Drum Sheet – The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” stands as one of The Who’s greatest triumphs—a thunderous, anthemic critique of revolution and human nature, and a showcase of some of the most electrifying drumming ever recorded. Written by Pete Townshend, the song grew out of an ambitious project he was working on after Tommy: a rock opera called Lifehouse. The idea was to explore how music could unite people spiritually. Though the concept fell apart, the songs lived on, finding a home on their 1971 album Who’s Next.

Townshend composed “Won’t Get Fooled Again” in late 1970, initially as a synth-driven experiment. He recorded early demos with a Lowrey organ running through a primitive sequencer to create the pulsing electronic pattern that drives the song. Once the band took it into Olympic Studios with producer Glyn Johns, the track evolved into an eight-and-a-half-minute epic. Townshend’s power chords and Roger Daltrey’s mighty roar gave it muscle, but it was Keith Moon’s drumming that truly turned it into an untamed beast.

For drum fans, Moon’s performance is legendary. Unlike conventional drummers who keep strict time, Moon treated his kit like an orchestra. On “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” he plays explosive fills almost constantly, weaving around the groove rather than locking rigidly to it. His tom rolls cascade like avalanches, and his snare hits land with a crack that feels both reckless and perfectly timed. The song’s most iconic moment—the drop after the synth solo, right before Daltrey’s final scream—is a testament to Moon’s genius. He builds tension with sparse cymbal accents, then unleashes a jaw-dropping fill that seems to tumble down a staircase, propelling the song back into its earth-shaking climax.

Live, the song became The Who’s ultimate closer. They first played it onstage in 1971, and it remained a fixture through countless tours and historic venues: the Isle of Wight Festival, Madison Square Garden, and Live Aid. Each night, Moon reinvented his fills, sometimes playing even wilder than on the record, driving audiences into a frenzy.

For drummers, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is a masterclass in controlled chaos. Moon’s playing teaches that drums can be more than just a backbeat—they can be an emotional voice, leading the story. It’s a track that proves how sheer energy, creativity, and fearless instinct can make a song immortal.