Talking 'bout my generation

I love this.

Pete Townshend probably never imagined this generation singing his song.

A group of 40 British seniors (average age: 78) called The Zimmers scored a YouTube hit, gleefully singing The Who's My Generation in a video that has been viewed by 1.5 million people since its posting April 2.

In it, they smash guitars. They re-create The Beatles' walk across Abbey Road. They hold up a sign saying, "I'm bored in old people's homes."

And now American talk shows, such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, are calling. A download will be available May 21 at British iTunes. A BBC documentary featuring the group, Power to the People, airs May 28, the same day the CD single of My Generation goes on sale.

"We're hoping to be at No. 1 for at least two weeks," says the group's manager, Neil Reed.

Here's the video. It's a hoot, as well as being a pretty decent arrangement of the song. All I know is that if you really are only as old as you feel, then there's nothing at all incongruous about singing "Hope I die before I get old" when you're 90. May I feel that way at that age, too.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on May 14, 2007 to Music