‘Squeeze Box’: The Who song written as a poorly aimed dirty joke
It took a while for people to fully understand what the term “concept album” meant, as it was frequently adopted as a blanket term that merely referred to any albums that were somewhat linked. When records stopped being compilations of singles and started becoming whole bodies of work, “concept album” could apply to most albums that were being released. It wasn’t until The Beatles released Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band that the parameters of a concept album were truly set.
With Sgt Pepper’s, The Beatles made an album on which songs were sung as if from a fictional band. The cover of said record was an extension of those songs, as the people pictured on the front represented said fictional band. The connection was loose at times, but it set a foundation that many bands who followed built upon.
One of these bands was The Who. While they initially rose to fame, releasing popular singles that were disconnected, such as ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ and ‘My Generation’, during a period of creative uncertainty, Pete Townsend decided they should try making albums with a connecting theme. From this, records such as Tommy were made, which completely revolutionised the way people viewed what an album could be.
While Sgt Pepper’s followed a theme, Tommy had its own story buried within the record. Some tracks were merely exposition, while other songs were performed from the point of view of different characters as the layered nature of the story was revealed throughout the record. The Who became the godfathers of the concept album.
Of course, while The Who were renowned for making complicated songs and albums, they were also prone to moments of experimentation and foolishness. Both of these things contributed to their 1975 track ‘Squeeze Box’, which had a double meaning that Pete Townshend made up in a childish moment.
The term “Squeeze Box” refers to an accordion. Townshend had purchased an accordion and was playing around with it when he came up with the melody for this unexpected hit. “Squeeze box” is also a slang term which refers to a vagina, so as Townshend was putting the lyrics together, he decided to use this rude double meaning to his advantage. He confesses that when he wrote the track, it was “Intended as a poorly aimed dirty joke.”
Despite the rude background behind the song and the fact that it feels straightforward when compared to some of The Who’s other work on their more in-depth concept albums, the band were big fans of it. Roger Daltrey was especially fond of the track, as he believed it showed a side to The Who that otherwise may have remained covered.
“What’s great about ‘Squeeze Box’ is that it’s so refreshingly simple, an incredible catchy song. A good jolly,” he said, “I’ve never had a problem with that song because it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is and I love it for that. Live audiences love it. Nothing wrong with a bit of ‘in-and-out’, mate!”
