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Is the theme of the rock opera Tommy by The Who based on the New Testament?
As part of my reminiscence of my late teenage, I purchased this album and put it on my mp3 player and listened to it while working out in the gym. Near the beginning is the following about Christmas: "And Tommy doesn't know what day it is, he doesn't know who Jesus was, or what praying us; how can he be saved from the eternal grave...". He experiences enlightenment and proclaims the gospel of pinball, and exhorts his followers to "get more in" to "become one of us".
So I wondered whether this was a take on the gospels that predated Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell.
3 Answers
- Pedestal 42Lv 710 years agoFavourite answer
It satirises some elements of the Christian religion.
The symbol of Tommy the star, a T surmounted by a pinball, is a non-subtle clue.
Most powerfully it shows how a simple gentle leader can be taken by an organisation and exploited.
(Here by the magnificently nasty and callous Oliver Reed.)
And how genuine followers can get the original message badly wrong.
But there are multiple "rise and fall" strands, not all of them allegorising Christianity by any means.
- majnun99Lv 710 years ago
It does seem to contain some religious themes. Christianity is a big part of British culture, and Pete Townsend (who wrote Tommy) grew up in that culture. Therefore, it stands to reason that he could have been influenced by Christian themes. That isn't unusual for many works of art, literature and music.
