5.15

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"**5:15**" (sometimes written "**5.15**" or "**5'15**") is a song written by Pete Townshend of British rock band The Who. Part of the band's second rock opera, *Quadrophenia* (1973), the song was also released as a single and reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, while the 1979 re-release (accompanying the film and soundtrack album) reached No. 45 on the *Billboard* Hot 100.

Although written as "**5.15**" on the single cover, on the back cover of *Quadrophenia* (the album from which the song is taken) it is written as "5:15".

## Background

The lyrics of "5:15" describe *Quadrophenia'*s protagonist, Jimmy, travelling to Brighton on a train. The song's writer, Pete Townshend, said of the song's lyrics:

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> His train journey down to Brighton, sandwiched between two city gents is notable for the rather absurd number of purple hearts he consumes in order to wile away the time. He goes through a not entirely pleasant series of ups and downs as he thinks about the gaudier side of life as a teenager that we see in newspapers like the News Of The World. '5:15' was written in Oxford Street and Carnaby Street while I was killing time between appointments. I must try it again sometime, it seems to work!
>
> — Pete Townshend

No demo recording of the song exists, as the track was written in the studio on the day the song was recorded. The whistle heard on the track was recorded after Townshend's driver bribed a British train driver with five pounds to sound the train's whistle as it pulled out, despite breaking the station rules.

"5:15" was released as a single in Britain and Europe shortly before the release of *Quadrophenia* in October 1973. Backed with the *Lifehouse* outtake "Water," the single charted at #20 in Britain and #46 in Germany. The single was not released in America, where "Love, Reign o'er Me" and "The Real Me" were chosen as singles instead. Roger Daltrey later commented on the song's single release, "Really, it was the only single on *Quadrophenia* we could have released."
The 7-inch vinyl single mix differs from the wider soundscape of the album mix and appears as a narrower *closed* stereo; however, the overall dynamics are just as powerful. This particular mix is not available on CD. All compilations making claim to the *single mix* have used the album mix version and cut to a variety of different running time lengths plus or minus a few seconds.
*Water*, the B-side, is a track recorded during the April-May 1970 sessions at I.B.C. and Eel Pie Studios, and was originally intended for an EP, available on *Odds & Sods*.

## Lyrics

In the song, the main character Jimmy has taken the 5:15 train to Brighton, consumed a lot of drugs, recollecting his life with the Mods, the cultural movement to which he belongs (even if he has dropped out for now), and their duels with the Rockers. Jimmy's memories are extremely disjointed, consisting mainly of anger, confusion, violence, sexual frustration, and rootlessness.

"5:15", like many of the songs from *Quadrophenia*, is self-referential - *"M-m-m-my generation"* is a line - and thus represents an angrily self-centred, teenage disconnection with society, family and the opposite sex. 'Jimmy' was *"born in the war"* (that is, World War II and its aftermath) and does not understand why he should care about it (or anything) in the context of his extravagant Mod values.

## Soundtrack version

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In 1979, "5:15" and nine other tracks from *Quadrophenia* were remixed by John Entwistle for the soundtrack of the film adaptation of the original rock opera. This version of "5:15" was released as a single in September 1979 to promote the album, reaching #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America.

## Live performances

Live performances of "5:15" included, in addition to the Who's four members, a full brass section and a piano. During the Who reunion tour from 1999 to 2002, bassist John Entwistle played a solo in mid-song, lasting several minutes, only accompanied by drummer Zak Starkey.

## Personnel

The Who
* Roger Daltrey – lead vocals, backing vocals
* Pete Townshend – lead vocals (intro and outro), backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
* John Entwistle – bass guitar, brass, backing vocals
* Keith Moon – drums, percussion

Featuring
* Chris Stainton – piano

## References

1. ↑ "The Who Official Website". *Thewho.com*. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cady, Brian. "'Quadrophenia' liner notes". *The Hypertext Who*.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Grantley, Steve; Parker, Alan (2010). *The Who by Numbers: The Story of the Who Through Their Music*. Helter Skelter. pp. 105–114. ISBN 978-1905139262.
4. ↑ Grantley, Steve; Parker, Alan (2010). *The Who by Numbers: The Story of the Who Through Their Music*. Helter Skelter. pp. 182–184. ISBN 978-1905139262.

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