It's Hard (song)

Last updated

"It's Hard"
It's Hard cover.jpg
Single by The Who
from the album It's Hard
B-side "Dangerous"
ReleasedFebruary 1983
RecordedTurn Up Turn Down Studios, Surrey, June 1982 [1]
Length3:47
Label Polydor (UK)
Warner Bros. (US)
Songwriter(s) Pete Townshend
Producer(s) The Who
The Who singles chronology
"Eminence Front"
(1982)		"It's Hard"
(1983)		"Twist and Shout (live)"
(1984)

"It's Hard" is a song written by Pete Townshend that featured on British rock band The Who's tenth album, It's Hard , of which it was the title track. It was released as the third and final vinyl single from the album in 1983, backed with the John Entwistle written song "Dangerous", but failed to chart, although it reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. [2] This would become the last Who single of new material until "Real Good Looking Boy" in 2004, and the last album single by them until "Black Widow's Eyes", two years later.

Contents

Background

The lyrics to "It's Hard" were written long before the actual song. [3] It was originally presented to the Who in 1981 for the Who's previous album, Face Dances , in the form of a demo called "Popular", but the band's reaction was cool towards it, as the album was nearly finished at the time. The music of "Popular" was later re-written and the lyrics slightly altered and the song, as "It's Hard", was shown to the Who again and this time featured on the album. Pete Townshend said of the song:

This one I've had for quite a long time as a lyric written on a piece of paper...I was imagining myself as a kind of Johnny Cash figure and talking about bravado and angst and, you know, it's easy to complain and it's easy to bluff. It's very hard to do. [3]

Townshend also said of the band's reaction to "Popular":

The band reaction was lukewarm; we were close to ending the album and were all unsure of what was happening. I later removed the 'Popular' chorus, replaced it with 'It's Hard' and managed to sell another song! [3]

The original demo of "Popular" is featured on the Pete Townshend solo compilation album Scoop , which was released in 1983. The original mix featured an error in Townshend's opening guitar solo, which was fixed in the 1997 remix.

Lyrics and music

The lyrics of "It's Hard" describe how hard life can be. [4] Steve Grantley and Alan G. Parker comment that the song begins by sounding like the theme is the hardships by those who are not well off, "but it turns out to be a self-pitying, repetitive lament about the protagonist's own bad luck." [5] Who biographer John Atkins also describes the lyrics as "self-pitying." [6]

Grantley and Parker say the song has "a certain rocking energy" but they consider the riff to be a ripoff of Bruce Springsteen's "Badlands." [5]

Critical reception

Cash Box called it "standard Who fare," saying that while Daltrey lists the reasons life is hard, Townsend's guitar interlude and harmony vocals "smooth out the rough goings." [7]

Atkins considers "It's Hard" to be "routine," unoriginal and lacking in inspiration, describing it as "predictable, bland soft rock with weak chord work. [6] Atkins considered its forebear, "Popular," to be "equally insipid." [6] Chris Charlesworth calls "It's Hard" a "cliché ridden effort" and particularly criticizes the song's lack of energy. [4] Mike Segretto regards the song as "middling." [8] Grantley and Parker regard it as one of the "highlights" of the It's Hard album, but criticize the riff being taken from Springsteen and that Townshend is now "simply moaning about how tough it is at the top" rather than, as he did previously, voicing the concerns of the "inarticulate young working class." [5]

Live history

"It's Hard" was only performed live on the tour promoting the album in 1982. Lead singer Roger Daltrey played "It's Hard" on rhythm guitar when the Who performed it live, which was very unusual. [4] It was played at every concert on the tour, and featured a short full-band jam at the end. The version from the tour's final show at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens on 17 December is included as a bonus track on the 1997 rerelease of It's Hard. [6]

The Who albums and videos featuring "It's Hard"

In order of release:

Personnel

The Who
Additional musicians

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Going Mobile</span> Song by The Who

"Going Mobile" is a song written by Pete Townshend and originally released by the Who on their 1971 album Who's Next. It was originally written for Townshend's abandoned Lifehouse project, with lyrics celebrating the joy of having a mobile home and being able to travel the open road. The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey did not take part in the recording of the song, leaving the rest of the band to record it as a power trio; Townshend handles the lead vocals, guitars, and synthesizers, with John Entwistle on bass guitar and Keith Moon on drums. The song has attracted mixed reviews from music critics. This is one of only two songs on Who's Next not to feature Daltrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5:15</span> Song by The Who

"5:15" is a song written by Pete Townshend of British rock band The Who. Part of the band's second rock opera, Quadrophenia (1973), the song was also released as a single and reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, while the 1979 re-release reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Are You (The Who song)</span> Song by The Who

"Who Are You" is the title track on the Who's 1978 album, Who Are You, the last album released by the group before Keith Moon's death in September 1978. It was written by Pete Townshend and released as a double-A-sided single with the John Entwistle composition "Had Enough", also featured on the album. The song was one of the band's biggest hits in North America, peaking at number 7 in Canada and at number 14 in the United States, and has become one of the band's signature tunes at their live shows. The piano on the track is played by Rod Argent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Better You Bet</span> Song by The Who

"You Better You Bet" is a song by British rock band The Who, appearing as the first track on their 1981 album Face Dances. It is sung by frontman Roger Daltrey with backing vocals from Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle.

"The Song Is Over" is a song by the English rock band the Who, appearing on Who's Next. It was originally to be the ending song on Lifehouse. It takes place after the police invade the Lifehouse Theatre and the concert goers disappear.

"Getting in Tune" is a song written by Pete Townshend and originally released by the Who on their 1971 album Who's Next. It was originally written as part of Townshend's abandoned Lifehouse project. Its lyrics describe the power of music, as well as reflect the inner contradictions Townshend was feeling at the time between his spiritual needs and his persona as a rock star. The music incorporates a number of changes in tempo and has been praised by critics for its use of dynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squeeze Box (song)</span> 1975 single by the Who

"Squeeze Box" is a song by the Who from their album The Who by Numbers. Written by Pete Townshend, the lyrics are couched in sexual double entendres. Unlike many of the band's other hits, the song features country-like elements, as heard in Townshend's banjo picking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slip Kid</span> Song by The Who

"Slip Kid" is a song from the Who's seventh album, The Who by Numbers. Written originally for Pete Townshend's shelved Lifehouse rock opera, "Slip Kid" was revived in 1975. The song was originally written as a warning about the music business, though Townshend has pointed out the song's relevance in different contexts. The song was released as a single in the US, backed by "Dreaming from the Waist", but failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Legal Matter</span> Song by The Who

"A Legal Matter" is a song written by Pete Townshend and recorded by the British rock band the Who for their debut album My Generation. It was recorded on 12 October 1965 at IBC Studios, and released both as the B-side to "The Kids Are Alright" in the U.S., and as the A-side of a single that reached number 32 in the UK. Both singles were released by Shel Talmy without the permission of the Who and were a result of a legal dispute between Talmy and the band at the time and an attempt to sabotage the release of the band's chosen single "Substitute".

"Love Ain't for Keeping" is a song written by Pete Townshend and originally released by the Who on their 1971 album Who's Next. Its themes include the joy of physical love, the power of nature and the need to live for the moment.

"Drowned" is a song written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist for the Who, for their sixth album, Quadrophenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand</span> Song by the Who

"Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" is a song by the English rock band the Who. It was written by Pete Townshend and released on their 1967 album The Who Sell Out. The best known version of the song has an arrangement using acoustic guitar and Latin percussion instruments.

"Another Tricky Day" is the ninth track on The Who's album Face Dances, written by Who guitarist Pete Townshend.

"Odorono" is a song written by Pete Townshend that was first released by English rock band The Who on their 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Townshend sings the lead vocal rather than normal Who lead singer Roger Daltrey. The song praises the virtues of an actual American deodorant named Odorono.

"Bargain" is a song written by Pete Townshend that was first released by the Who on their 1971 album Who's Next. It is a love song, although the intended subject of the song is God rather than a woman. The song has been included on several compilation and live albums. It was also included on several of Townshend's solo projects. Critics have praised the song's lyricism and power, as well as the performance of the band on the song. Townshend acknowledged during the Who's concert at the Prudential Center in Newark on 19 March 2016 that this is his favorite song on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Jack (song)</span> 1966 single by the Who

"Happy Jack" is a song by the British rock band the Who. It was released as a single in December 1966 in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 3 in the charts. It peaked at No. 1 in Canada. It was also their first top 40 hit in the United States, where it was released in March 1967 and peaked at No. 24. It was included on the American version of their second album, Happy Jack, originally titled A Quick One in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Good's Gone</span> 1966 single by the Who

"The Good's Gone" is a song by English rock band the Who, written by their guitarist Pete Townshend. Initially recorded and sequenced as the third track of their debut My Generation in December 1965, it was released as the B-side to "La-La-La-Lies" in November 1966. Heavily inspired by Ray Davies song "See My Friends", Townshend wrote the track with blues in mind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreaming from the Waist</span> 1976 single by The Who

"Dreaming from the Waist" is a song by The Who, written by Pete Townshend and released on the group's 1975 album The Who by Numbers ; it also served as the B-side of the "Slip Kid" single, released in 1976 in the United States. The track's lyrics deal with sexual frustration and the restlessness associated with getting older, while the music features a bass solo from John Entwistle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trick of the Light (The Who song)</span> 1978 single by The Who

"Trick of the Light" is a song written by bassist John Entwistle for The Who's eighth studio album, Who Are You. It was released as the second single from the album, atypically with another Entwistle song, "905" on the B-side, but did not chart.

"However Much I Booze" is a song by The Who, written by Pete Townshend that is the second track on their 1975 album The Who by Numbers.

References

  1. ↑ "It's Hard". Thewho.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "It's Hard Awards". Allmusic . Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Hypertext Who " Liner Notes " It's Hard". Thewho.net. Archived from the original on 28 September 2005.
  4. 1 2 3 Charlesworth, C. (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of the Who. Omnibus Press. p. 92. ISBN   0711943060.
  5. 1 2 3 Grantley, S.; Parker, A.G. (2010). The Who by Numbers. Helter Skelter Publishing. p. 205. ISBN   9781905139262.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Atkins, John (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998. MacFarland. pp. 262, 266–267. ISBN   9781476606576.
  7. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 5 March 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Segretto, M. (2014). The Who FAQ. Backbeat Books. p. 83. ISBN   9781480361034.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.