Heaven and Hell is a song by English rock band The Who

The Who

The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...

 written by group bassist John Entwistle

John Entwistle

John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...

, who also sings the lead vocals. The studio version (originally recorded for an April 1970 BBC session), which appeared on the b-side of the live "Summertime Blues" single, is currently available only on the Thirty Years of Maximum R&B

Thirty Years of Maximum R&B

Thirty Years of Maximum R&B is a box set by British rock band, The Who released by Polydor Records internationally and by MCA Records in the US; since 2003, it has been issued in America by Geffen Records...

 boxed set, though several live versions of the song exist on official releases. The song was one of many Entwistle b-side

A-side and B-side

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...

 singles and one of his live samples.

Lyrical Meaning

The songs lyrics talk of the places known as heaven

Heaven

Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...

 and hell

Hell

In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...

. The song describes heaven as "a place where you go if you've done nothing wrong." And hell as "a place where you go if you've been a bad boy"

John Entwistle stated his stance on heaven and hell in an interview:

"I've always been obsessed with the idea of Heaven and Hell. Not obsessed that it's true, but just obsessed that it's sort of legend, there's such a person as the devil.

Live History

"Heaven and Hell" first appeared in 1968

The Who Tour 1968

The Who Tour 1968 was a series of performances and tours by The Who, supporting releases such as the The Who Sell Out album and the "Magic Bus" single.-History:...

 and was used to start live shows during The Who's Tommy tours in 1969

The Who Tour 1969

The Who Tour 1969 was a series of performances and tours by The Who, partially in support of their Tommy album.-History:1969 was an extremely transitional year for the band, due almost entirely to Pete Townshend's rock opera Tommy, which they had begun recording the previous autumn...

-70

The Who Tour 1970

The Who Tour 1970 was a series of performances and tours by The Who in support of both their Tommy and Live at Leeds albums.-History:As in most of 1969, the band's stage act was dominated by the stage performance of the rock opera Tommy, which had been the centerpiece of their show since the...

, including the shows recorded for Live at Leeds

Live at Leeds

Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...

, At Kilburn 1977 + Live at the Coliseum

At Kilburn 1977 + Live at the Coliseum

The Who At Kilburn: 1977 is a film of two live performances by British rock band the Who released as a two-disc DVD set on 17 November 2008 by Image Entertainment. The first disc included the band's performance at the Gaumont State Theatre on 15 December 1977, while the second disc featured the...

, and Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970

Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970

Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 is a double live album by The Who, recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on 29 August 1970, and released by Sony in 1996. A DVD of the concert was also released....

, although the version at Leeds was not released until the album's remastering. After 1970, the song was replaced by another Entwistle composition, "My Wife

My Wife

"My Wife" is a song by British rock band The Who, written by bassist John Entwistle. It was originally released in 1971 on Who's Next, and later as the b-side of the popular single "Baba O'Riley" on November 6, 1971 in the United States by Decca Records....

", in the act. It was briefly brought back in October 1975

The Who Tour 1975

The Who Tour 1975 was The Who's first concert tour supporting The Who By Numbers.-Band members:*Roger Daltrey - lead vocals, harmonica*Pete Townshend - lead guitar, vocals*John Entwistle - bass guitar, vocals...

 during the beginning of the UK leg of The Who by Numbers

The Who by Numbers

The Who by Numbers is the seventh album by English rock band The Who, released on 3 October 1975 in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records, and on 25 October 1975 in the United States by MCA Records...

tour, but after that was never performed live again by The Who.

Entwistle Solo Versions

The song was re-recorded by Entwistle for his solo album, Smash Your Head Against the Wall

Smash Your Head Against the Wall

Smash Your Head Against the Wall is the debut solo album by John Entwistle of The Who, released on Track Records in the UK and Decca Records in the US...

, a longer version featuring a horn section. This version was included on the Entwistle compilation album So Who's the Bass Player? The Ox Anthology

So Who's The Bass Player? The Ox Anthology

So Who's The Bass Player? The Ox Anthology is a 2CD collection of the work of the late The Who bassist, John Entwistle. It features rare recordings of his songs, spanning from the mid-60's until his death in 2002...

.