The Meaning Behind The Who’s “Eminence Front”

“Eminence Front” explored the illusions, and delusions, of wealth, according to The Who’s guitarist Pete Townshend. “It’s about the absurdity of drug-fueled grandiosity.”

Released on The Who’s tenth album, It’s Hard, in 1982, “Eminence Front” was likely linked to the detox program Townshend underwent to get over Ativan prior to writing the song. Written and sung by Townshend, the song had a bigger message related to the times.

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Times of Excess

“Eminence Front” criticized the excesses of the wealthy, specifically the financial elite playing with other people’s money, which was indicative of the 1980s “Me”-era, fueled by excess, drugs, and greed.

Drinks flow
People forget
That big wheel spins, the hair thins
People forget
Forget they’re hiding
The news slows
People forget
Their shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
Forget they’re hiding

“I hesitate to try to explain what it was about. It’s clearly about the absurdity of drug-fueled grandiosity,” said Townshend about the song’s meaning, “but whether I was pointing the finger at myself or at the cocaine dealers of Miami Beach is hard to recall.”

Drinks flow
People forget
That big wheel spins, the hair thins
People forget
Forget they’re hiding
The news slows
People forget
Their shares crash, hopes are dashed
People forget
Forget they’re hiding

‘New Wave’ of The Who

Townshend, who already released four solo albums around the time of It’s Hard, was also playing around with the arrangement of the song during production incorporating some more new wave renderings with Who-style organ. “‘Eminence Front’ was written around a chord progression I discovered on my faithful Yamaha E70 organ,” said Townshend.

Following the lackluster success of It’s Hard, The Who didn’t release another album until Endless Wire in 2006. “I hated it,” said singer Roger Daltrey of It’s Hard. “I still hate it.”

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Final Fronts

“Eminence Front” peaked at No. 5 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It’s Hard reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1982, marking a transitional album for The Who.

It was the last Who album to feature founding bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002, and the final Who studio album with longtime drummer Kenney Jones. It’s Hard was also the band’s final release with Warner Records.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images