Written by Pete Townshend
Recorded by The Who
While it may not be the most definitive Who song, Squeeze Box has a great bridge, and when I first heard the song, the thinly veiled double entendre was music to my fourteen-year-old ears.
On the surface, this song is about a child's mom who plays the accordion, also known as a “squeeze box.” One wears the accordion on their chest and, if so inclined, they can play it all night. Right?
Mama's got a squeeze box
She wears on her chest
And when Daddy comes home
He never gets no rest.
But the song is clearly about the kid's parents going at it all night and every night. So much and so often, that the children aren't being fed, and nobody, including the dog, can get any sleep. And while it's true that this song illustrates the mechanics of an accordion, it does get a little graphic when describing that she "goes in and out, and in and out." This is the kid’s mom!
But it’s not just about the sex, because something special happens in the bridge. The innuendo is left behind and the bridge focuses on the love between two people:
She goes, "Squeeze me.
Come on and squeeze me.
Come on and tease me like you do,
I'm so in love with you."
-which is quickly followed by a reminder that, "Momma's got a squeeze box, Daddy never sleeps at night" While his mother's verbal expression of love was beautiful, it's the physical act his parents like most. Because after a banjo break, we're back to going in and out again!
The Who's Who By Numbers is an otherwise, less remarkable record. The band was struggling with their demons and each other, and it shows. I’ll be back with another Pete song soon. Until then, go squeeze the one you love.
-MJK
Recorded by The Who
While it may not be the most definitive Who song, Squeeze Box has a great bridge, and when I first heard the song, the thinly veiled double entendre was music to my fourteen-year-old ears.
On the surface, this song is about a child's mom who plays the accordion, also known as a “squeeze box.” One wears the accordion on their chest and, if so inclined, they can play it all night. Right?
Mama's got a squeeze box
She wears on her chest
And when Daddy comes home
He never gets no rest.
But the song is clearly about the kid's parents going at it all night and every night. So much and so often, that the children aren't being fed, and nobody, including the dog, can get any sleep. And while it's true that this song illustrates the mechanics of an accordion, it does get a little graphic when describing that she "goes in and out, and in and out." This is the kid’s mom!
But it’s not just about the sex, because something special happens in the bridge. The innuendo is left behind and the bridge focuses on the love between two people:
She goes, "Squeeze me.
Come on and squeeze me.
Come on and tease me like you do,
I'm so in love with you."
-which is quickly followed by a reminder that, "Momma's got a squeeze box, Daddy never sleeps at night" While his mother's verbal expression of love was beautiful, it's the physical act his parents like most. Because after a banjo break, we're back to going in and out again!
The Who's Who By Numbers is an otherwise, less remarkable record. The band was struggling with their demons and each other, and it shows. I’ll be back with another Pete song soon. Until then, go squeeze the one you love.
-MJK
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