Tommy to
become well known and is treated like a celebrity. Since Tommy is gaining popularity,
many people are becoming infatuated by him. The song Sally Simpson we can see
how much of an impact Tommy has on his followers. Like a famous rock star, people
can not get enough of him. People try to get as close as they can to him, wants to touch
him in some hope it well heal them. I'm Free can he interpreted in two ways. One is
that Tommy is saying that he feels free and alive when giving his teachings. The other
could be Tommy speaking about how getting rid of his disabilities has made life more
exciting. Now that Tommy is famous to thousands of people, he has started somewhat
of a church. In Welcome he encourages people to come and stay so that they can
listen more often to his teachings. In Tommy's Holiday Camp Uncle Ernie, now
Tommys business partner, is welcoming people to the building. This is ironic because of
how horrible Ernie treated Tommy before he was able to hear, see, and talk. This shows
that people are still using Tommy for their personal gain. Now that Tommy has all of his
followers, he decides to start putting more detail into the rules and laws of the new
religion. The song We're Not Gonna Take It describes that his followers turn away from
Tommy because of the new laws and rules. Finally, this shows that in the end, people
only listened or interacted with Tommy when it becomes necessary in their lives.
2. SITUATION:
a. Subject/Topic:
The topic of this album is Tommy. We follow him and see who and what he
encounters throughout his life.
b. Occasion/Why are we talking about this?:

We are talking about this to prove a point about society and how it deals with
people who are different. We are also talking about this to make ourselves aware of
how we see ourselves, maybe different from who we truly are.
c. Audience:
The audience is whoever is listening to the album or whoever can maybe relate
to Tommy and his story.
d. Speaker:
The speaker shifts from Tommy to his mother, father, uncle, cousin, Sally, and his
followers.
3. STRUCTURE:
a. Contrasts/Juxtapositions/Tensions/Oppositions:
Some tensions in the album were during the songs Cousin Kevin, Fiddle
About, and Were Not Going To Take It. For contrast, the songs where everyone
other than Tommy is talking, they only talk about how blind, deaf, and dumb he is. While
when in the songs where Tommy is talking, he talks about how he understands what's
happening around him, and how he only wants people to see him for who he really is.
b. Repetitions:
Throughout the album, Tommy repeats the phrase See me, feel me, touch me, heal
me.
c. Key lines:
Some important key lines throughout the album were Deaf, dumb, and blind kid,
and He doesn't know who Jesus was or what praying is how can he be saved from the
eternal grave?
4. LANGUAGE/DICTION:
a. Imagery (does any sense/reference dominate? Note words/lines)
When Tommy says See me, feel me he is asking people to acknowledge his
existence; to see him as a real person.
d. Allusions (and relevance):

The songs on the album give a mental picture towards the central idea. For
example, in the song Fiddle About they are talking about a deeper meaning without
coming out and saying it directly.
f. Symbolism:
The symbolism is who we are and what the world thinks we are. We look for the
answers in other people, and as soon as they disappoint us, we ditch them.
5. SIGNIFICANCE OF ALBUM TITLE:
The title gives the information about what the subject of the album is; it sums up
the album in one word.
6. GENERAL IDEA/IMPLIED THEME OF THE ALBUM:
The theme of Tommy is the connection being the prospective way we see
ourselves and the reality of who we are.
7. CHOOSE A SECTION OF MUSIC (not lyrics) AND EXPLAIN HOW THE MUSIC
HELPS TO DEVELOP THE ALBUM AS A WHOLE?
Similar to opera, the music itself lets the audience know the emotion of the
situation without having to speak something understandable. For example, the music in
Pinball Wizard lets the audience know it's an exciting moment. While the music in
Underture lets the audience know the introspective moment Tommy has while he is
tripping.
8. YOUR REACTION/RESPONSE TO THE ALBUM AS A WHOLE:
I was surprised by this album; I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I did
not know that throughout the album they would be telling a story, much less about a
deaf, blind, and dumb boy. The way they tell the story and give hints at much darker
things was unique and different from what Ive seen or heard before.

Creative Writing - Concept Album Explication / Interpretation PART II

Artist/Band Name: The who
Album Title: Tommy
Song Title: Cousin Kevin
Year/Era: 1969
Genre:Classic Rock

PART 2
1. THE LITERAL LEVEL:
Tommy is left with is Cousin Kevin, and once his parents are gone, Kevin talks to
Tommy and ask him what they should do. He says they won't have fun because of
Tommys disabilities, but hell make do by satisfying his own needs. Kevin starts to list
ways he can torture Tommy, such as drowning in the tub, leaving him in the rain to die,
and putting needles in his fingers. He then goes on and describes himself as a bully, a
cheat, and overall just a horrible person.
2. SITUATION:
a. Subject/Topic:
Tommys cousin is listing all the cruel ways he can torture him, since he can not
have regular fun because of Tommys disabilities.
b. Occasion/Why are we talking about this?
We are talking about this because it gives the audience a look at how Tommy is
treated amongst his family. No one cares about him, they only use him to satisfy their
own desires.
c. Audience:
The audience is anyone listening to the song.
d. Speaker:
The speaker is Tommys cousin Kevin.
3. STRUCTURE:
a. Transition words/phrases:
Kevin transition to talking sweetly to Tommy about how they can play to threating
ways he can torture him.
b. Contrasts/Juxtapositions/Tensions/Oppositions:

The tensions in the song are when Kevin is explaining that he is ...the school
bully, the classroom cheat, the nastiest play-friend you ever could meet; I'll stick pins in
your fingers and tread on your feet.
c. Repetitions:
Kevin repeats the chorus We're on our own, cousin, all alone, cousin let's think
of a game to play now the grown-ups have all gone away you won't be much fun being
blind, deaf, and dumb but I've no one to play with today.
d. Key lines:
The lines There's a lot I can do to a freak and I'm the school bully! The
classroom cheat. The nastiest play friend, you ever could meet. stick out the most
because they are full of information and expression.
4. LANGUAGE/DICTION:
a. Connotative words (note connotative meaning w/ each example):
Kevin states that they are all alone and that the grown-ups are gone, this implies
that since there is no one there but him and Tommy, he can do whatever he wants and
get away with it, especially with Tommy being blind, deaf, and dumb.
b. Imagery (does any sense/reference dominate? Note words/lines):
In this song, the imagery comes from the ways Kevin will torture Tommy.
Examples are when he says he would give him a cigarette burn, drown him in the bath
tube, or leave him outside in the rain to die. Other examples of Imagery are when he
says he could put glass in his food and put pine needles in his fingers.
c. Paradox or irony (explain its meaning):
There is irony in this song because Kevin says they will be playing games
together, which sounds innocent, but his games are just twisted ways that he can torture
and harm Tommy to satisfy himself.
d. Allusions (and relevance):
His cousin continues to torture Tommy for his enjoyment while it causes Tommy
to retreat more into himself.

e. Figurative language/Poetic devices:

(metaphors, similes, metonyms, puns, personification, alliteration,
assonance/consonance, onomatopoeia, rhythms) asterisk the most important
ones:
Rhythms can be found in the lines Do you know how to play hide-and-seek? To
find me it would take you a week but tied to that chair you won't go anywhere; there's a
lot I can do with a freak.
f. Symbolism:
This song shows how people take advantage of people different from them, and
use them for their own entertainment.
5. TONE:
a. Changing (from what to what?) or consistent (as what?):
The beginning of the song sounds like a child's song but then changes to a hard
and loud song that is more intense.
b. Words or lines which create tone:
The lines We're on our own, cousin all alone, cousin and But tied to that chair
you won't go anywhere; there's a lot I can do with a freak create tone throughout the
song.
6. SIGNIFICANCE OF TITLE:
The title is significant because is gives the audience information about what and
who the song is about.
7. GENERAL IDEA/IMPLIED THEME OF THE SONG:
The general idea of the song is that no one cares about Tommy, they all are just
trying to get what they want out of him. They take advantage of his disabilities, just like
how some people treat each other in life.
8. CHOOSE A SECTION OF MUSIC (not lyrics) AND EXPLAIN HOW THE MUSIC
HELPS TO DEVELOP THE SONG AS WELL AS THE ALBUM AS A WHOLE?
The music at the beginning sounds almost like a childs play song, which makes
the whole song even more demented. This helps develop the song and the album

because it adds to the message the band is trying to get across: that people use others
to get what they want.
9. YOUR REACTION/RESPONSE TO THE SONG AS A WHOLE:
The song is not my favorite out of the whole album, but I like the meaning John
Alec Entwistle put behind the story. It is interesting the way the vocals ring out through
the song; it makes you feel bad for Tommy almost immediately.
10. HOW DOES THIS SONG FIT INTO THE STORY/CONCEPT OF THE ALBUM?
This song fits into the story of the album because it gives the audience a look into
Tommys life and how he is treated. It makes the audience feel sympathy for Tommy and
gives them a look into how bad Tommys life really is.