“My Name is Bill, and I’m a Head Case”: The Story Behind “I’m a Boy” by The Who

Before Tommy, or even A Quick One, While He’s Away, Pete Townshend of The Who toyed with writing a rock opera named Quads. It was set more than three decades in the future, and the premise was that parents could choose the gender of their children through genetic engineering. In this family, four girls are requested, but the parents are blessed with three females and one male. The couple chooses to raise him as a girl anyway. Despite his protests, “Bill” is forced to dress and behave as a girl.

Townshend worked on the concept but never completed it. He did finish a few songs, two of which were recorded by The Who. Townshend was the principal songwriter on most of The Who’s hits, but, for the most part, they were sung by Roger Daltrey. Becoming the face of these songs, Daltrey had to be a chameleon as he delivered the messages written by their guitarist, who was standing several feet away on stage. It wasn’t always easy for Daltrey to take on entirely new personas as he sang about the tortured inner child of a confused, brilliant mind. Let’s take a look at the story behind “I’m a Boy” by The Who.

One girl was called Jean Marie

Another little girl was called Felicity

Another little girl was Sally Joy

The other was me, and I’m a boy

My name is Bill, and I’m a head case

They practice making up on my face

Yeah, I feel lucky if I get trousers to wear

I spend evenings taking hairpins from my hair

Riding High

The entire story centers on Bill trying to be macho so society would see him as a boy. The Who were riding high after “My Generation,” “Substitute,” and “The Kids Are Alright.” Townshend abandoned Quads but did record “I’m a Boy” and “Disguises” with producer Kit Lambert. In 2018, Daltrey wrote in his memoir Thanks a Lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story, “We’d had a string of decent enough hits. Whatever we did next, we’d still get on Top of the Pops. So Pete wrote, ‘I’m a Boy.’ Bloody hell. A song that was supposed to be part of a rock opera called Quads about a future where parents can choose the sex of their children.”

I’m a boy, I’m a boy

But my ma won’t admit it

I’m a boy, I’m a boy

But if I say I am, I get it

Put your frock on, Jean Marie

Plait your hair, Felicity

Paint your nails, little Sally Joy

Put this wig on, little boy

“I’m a Head Case”

In August 1966, The Who recorded two versions of “I’m a Boy.” The more-extended version featured horn parts played by bassist John Entwistle. Townshend and Daltrey shared the lead vocals, bouncing back and forth between protagonist and narrator. The odd subject matter, with its forced crossdressing and gender confusion, was ahead of its time. Daltrey continued, “I was all right with the line, My name is Bill, and I’m a head case, but the rest of it, a boy struggling to find his identity, was hard. Up until this point, the band had been molded around what I did. Pete wrote it, but I sang it. I wasn’t in charge, but onstage, I could do what I wanted. They fitted around me, and so did the songs. It wasn’t like that anymore. My confidence had been knocked. All I remember was that I listened more to Pete’s voice on the demo tapes and how he was singing it. I tried to get his voice into my voice. I tried to sing it like a vulnerable kid. When I listen to ‘I’m a Boy’ now, I think it kind of works, but I didn’t think it did at the time. Not at all.”

I’m a boy, I’m a boy

But my ma won’t admit it

I’m a boy, I’m a boy

But if I say I am, I get it

I want to play cricket on the green

Ride my bike across the street

Cut myself and see my blood

I want to come home all covered in mud

“A Happy Accident”

In November 1965, Daltrey and drummer Keith Moon got into a fight, and Daltrey was kicked out of the band. After several weeks, things were patched up, and Daltrey returned. In 2008, he told Q magazine, “I always thought The Who went through a weird period after ‘My Generation’ that lasted until we did ‘Magic Bus.’ I thought it all went a bit sloppy. But ‘I’m A Boy’ and ‘Pictures of Lily’ were from that period when I’d been allowed back into the band. My ego had been crushed. I was insecure, and it showed in my voice. When I first heard those songs, I was like, ‘Oi, what’s this all about?’ I didn’t think I could find the right voice for them. You can hear it when you listen to them now, but my insecurity made those songs sound better. It was a happy accident.”

I’m a boy, I’m a boy

But my ma won’t admit it

I’m a boy, I’m a boy, I’m a boy

I’m a boy, I’m a boy, I’m a boy, I’m a boy

I’m a boy, I’m a boy, I’m a boy

“Join My Gang”

Townshend wrote another song for Quads that was recorded. However, it wasn’t cut by The Who. Reacton Records released “Join My Gang” by Oscar shortly after “I’m a Boy.” Bill further rebels from his parents as he tries to break out of the gender he’s been associated with. He’s tough like the other boys, but he’s “just a girl.” Oscar was the middle name of Paul Beuselinck. The singer would later change his name to Paul Nicholas and appear as Cousin Kevin in the 1975 cinematic version of Tommy.

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