The Kids Are Alright (song)

"The Kids Are Alright"
Song

"The Kids Are Alright" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. It appears as the seventh track on the group's first album, My Generation (1965). This song and the album's title track would become anthems for the group and the Mod movement of England in the 1960s. It would later become the name of the rockumentary for the band in 1979.The song features a standard I-IV-V chord progression in the key of D while the chorus uses a II-V-IV-I-II chord progression. It has been said that Townshend heard a Henry Purcell piece on the piano, prompting him to re-work the melody and harmony for the chorus of the song.

The song was later covered by Goldfinger, Dropkick Murphys, Green Day and Pearl Jam.

In present-day live performances, The Who add a lengthy extra section to the end of "The Kids Are Alright", featuring partly improvised lyrics. After John Entwistle's death, the extra lyrics would occasionally make reference to him, and his love of old red wine, which would later inspire their song Old Red Wine, a tribute to Entwistle.

External link

• The Kids Are Alright lyrics