Song Series: #1- Sally Simpson by The Who
Hi all!
I haven't been posting very much. It's the usual hassle of having a blog and not being motivated to post in it! Well today I bring to you some opinions, interpretations and more about songs, movies, books, characters, etc. Today is Sally Simpson by The Who!
Sally Simpson is a track found on the rock opera album, Tommy. It's a sort of stand alone track because it doesn't really have to do with Tommy so much as a girl obsessed with Tommy. It is honestly my favorite Who song, along with Who Are You? and A Quick One While He`s Away.
So, what is this song about ? I will give you my interpretations of the song.
Sally Simpson is a daughter of a minister. Given it's the 60s/70s, religion is still important and Sally's father, Mr. Simpson, probably thinks that Tommy is some sort of "devil music". Now, in the Tommy movie, Sally Simpson looks more like 12, esp. a 12 year old wearing sort of 90s style "dress up game" attire (note that I only say 90s because of the colour scheme). I always pictured Sally Simpson as being 17 or even 15, someone who at that age in the 60s and 70s would look 21. I also pictured her as being looking a little like Elizabeth Olsen but with a slightly grittier look. (I have no idea why, but I always think of Nancy Spungen from the Sid and Nancy movie with Gary Oldman.)
So, not only is Mr. Simpson a minister, but he's apparently a pretty accomplished minister, having a biographical book of his life teachings. Tommy is hailed as a "new messiah", which of course movie or original album, Tommy has a kind of religious cult around his miraculous healing of his sensory troubles (which were psychological to begin with). New Messiah also can be interpreted as secular in meaning because apparently Tommy is a superstar now "bigger than Jesus" as the Beatles would say.
The chorus tells us that Sally knew that she and Tommy were worlds apart. She knew that Tommy and her probably would never happen, but as many youths dream, they like to fantasize about meeting their idols.
Sally is also emotional for a teenager. She is noted as crying at least three times in the song. She spends a long time primping herself to meet Tommy at his concert, and when she gets there, is filled with anxiety, as she is biting her nails. There is a heavy police/security presence as the girls there in the audience (and maybe some boys) are hysterical. Sally is one of those people who are escorted offstage for intruding the personal space of the musician(s). Not only is she escorted offstage, but she is battered about and she is slammed into a chair, which cuts her cheek open and she has to get stitches, which even when she grew up and married "a rock musician she met in California", still has. Sally actually gets to touch his face!
Now according to the lyrics, it's a little ambiguous as to whether Tommy or security threw her off the stage. It would make sense either way, but it's a little tricky.
Sally becomes sort of a groupie because she eventually just marries a rock musician anyways, which shows she still has the same taste in men as when she was a teen. But of course, Sally and Tommy's memories of the incident is different (she doesn't marry Tommy, fyi). Sally remembers Tommy and what she paid to touch him and see his wonderful smile, Tommy remembers how particularly wild the fans were that day, almost in a boastful way.
I have qualms with the movie protrayal, as I had said about how young Sally looked, and two, the fact that when they show her wedding, she is still the same age, marrying basically another 12 year old.
Anyways, that's my interpretation of it!
I haven't been posting very much. It's the usual hassle of having a blog and not being motivated to post in it! Well today I bring to you some opinions, interpretations and more about songs, movies, books, characters, etc. Today is Sally Simpson by The Who!
Sally Simpson is a track found on the rock opera album, Tommy. It's a sort of stand alone track because it doesn't really have to do with Tommy so much as a girl obsessed with Tommy. It is honestly my favorite Who song, along with Who Are You? and A Quick One While He`s Away.
So, what is this song about ? I will give you my interpretations of the song.
Sally Simpson is a daughter of a minister. Given it's the 60s/70s, religion is still important and Sally's father, Mr. Simpson, probably thinks that Tommy is some sort of "devil music". Now, in the Tommy movie, Sally Simpson looks more like 12, esp. a 12 year old wearing sort of 90s style "dress up game" attire (note that I only say 90s because of the colour scheme). I always pictured Sally Simpson as being 17 or even 15, someone who at that age in the 60s and 70s would look 21. I also pictured her as being looking a little like Elizabeth Olsen but with a slightly grittier look. (I have no idea why, but I always think of Nancy Spungen from the Sid and Nancy movie with Gary Oldman.)
So, not only is Mr. Simpson a minister, but he's apparently a pretty accomplished minister, having a biographical book of his life teachings. Tommy is hailed as a "new messiah", which of course movie or original album, Tommy has a kind of religious cult around his miraculous healing of his sensory troubles (which were psychological to begin with). New Messiah also can be interpreted as secular in meaning because apparently Tommy is a superstar now "bigger than Jesus" as the Beatles would say.
The chorus tells us that Sally knew that she and Tommy were worlds apart. She knew that Tommy and her probably would never happen, but as many youths dream, they like to fantasize about meeting their idols.
Sally is also emotional for a teenager. She is noted as crying at least three times in the song. She spends a long time primping herself to meet Tommy at his concert, and when she gets there, is filled with anxiety, as she is biting her nails. There is a heavy police/security presence as the girls there in the audience (and maybe some boys) are hysterical. Sally is one of those people who are escorted offstage for intruding the personal space of the musician(s). Not only is she escorted offstage, but she is battered about and she is slammed into a chair, which cuts her cheek open and she has to get stitches, which even when she grew up and married "a rock musician she met in California", still has. Sally actually gets to touch his face!
Now according to the lyrics, it's a little ambiguous as to whether Tommy or security threw her off the stage. It would make sense either way, but it's a little tricky.
Sally becomes sort of a groupie because she eventually just marries a rock musician anyways, which shows she still has the same taste in men as when she was a teen. But of course, Sally and Tommy's memories of the incident is different (she doesn't marry Tommy, fyi). Sally remembers Tommy and what she paid to touch him and see his wonderful smile, Tommy remembers how particularly wild the fans were that day, almost in a boastful way.
I have qualms with the movie protrayal, as I had said about how young Sally looked, and two, the fact that when they show her wedding, she is still the same age, marrying basically another 12 year old.
Anyways, that's my interpretation of it!
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