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(s)	Pete Townshend
Producer(s)	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 from its previous song "Overture" as there is no pause between them, with "It's a Boy" often being combined as just "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 a 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.