Roger Daltrey seems to be giving fans a heartfelt goodbye through his performances as The Who’s farewell tour, The Song Is Over, kicked off on August 18 in Sunrise, Florida.
At the following show in Newark, New Jersey, Daltrey surprised the crowd by changing the words to “The Song Is Over.” Instead of the original lines —
“The song is over / I’m left with only tears / I must remember / Even if it takes a million years” —
he sang:
“The song is over / Thanks for all the years / I’ll always remember / Even if I live for a million years.”
The subtle but emotional shift was received as a personal message of gratitude from Daltrey to the fans who have supported The Who for decades.
The band will play 16 North American cities on this run, including Boston, New York City, Toronto, and Los Angeles, before wrapping things up in Las Vegas on September 28. Earlier this summer, The Who performed two shows in Milan, Italy, but there are currently no confirmed plans for U.K. or European dates. Speaking at a live-streamed press conference in May, Daltrey was candid about the challenges of touring:
“Let’s see if we can survive this one. Touring America is a damn sight easier than touring the U.K. … In America, you seem to want to make it as easy as possible. But we are in the land of ‘no.’ I don’t want to say that there will be [more shows], but I’m not confident in saying there will be. That’s the honest answer.”
While the name of the tour suggests a farewell, the band’s long-term future is still uncertain. Guitarist Pete Townshend has openly admitted in recent years that his enthusiasm for performing has faded.
“I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with The Who,” Townshend told The New York Times in 2024. “If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.”
For fans, the tour may be the last chance to witness Daltrey and Townshend together on stage — a poignant reminder of just how much The Who has meant to generations of rock listeners.
