The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again

Track Name
The Who

Who's Next

Won't Get Fooled Again

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"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by Pete Townshend. The original version of the song appears as the final track on the band's 1971 album Who's Next, but its release was preceded by two months by the 1971 single release (a drastically edited version at three-and-a-half minutes in length). The single reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart, number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Australian Singles Chart (Go-Set). It is a perennial favorite on classic rock radio stations and concert staple for the band.

The song originally appeared on the A-side of a 1971 single and has since appeared on various other recordings, including the live compilation soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright and its 1979 documentary film. The film performance of the song, which occurred on 25 May 1978 in Shepperton Studios, was also the last song the original lineup ever performed together, as Keith Moon died four months later.

The song was performed both at Live Aid and 20 years later at Live 8. Townshend also collaborated on a celebrated, live, acoustic duet version of the song with leading classical guitarist John Williams for the 1979 Amnesty International benefit The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979). The Who's Next deluxe edition (released in 2003) contains an early session tape of this song with a different structure featuring Mountain's Leslie West on lead guitar.

Numerous live versions of this song have appeared on albums. In addition to The Kids Are Alright soundtrack, the most notable ones are on the Who's Next deluxe edition from the 1971 Young Vic show and on the Live at the Royal Albert Hall album (from a 2000 show with Noel Gallagher guesting). The band's performance of the song at 2001's The Concert for New York City was considered a highlight of that show.

Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Townshend have each performed the song at solo concerts. Townshend has most radically rearranged the song several times, using instrumentation varying from acoustic to techno.

The Who (featuring surviving original members Daltrey and Townshend) closed their set during the halftime show of Super Bowl XLIV with this song on 7 February 2010.