The Who: What, When and Where!

Thanks to The Who for the image

Never mind the chips, salsa and beer. The refreshment of choice during Super Bowl XLIV should have been Bigelow Tea—at least during halftime!  That’s when The Who, one of the greatest rock groups ever, performed their dynamic live set in Miami, as part of the most-watched television program in history!

If you were one of the 106.5 million viewers who saw the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts, you probably enjoyed seeing Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey rock the arena with a medley of their classics, like “Pinball Wizard” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”  (And you might be doubly thrilled to know you can play their medley yourself on Rock Band right now!)

But for all their instantly-recognizable classics, The Who are still cranking out new tunes as well — including their recent song Tea & Theatre, which begins with the question, “Will you have some tea…with me?”

Yes we will!

Decide for yourself what the lyrics in Tea & Theatre are about (watch an acoustic version here), but featuring a tea reference in lyrics does follow a long tradition in music. Perhaps The Who’s legendary singer Roger Daltrey and songwriter/guitarist Pete Townshend, the two original members remaining in the iconic group, love tea because they’re from England, which enjoys the world’s highest per capita tea consumption.

The Who’s album Endless Wire, released in 2006, includes the poignant Tea & Theatre, which was often played as the final song of their concerts during the album tour:

The Who in London, 1965 (Thanks to The Who for the image)

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

“Before we walk from the stage
Will you have some tea
Will you have some tea
At the Theatre with me?”

Inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990, The Who continue a long list of blockbuster Super Bowl halftime performers, including Prince, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.  And if they inspire a few football fans to warm up with a hot cup of tea, they’re our personal MVPs!