"Don't Let Go the Coat" is a song written by

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...

and first released on

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's 1981 album '' Face Dances''. It was released as a single following up on the first single from '' Face Dances'', "

You Better You Bet "You Better You Bet" is a song by British rock band the Who, appearing as the first track on their 1981 album '' Face Dances''. It is sung by frontman Roger Daltrey with backing vocals from Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle. Townshend' ...

", but did not achieve the same success, reaching number 47 in the UK and number 84 in the US. It has also been released on several compilation albums, and

himself released an alternate version of the song on his album ''

Another Scoop ''Another Scoop'' is a compilation album by Pete Townshend, and essentially a sequel to ''Scoop''. History Like ''Scoop'' released in 1983, ''Another Scoop'' features a multitude of demos, outtakes and unreleased material, many of which are son ...

''.

Music and lyrics

Several authors, including Stephen Thomas Erlewine, regard the lyrics of "Don't Let Go the Coat" as an ode to spiritual guru

Meher Baba Meher Baba (born Merwan Sheriar Irani; 25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969) was an Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, or God in human form, of the age. A major spiritual figure of the 20th century, he had a following of ...

. The title then refers to Meher Baba's charge that his disciples "hang fast to the hem of my robe," where the robe is a metaphor for his teachings. Alternatively, the song could refer to

's parents, who were the ones who would pick him up when

descended into drugs and alcohol. But regardless, the song strikes themes of spiritual torment, fear of abandonment and the need to keep faith, beginning with the lines:

"I can't be held responsible for blown behavior
I've lost all contact with my only saviour"

Musically, "Don't Let Go the Coat" has a country rock flavor. Authors Steve Grantley and Alan Parker describe the

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

sound as being similar to that of

The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete ...

, and note that the

's acoustic guitar solo has Spanish inflections.

Reception

'' Record World'' described the chorus as "nifty", Townsend's guitar solo as "tasteful" and

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include " My Generation", " Pinball Wizard", " Won't Get Fooled ...

's lead vocal as "gentle." John Atkins acknowledges that the song is melodic, but claims that it is bland and notes that it has less energy than "

". Grantley and Parker, while praising the "pristine production" by

Bill Szymczyk William Frank Szymczyk (; born February 13, 1943) is an American music producer and technical engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of th ...

, note that the song "never really gets out of first gear." Chris Charlesworth asserts that lead singer

's bravado is ill-suited to the song's confession of inadequacy and unworthiness. Erlewine, however, claims that "Don't Let Go the Coat" is "one of ownshend'sbetter odes to

Other releases

"Don't Let Go the Coat" was included on '' The Ultimate Collection'' compilation album in some countries in 2002. A promotional video of the song appeared on '' Who's Better, Who's Best: The Videos'' in 1988. A live video performance from 1981 was included on the DVD set '' Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live''. Townshend released a version of "Don't Let Go the Coat," with himself on lead vocal, on his 1987 album ''Another Scoop''.

SPIN Magazine ''Spin'' (stylized in all caps) is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012. Histor ...

favorably contrasted this version with that of The Who, noting in particular Townshend's "newfound rock exuberance."

Charts

References

{{Authority control The Who songs 1981 singles Songs written by Pete Townshend Song recordings produced by Bill Szymczyk Pete Townshend songs Warner Records singles Polydor Records singles 1980 songs Country rock songs