It's a Boy (The Who song)

"It's a Boy"
Song by the Who
from the album Tommy
Released	May 23, 1969
Genre	Rock
Length	0:39
Label	Polydor
Songwriter	Pete Townshend
Producer	Kit Lambert

"It's a Boy" is a song written by Pete Townshend and is the second track of the English rock band the Who's 1969 rock opera Tommy .

Composition

The song is in the key of B major and is opened with the French horn and an acoustic guitar both featured from the previous track "Overture" as there is no pause between them, with "It's a Boy" often being combined into "Overture". As the brass fades out, Townshend sings the lyrics of "It's a Boy, Ms. Walker, It's a Boy" before the chorus comes soon after with the lyrics of "A son! A son! A son!"

Originally, the verses came from the song "Glow Girl", only with the first installment being "It's a Girl" instead of "It's a Boy". This was removed to have Tommy be the protagonist for the rock opera and the song "Glow Girl" was left on the Who's 1974 compilation album Odds & Sods. ^[1]

Plot

In the hospital, Ms. Walker, the wife of Captain Walker, who has gone missing in action during World War I, is going into labor. As she gives birth, the nurse proclaims the baby's gender as a boy, to whom Ms. Walker names him Tommy. ^[2]

Personnel

• Pete Townshend  – double-tracked lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
• John Entwistle  – French horn
• Keith Moon  –drums, percussion

Bibliography

• Marsh, Dave (1983). Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who. Plexus. ISBN   978-0-85965-083-0.
• Atkins, John (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998. McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-0609-8.

References

1. Marsh 1983, p. 318.
2. Atkins 2000, pp. 121–122.