‘Boris the Spider’: How one of the worst songs by The Who eventually became their best

Credit: Far Out / Alamy Sun 4 October 2026 4:00, UK Who knew that John Entwistle could essentially write a creepier version of ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ and turn it into a classic rock hit? There’s no kinder way of putting it: that is ‘Boris the Spider’ in a nutshell, and no one could argue to the contrary. Why, then, given that The Who have such a sprawling and prolific back catalogue, is this song, of all things, celebrated as one of their best? Entwistle would certainly have been delighted with himself when he first wrote the song back in 1966, for what would eventually become the band’s sophomore album, A Quick One . Pete Townshend’s idea of his bandmates sharing the songwriting load was a novel one , but surely he could never have predicted this would come of it. It was a miracle that Entwistle even remembered his little spider vendetta, given that, as folklore has it, he wrote it all in the space of six minutes, while getting drunk with The Rolling Stones’ bassist, Bill Wyman. Most people would consign such inebriated efforts to the scrap heap. However, the label had promised each member of The Who a £500 advance if they were able to write a song for the all-important second album, which is not to be sniffed at even now, let alone back then. And so, the bassist offered up his tale of a spider meeting its fateful end, probably as a joke – but it worked. Indeed, ‘Boris the Spider’ went on to have a greater legacy than anything else the band wrote in that period. There’s no better way of defining it other than as being a simply stupid song, but something about it endeared it to Who fans all over the world, and it stuck. It goes without saying that the track is no match for ‘My Generation’, ‘Quadrophenia’, or ‘Tommy’. But in some ways, this was precisely the point. It offered a rare moment of levity for a band often embroiled in the darkness and drama of their rock opera proclivities, and instead gave them something to laugh about . So, no, ‘Boris the Spider’ was never going to come close to winning any form of critical acclaim, but perhaps more importantly, it won over hearts. After all, none other than Jimi Hendrix would claim it was their favourite song by The Who. That was a ringing endorsement, if ever you’ve heard one. It’s clearly a case study in never taking yourself too seriously, acting on the spur of the moment, and owning your silliest ideas. ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ may have been washed out by the rain, but Boris fared far worse: crawling up the wall before meeting his end. Entwistle was a little more brutal, though : his eight-legged friend was crushed to death so that the song could live on. Never Miss A Tale The Far Out Classic Rock Newsletter All the latest Classic Rock content from the independent voice of culture. Straight to your inbox.