Is it me .. for a moment ?

In the last few months.. I have been on a sort of exploration for new forms of music.. Besides knocking into led zep, I think the most enriching experience has been coming across the album "Quadrophenia" by The Who.. Quadrophenia is one of those self-introspection kind of albums (i guess there are not many of them...). It has made me think a lot.

There are days and weeks, when u end up spending most of your time in the office, analysing and writing reams of codes. U get drowned in your work and end up ignoring your own interests. Somehow, you get lost in this queer crowd of things created by you. Then one day, suddenly you wake up and say to yourself, "Man, where was I all these days". It's a situation when the real you and the present you become two different persons. It comes as a shock to you, when you see your life separating from the real you. Dont know how it goes for others, but I had to live this situation.. It was kinda pathetic.. Luckily, thats when I came across Quadrophenia. Pete Townshend's magnum opus.. I must say..

Lots of songs by you ask the question "who am I?". Townshend must have written it in context of his own life. But, since it's written in a very general sense..so anyone who is in the mode of self-introspection and in the quest for finding "himself", would relate a lot to Quadrophenia and many other Who songs.

I would like to mention some lines which struck me and had a deep impact on me.

To begin with....
(Real Me.. the 2nd song)...asks "Can you see the real me?" A simple question.. In the song, the protagonist asks this to others.. I asked myself..

(I am the Sea.. 1st song)
Or that line... "Is it me for a moment?" ... the way this line has been sung by Roger Daltrey is superb.. You cant ask yourself this question in a better manner. There's this cry in his voice.. The pathos.. It reflects the chaos and confusion you feel "when u lose yourself"...

And then after all this self-searching.. when you starting setting things back to where the should be.. Thats when you say..
"But I'm one.
I am one.
And I can see
That this is me,
And I will be,
You'll all see
I'm the one"
(from the song.. I'm One..)

The people, the work.. everything has been occupying unnecessary space in your life..
"I'm getting put down,
I'm getting pushed round,
I'm being beaten every day.
My life's fading,
But things are changing,
I'm not gonna sit and weep again."
(from the song.. The Dirty Jobs)

"I've had enough of living
I've had enough of dying
I've had enough of smiling
I've had enough of crying
I've taken all the high roads
I've squandered and I've saved
I've had enough of childhood
I've had enough of graves..."
(from the song.. I've Had Enough )

"Inside outside. Leave me alone.
Inside outside. Nowhere is home.
Inside outside, Where have I been?"
(from the song.. 5:15 )



So.. let me put all these things behind start anew

"Let me flow into the ocean,
Let me get back to the sea.
Let me be stormy and let me be calm,
Let the tide in, and set me free."

(and finally..from "Drowned" my favourite song in the album)

I love the message given by Quadrophenia.. This album was the first rock-opera ever written. So, listening to it in sequence makes a lot of sense.. Quadrophenia can help anyone lost in the crowd, lost in love.. Its the magic potion..

..asankhya..