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Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane — Misunderstood
Album: Rough Mix
Avg rating:
6.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 424









Released: 1977
Length: 2:54
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Just wanna be misunderstood
Wanna be feared in my neighborhood
Just wanna be a moody man
Say things that nobody can understand

I want to be obscure and oblique
Inscrutable and vague
so hard to pin down
I wanna leave open mouths when I speak
Want people to cry when I put them down

I wanna be either old and young
Don't like where I ended up or where I begun
I always feel I must get things in the can
I just can't handle it the way I am

Why am I so straight and simple?
People see through me like I'm made of glass
Why can't I deepen with graying temples?
Am I growing out of my class?

I always feel I should be somewhere else
I feel impatient like a girl on the shelf
They say that I should live "sera, sera"
But I am such an ordinary star

Coolwalking smoothtalking straightsmoking firestoking
Coolwalking smoothtalking straightsmoking firestoking
Yeah

Just wanna be misunderstood
I wanna be feared in my neighborhood
Just wanna be a moody man
Say things that nobody can understand

Coolwalking smoothtalking straightsmoking firestoking

Yeah
Comments (75)add comment
Who here hasn't felt, at one time or another, feeling obscure and oblique, inscrutable and vague, so hard to pin down/
                 
 NelsonBlack wrote:
Nothing against "Misunderstood," but "Keep Me Turning" and "Heart to Hang On To" are my two favorites on this one!

 
nothing against Keep Me Turning and Heart to Hang On To, but Annie and April Fool are my 2 favorites on this one !!
This is small gem of an album. 
Nothing against "Misunderstood," but "Keep Me Turning" and "Heart to Hang On To" are my two favorites on this one!
second the comments on Street in the City and Keep Me Turning. Love this album
Kind of reminds me of Proclaimers but I'm not gonna be more than 5.
I like Pete Townshend, but this one hurts my ears.
 Bobert_ParkCity wrote:
Unfortunately I took this song a little bit too seriously - turns out being misunderstood is a pain, not cool.

Bill, play Street in the City!
 
Also play Heart to Hold On To
I haven't heard this in so long. I had it on cassette -lost it long ago.
Love this old album, first time hearing a tune on RP, thanks Bill!  Love most of Pete's outside projects and this is one of the best.  Just saw Pete and Roger and the touring 'Who" band with Zak, Simon and Pino play their Quadrophenia + Hits show at the Oakland Arena - brilliant, vibrant and relevant.
Was 19 when this came out!! The best year of my life. Brings back good memories!{#Clap}
Unfortunately I took this song a little bit too seriously - turns out being misunderstood is a pain, not cool.

Bill, play Street in the City!

 Cynaera wrote:
I can't believe I haven't commented on this album.  I bought it when it first came out, having NO idea who Ronnie Lane even was.  I love every song on it - "Keep Me Turning" is one of my favorites, because it's so simple and sweet.  In fact, this whole album is a gem.  Thanks, nuggler, for the upload! {#Cheers}
 
100% wit cha!
Great set this morning Bill. This is a wonderful cut from a great album.
Yeah!  Love this-been years since I heard it.  Need to set up my turntable(remember those things?)
 misterbearbaby wrote:
Vastly underrated album! 

If you like this, try 'Secret Ploicemans' Other Ball' from the same vintage.

It's pretty amazing that Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood paid for Ronnie Lane's medical care because he somehow got screwed out of royalties fro The Small Faces.
 
Man, I have never heard this song and I was glued to FM radio when this came out! Quite fun. I do remember Secret Policeman's Other Ball...

Had no idea about Ronnie Lane and how he got a little help from his friends...Wow he died young.  
Vastly underrated album! 

If you like this, try 'Secret Ploicemans' Other Ball' from the same vintage.

It's pretty amazing that Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood paid for Ronnie Lane's medical care because he somehow got screwed out of royalties fro The Small Faces.
I can't believe I haven't commented on this album.  I bought it when it first came out, having NO idea who Ronnie Lane even was.  I love every song on it - "Keep Me Turning" is one of my favorites, because it's so simple and sweet.  In fact, this whole album is a gem.  Thanks, nuggler, for the upload! {#Cheers}
 jmsmy wrote:

The best album of any outside project of the Who members.


 
'White City' and 'All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes' are pretty darn good!

I agree!
 Stingray wrote:
Pete singing...?
Cannot identify!

Nice song!
 

Pete singing...?
Cannot identify!

Nice song!

awesome. . .

I agree.  I adored this album when it first came out and still do.  And I must confess I spent a lot of time examining the album cover in a self medicated state {#Cowboy} while listening to it.  It was the first album I played when I got my new turntable and JBL speakers some thirty plus years ago.  Wow, I'm old.

 
jmsmy wrote:

The best album of any outside project of the Who members.

 


The best album of any outside project of the Who members.


 tonypf wrote:
Neat to see how the whole album was loved by so many folks.  The magic that Pete and Ronnie developed together still seems mysterious to me.  I still have the vinyl!
 
A favorite at our house! {#Wave}

 DaveInVA wrote:
I think this is the weakest song on a fantastic album. By weak I mean a 7 instead of a 9 or 10 like most the other songs on it :)
 
Dave is right!  So is Bill for playing it!  So is the person who uploaded it!  4 x 2 =8!

fantastic record
RIP Plonk
Love this album!
Neat to see how the whole album was loved by so many folks.  The magic that Pete and Ronnie developed together still seems mysterious to me.  I still have the vinyl!
I love it when Pete turns it down from 11.
{#Music}
I think this is the weakest song on a fantastic album. By weak I mean a 7 instead of a 9 or 10 like most the other songs on it :)
Lord, I love this album. I have pieces of it on Greatest Hits thingies but not the same. I must purchase it forthwith.
Yep!  great memories!  I actually had to buy this on CD last year after getting reacquainted with this lovely album on RP.  A solid 8.
I also played this death when I was young. Thanks to playing this tune
My favorite on this album is My Baby Gives It Away.  Loved, loved, loved this album as a kid...
Pete is almost always better when he's not taking himself so seriously.
As I mentioned in my pevious post, I love this record. Now that I think of it, I'm dumbfounded that the song I uploaded, "April Fool" with its touching dobro solo by Eric Clapton was given the thumbs down?  {#Stupid} What a great song!


Thanks for reminding me to pull out this CD and air it out. Loved it since it came out.
 


 lee_sf wrote:
{#Cheesygrin}

Had no idea anyone else knew about this album. You know, Heart to Hang Onto and My Baby Gives It Away are just sitting out there, waiting to be played...

 
{#Bounce}

What a wonderful album. Speaking of waiting to be played—Street in the City.
Hey, that really sucked! But that's OK!
 lee_sf wrote:
{#Cheesygrin}

Had no idea anyone else knew about this album. You know, Heart to Hang Onto and My Baby Gives It Away are just sitting out there, waiting to be played...

 
I was just thinking the same thing! This album was a local favorite with me and my bunch in high school. Good times! {#Drunk}{#Cowboy}{#Devil_pimp}
{#Cheesygrin}

Had no idea anyone else knew about this album. You know, Heart to Hang Onto and My Baby Gives It Away are just sitting out there, waiting to be played...

Welcome back, Pete.
 celticgods wrote:
This album is a classic, a masterpiece!
Projects with contribution by this many 'stars'  usually well, are terrible. This is like friends hanging around over each others' houses and playing from the heart.
 

Yup.  And Ronnie's stuff is wonderful.
Ronnie - they misunderstand, the pictures were for research - honest!  {#Embarassed}
Absolutely a classic.   This hasnt left my current play stack since I first heard it o so many years ago.
This album is a classic, a masterpiece!
Projects with contribution by this many 'stars'  usually well, are terrible. This is like friends hanging around over each others' houses and playing from the heart.
Nice song! Just one thing....needs more cowbell!
Coolwalkingsmoothtalkingstraightsmokingfirestoking Yeah!
Very vanilla.
This album of songs just doesn't grow old. Possibly a masterpiece!
Not one negative comment, and with good reason. A classic. I have it on vinyl and CD, but don't listen to it often enough! Good to hear it here. (Thanks, Nuggler!)
nuggler wrote:
My upload !
Bought this record the day it was released. RIP Ronnie Good call, Nuggs!
ROFL the lyrics of this song kill me.
My upload !
RIP Ronnie. Thanks Pete for doing the album and bringing Ronnie(and his illness) to the forefront.
Great song, from a great album!
one of my favorites from yesterday day as well
Been listening to this whole disk on my drive to/from work. Never get tired of it.
1 of my all-time faves!
Love this album - glad to hear any and all from it!
I'm just a soul whose intentions are good Oh, Lord, please let me be misunderstood.
Agreed. What an underrated disc. Brings back old memories. YA_MAN wrote:
I Like this tune but the energy on "My baby gives it away" is the best track on this cd
I thought I was one of the only ones who recognized this amazingly ageless and unpretensiouly great album. Please air more of it.
This album is so good from start to finish. Not a stinker on the whole thing.
I Like this tune but the energy on "My baby gives it away" is the best track on this cd
oufason wrote:
This LP is soooo good.
Yes!Yes!Yes!
This LP is soooo good.
Good tune , "My baby give it away " is the best song on the disc.
One of my faves as well
Great! Was waiting for you to play this, been years. Now play the other 2 songs from this album. You have them, why not?
First song I'd be willing to give an 11. The whole album, actually ...