A Quick One, While He's Away - Mono Version

The Who had 10 minutes left to fill on the LP. Kit Lambert, The Who's manager, suggested to Pete Townshend that he write "something linear... perhaps a 10 minute song." Townshend responded by saying that rock songs are "2:50 by tradition!" Lambert then told Townshend that he should write a 10-minute story comprised of 2:50 songs.

The song was a "mini-opera," paving the way for the other mini-opera "Rael" and eventually full length rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia.

The plot of the story is strange and uncomfortable. A girl is sad that her boyfriend is away. Her friends suggest she take a substitute lover, Ivor The Engine Driver. When the boyfriend returns, she confesses her infidelity and is forgiven. It's implied that Ivor has bad intentions and forces himself on the girl, which seemed to be Pete Townshend's intention. He later admitted to doing years of therapy after being molested as a child.