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Quadrophenia is a rock opera, and deals with themes of teen angst, disillusionment, and failing to know your place in the world. The title refers to a fictional version of schizophrenia, and four songs on the album represent four personalities. Each of the four band members are given their own theme. Keith Moon's theme is "Bell Boy".
We ca't talk about what the song means without talking about it's contents: a teenager named Jimmy, part of the mod scene, passes a hotel in Brighton. There he sees another mod, named Ace-Face from interviews with Townshend and the film adaptation.
Ace-Face in the 1979 film adaptation. Yes, that's Sting playing him.
This individual was a leader in the mod subculture, widely respected and looked up to. And here he is, working as a bell boy. He's taking orders instead of giving them and not talking back, and Jimmy is horrified by this. Ace still remembers the good ol days ("some nights I still sleep on the beach, remember when stars were in reach") but soon goes back to talking about his job ("I wander in early to work, spend the day licking boots for my perks"). He gives Jimmy some parting advice: "The secret to me, it ain't flown like a flag. I carry it behind this bleeding little badge, what says, Bell Boy". "Bell Boy!" is repeated four times in the chorus, being both a call to action by customers and an angry taunt by Jimmy.
Pete Townshend gives a more straightforward account of what happens in the song in Brian Cady's liner notes for the album.
"He meets an old Ace Face who's now a bellhop at the very hotel the Mods tore up. And he looks on Jimmy with a mixture of pity and contempt, really, and tells him, in effect, 'Look, my job is shit and my life is a tragedy. But you - look at you, you're dead!'"
The song tells a pretty simple story, but why is it Keith's theme, aside from it being a rare lead vocal performance for him in the whole of Ace?
Keith John Moon (1946-1978)
Keith Moon was a troubled man. He was thrown into the rock star world at just 17 when he auditioned to be The Who's replacement drummer, and stayed with them until a premature death at 32, caused by an overdose on medication meant to treat alcohol withdrawal.
Moon is famous for his eccentric personality, drinking problem, and self-destructive behavior, maybe even more than his skills as a drummer, which is a shame. Fans of the Who may have thought that his energetic and outlandish live performances, where he destroyed his drum kit and made dark jokes between songs, were just the front of an act meant to entertain audiences. But while it's safe to say that some of it was manufactured, a lot of it was indicative of how Moon lived his life, a legendary rock star odyssey which consisted of smashing up Holiday Inn rooms and spending obscene amounts of money.
He tried to settle down, kick his habits, and start a family. But he easily grew restless when not touring and became frustrated when he wasn't the center of attention.
And there were consequences. His marriage was a disaster, he passed out on stage on at least two occasions, and by the end of his life, it's said The Who were threatening him with expulsion from the band. The darkest chapter came in 1970 when he accidentally ran over and killed Neil Boland, his driver and friend. Despite his carefree attitude on stage, Moon took all there events seriously, and made real attempts at sobriety, which ultimately led to his death.
The story of Ace-Face doesn't have anything to do with alcoholism, and the character's life doesn't seem remotely as eccentric as Moon's. But when viewed with the right subtext, Ace couldn't be anymore like Moon. Both were men reveled in a lifestyle of debauchery, rebelliousness, and the adoration of loyal followers, but also desperately wanted a quiet, normal life where they could make money, stay out of trouble, and not alienate your loved ones. "Bell Boy" is about our quest to find the best of both worlds, and how that wish might be impossible. It seems like you either lose your self-respect and status like Ace, or burn out like Moon.
Live versions by The Who, I feel, have actually improved in the 21st century. The synhesizer parts are more pronounced, particularly during Moon's verses, or played on brass horns. I myself was lucky enough to see it played live during the Quadrophenia and More tour. You can see a replica of what the performance entailed in their slot at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.
Most of the song is accompanied by clips of Moon drumming, laughing, and being the eccentric "Moon the Loon" we all know and love. An isolated track of Moon's original vocals are used as well. He sung most of it in an exaggerated cockney accent, but during the "Some nights I still sleep on the beach" bridge, and drops it for his normal voice. At this time, the video changes to an interview from the sixties, showing a sweaty exasperated Moon resting a towel on his head. He looks genuinely tired and even a bit contemplative in this clip. And I really appreciate that. I love how they make an effort to show that he wasn't a cartoon character, but a young man still coming to terms with where his life had taken him.
Roger Daltrey turns his back on the audience to look and hold his microphone up during Moon's part. When the song is ending, he gives the late drummer salute before the video fades to black. It's all incredibly moving.
To be clear, I don't think there's anything wrong with remembering Moon's eccentric persona happily and how it made The Who a funnier, more iconic band. And I don't think The Who were trying to get that message across in the performance either. It's okay to remember the fun times with Keith Moon. But's it's also important that we acknowledge that there was a dark side to all of it.
Pete Townshend is a former art student with a talent for writing songs slamming ignorance, corrupt political systems, sexual frustration, and never being completed understood by anyone. Daltrey, who started his career as a sheet metal worker, is the perfect working class avatar for Townshend's angry, sardonic poetry. Bassist John Entwistle was the glue. No matter how difficult Moon's situation got, or how many times Daltrey and Townshend were at each other's throats, everybody loved John. And Keith Moon was the embodiment of The Who's energy. One of the greatest drummers who ever lived, he helped the bad reach their full potential, and is one of the reasons they remain so memorable and interesting to this day. And in the case of "Bell Boy", he was Townshend's inspiration. This wasn't about writing a song for him to sing with a funny voice. It was about looking inward at the root of his strengths, shortcomings, desires, and who he really was.
SOURCES:
- Brian Cady, Quadrophenia linear notes. https://web.archive.org/web/20100702221937/http://www.thewho.net/linernotes/Quad.htm
- Genius Lyrics https://genius.com/The-who-bell-boy-lyrics
