Lyrics and Music
"Bargain" is a love song. The opening lines are:
- I'd gladly lose me to find you
- I'd gladly give up all I got
- To catch you I'm gonna run and never stop
Basically, the lyrics are typical love song lyrics in which the singer says he will give up everything to win his love, and that the singer would consider that a bargain. However, the lyrics do not identify who the subject of the singer's love is. Townshend has stated the song was influenced by Indian mystic Meher Baba and that the subject of the song is God. Townshend has stated "The song is simply about losing one's ego as a devotee of Meher Baba. I constantly try to lose myself and find him. I'm not very successful, I'm afraid, but this song expresses how much of a bargain it would be to lose everything in order to be at one with God."
"Bargain" begins with a gentle acoustic guitar part played by Townshend. A drone is played softly in the background. The energy picks up with Keith Moon's drum fills and Townshend's rhythm guitar chords before Roger Daltrey begins to sing the lyrics. Daltrey sings most of the lyrics energetically powerfully, but there is a gentler section sung by Townshend. In this gentler section, backed by John Entwistle's bass guitar, the Townshend starts by singing:
- I sit looking 'round
- I look at my face in the mirror
- I know I'm worth nothing without you
The line "I know I'm worth nothing without you" in particular shows the influence of Meher Baba's teachings. Other themes of the song include the search for self-identity and the balance within the human psyche of the id and the ego.
Instrumentation of "Bargain" includes an ARP synthesizer, which is used both as a solo instrument and as a backing instrument while Townshend plays a guitar solo. That guitar solo was praised by Rolling Stone Magazine critic John Mendelsohn, as well as by The Who authors Chris Charlesworth, Steve Grantley and Alan Parker. Moon's drum fills have also been heavily praised, as have Entwistle's bass lines. Townshend used several guitars on "Bargain," including a 1959 Gretsch Chet Atkins guitar that he received from Joe Walsh.
At least nine versions of "Bargain" were recorded between April and June 1971. Townshend was particularly effusive in his praise for the sound associate producer Glynn Johns was able to achieve, particularly for the acoustic guitars.
Read more about this topic: Bargain (The Who Song)
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