905 (song)

"905"
Single by The Who
from the album Who Are You
A-side "Trick of the Light"[1]
Released 2 December 1978[2]
Format 7"
Recorded October 1977
Genre Rock, hard rock
Length 4:02
Label Polydor (UK), MCA (US)
Writer(s) John Entwistle
Producer(s) Glyn Johns
The Who singles chronology
"Who Are You"
(1978)		 "905"
(1978)		 "You Better You Bet"
(1981)
Who Are You track listing

"905" is a song written and sung by bassist John Entwistle for British rock band The Who's eighth studio album, Who Are You. It makes heavy use of one of the first multiphonic Polymoog synthesizers at Entwistle's studio in Ealing.[3] It was never performed live by the Who, but was often performed by The John Entwistle Band. However, it was released as the B-side of the second single from the album, headed by another Entwistle song, "Trick of the Light", making it the only single by the Who with both sides written by John Entwistle. "905" was written for a never completed rock opera set in the future.

I had started a concept album along the same lines as Lifehouse. My story was a little different. It was set in the future. I put it on the shelf for a long time. When that album came along I took them off the shelf and changed them around a little bit. But '905' was actually one of the songs from that. The hero's name was '905' and he lives with this guy named '503' and they're absolutely identical. There aren't any women around because that's what they're eating.
— John Entwistle[4]

The lyrics describe a dystopian future, in which all people are clones. These clones are produced in laboratories by machines. During their growth, they are in suspended animation and all the information they need to live and to fulfill the purpose they have been created for is implanted in their minds. When they become adults they are defrosted and start to carry out their task. As they have never had an actual life they have never learned to feel. They seem inhuman and unfeeling. The song features a clone called “905”. Like all the other clones he has been created to serve a specific purpose. Different to the other clones, he realizes that something about his existence as a clone is wrong. He does not know what is missing exactly but unconsciously he starts having feelings like a real human, as he starts hoping for a better future for him and the other clones. He wants to change things but he does not know how to do it, so he just carries on with his tasks but he knows that at least when he dies he will be free.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.thewho.com/discography/index/album/albumId/50/tagName/Singles
  2. ↑ http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/tablature/singles.html#s1978
  3. ↑ http://www.thewho.net/linernotes/WhoAreYou.html
  4. ↑ http://www.thewho.net/linernotes/WhoAreYou.html
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