Who – Let’s See Action

Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s see freedom
Let’s see who cares

I had the Hooligans greatest hits double album when I was 13 and I first heard this song then. Pete originally wrote this for the Lifehouse project. 

This was the first of three singles featuring material left over from the Lifehouse sessions. Let’s See Action’s working title was ‘Nothing Is Everything’ and features Nicky Hopkins on piano. 

This was originally written by Pete Townshend for his aborted Lifehouse project, which was intended to be a Rock Opera similar to The Who’s Tommy and Quadrophenia. Many of the songs Townshend wrote for Lifehouse ended up on the 1971 Who’s Next album.

“Let’s See Action” was recorded for the album, but didn’t make the cut. Instead, it was released as a single in the fall of 1971 in the UK peaking at #16. In the US it remained unreleased until its inclusion on the Hooligans compilation album in 1981.

Pete Townshend released a under the radar solo album in 1972 from his demos. One of songs was Let’s See Action. Townshend’s version from Who Came First, is both longer and more energetic than the version by the band.

Roger Daltrey: “Pete was going through a terrible bitterness about the fact that Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp hadn’t got behind making Lifehouse as a film. But the reason they didn’t get behind it was because they couldn’t get to grips with the narrative, and I still feel to this day…even though Pete’s done his Lifehouse Chronicles box and done it as a radio play – well, I’m sorry but though there’s some incredible music in there and some sparks of theoretical and theological ideas, I think the narrative thread of the story is about as exciting as a f—ing whelk (snail) race!

But I always liked ‘Let’s See Action.’ It’s got that texture of explosive rock’n’roll bits mixed in with a laid-back, almost country feel. I still love the sentiment behind it, too.”

Let’s See Action

Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s see freedom
Let’s see who cares

Take me with you
When you leave me
And my shell behind us there

I have learned it
Known who burned me
Avatar has warmed my feet
Take me with you
Let me see you
Time and life can meet

Nothing is
Everything
Everything is
Nothing is
Please the people
Audiences
Break the fences
Nothing is

Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s see freedom
In the air
Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s be free
Let’s see who cares

Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s see freedom
In the air
Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s be free
Let’s see who cares

Give me a drink boy, wash my feet
I’m so tired of running from my own heat
Take this package and here’s what you do
Gonna get this information through

I don’t know where I’m going
I don’t know what I need
But I’ll get to where I’m gonna end up
And that’s alright by me

Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s see freedom
In the air
Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s be free
And see who cares

Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s see freedom
In the air
Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s be free
Let’s see who cares

Nothing, nothing, nothing
Every, every, every, every
Every, every, every, every
Nothing, nothing, nothing
Nothing, nothing, every

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