Doctor Jimmy (song)
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| "Doctor Jimmy" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Who | ||
| from the album Quadrophenia | ||
| Released | October 19, 1973 | |
| Recorded | May 1972 and June 1973 at Olympic Studios and "The Kitchen" in Battersea, London | |
| Genre | Rock and roll | |
| Length | 8:42 | |
| Label | Track, Polydor, Track, MCA |
|
| Writer(s) | Pete Townshend | |
| Producer(s) | The Who Kit Lambert,Pete Townshend (pre production) Jon Astley (1996 Re-issue) |
|
| Quadrophenia track listing | ||
| Bell Boy (14) |
"Doctor Jimmy" (15) |
"The Rock" (16) |
[edit] Overview
Taken from The Who's 1973 album Quadrophenia, Doctor Jimmy was the opening track on side 4 of the original vinyl LP. Written by guitarist and chief composer Pete Townshend it tells tells us of the thoughts and struggles of Jimmy, the albums lead character as he tries to come to terms with the changes in both himself and of those around him. Placed between Bell Boy and The Rock much of the talk in the song is bravado due to his mental state due also to his addiction to pills. Disillusioned, by the mod culture and friends alike at the fact that he has seen that his mentor The Ace Face is nothing more than a Bell Boy at a Brighton hotel he more or less goes into self destruct, finding it difficult to come to terms with his, at times, split personality. At the end of the song it seems that he has made up his mind to end it all by sailing out to a rock just off the Brighton coast. However when he gets out there he has last minute second thoughts and puts things in perspective before heading back home (we think).
For the record, in the film Quadrophenia Jimmy's choice of destruction is to ride his scooter off Beachy Head but as in the original album he has second thoughts, or does he. In the closing credits of the film the scooter is seen flying off the cliff and crashing on the rocks below but a figure is seen standing at the top of the cliff as The Who's Ive Had Enough closes the film out.
[edit] "Is It Me"
Also included in Doctor Jimmy is one of four theme songs given to each member of The Who. "Is it me" is recognised as being bassist John Entwistle's theme portraying Jimmy as being a romantic. The other themes all take off a lead of there own. Roger Daltrey's theme Helpless Dancer shows Jimmy as the tough guy Keith Moon's theme Bell Boy sees Jimmy as the lunatic and Love Reign O'er Me is Pete Townshend's theme showing Jimmy to be the beggar and the hypocrite.
