''O' Parvardigar'' is a 2001 EP by Pete Townshend devoted to his song ''O' Parvardigar'' which in turn is based on Meher Baba's Parvardigar Prayer. The EP, which was released on Townshend's own label

Eel Pie Pie and mash is a traditional working-class food, originating in the Docks of London. It typically consists of a minced beef pie, mashed potato and a parsley sauce known as liquor. Pie, mash and eel shops have been in London since the 19th centu ...

, contains three versions of the song—a 1972 studio version, a live version recorded in India, and a German-language version recorded for the opening of a European Baba Centre.

Background

In the early 1970s Townshend, a follower of Meher Baba since 1967, composed ''O' Parvardigar'' to the words (with a few alterations) of Meher's Parvardigar Prayer. It first appeared in 1972 on both his debut solo album '' Who Came First'' and on '' I Am'', a tribute album to Meher with music composed and performed by Townshend and a group of other Meher followers.Giuliano, Geoffrey (2002)
Blue Eyes: The Life of Pete Townshend''
pp. 120–123; 142.

Rowman & Littlefield Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...

. Wilkerson, Mark (2009)
''Who Are You: The Life Of Pete Townshend''
pp. 240; 250; 633.

Omnibus Press Omnibus Press is a publisher of music-related books. It publishes around 30 new titles a year to add to a backlist of over 250 titles currently in print. History Omnibus Press was launched in 1972 as a general non-fiction publisher to complem ...

. . Townshend said in a '' Rolling Stone'' interview "I don't actually say this prayer, I just happened to put it to music ..Preposterous as it may sound, I thought that by putting it to music, a lot people would just be saying it without thinking about it." Townsend's biographer Geoffrey Giuliano described the song as a "spiritual bullet right between the eyes, a masterpiece of poetics, devotion and the musical art." The song was later included as the final track on Townshend's 2001 album '' The Oceanic Concerts''. A German-language version of ''O' Parvardigar'' using a translation by an Austrian follower of Meher was recorded for the opening of a European Baba Centre but was never officially released. The song was used as the soundtrack to a short montage film on Meher's life produced by Townshend and likewise entitled ''O' Parvardigar''. It was first screened in 1976 at the opening of the

Meher Baba Oceanic Centre Meher may refer to: People * Danthala Venkata Meher Baba (1950–2008), an Indian cricketer * Gangadhar Meher (1862–1924), an Indian poet * Gurubari Meher, a martyr in the Indian independence movement against Britain * Harshad Meher (born 1992) ...

in Twickenham and was screened again there in 1994 on the 100th anniversary of Meher's birth. ''O' Parvardigar'' also appears on the soundtrack of ''Delia'', another film produced by Townshend and screened at the 1976 Oceanic Centre opening. That film was a documentary on the actress

Delia de Leon Delia de Leon (10 February 1901 – 21 January 1993) was a British actress and co-founder of the Q Theatre. She was a devoted disciple of the Indian spiritual master Meher Baba and was the subject of a film by musician Pete Townshend. Early li ...

(1901–1993) who was an early and fervent follower of Meher and an admirer of Townshend's song.Horder, John (5 March 1993)
"Obituary: Delia de Leon"
'' The Independent''. Retrieved 19 June 2018.

References

2001 debut EPs Pete Townshend EPs Meher Baba tribute albums Albums produced by Pete Townshend {{2001-rock-album-stub