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“I’ve thought, ‘Well, this is my job. I’m happy to have the work, but I prefer to be doing something else.’”

Those are the words of Pete Townshend as he tours once again. On the road this time with Roger Daltrey for a 17-date North American run, Townshend said that at 80 years old, touring life can be a bit lonesome, but he also made it clear that he is thankful and feels lucky that he can still do it.

In the interview, when he was asked about his perspective on still being able to tour and play shows, Townshend reflected on both being grateful for the opportunity and, at times, feeling “a bit weary of the whole exercise.”

“It can be lonely,” the Who guitarist said. “I’ve thought, ‘Well, this is my job. I’m happy to have the work, but I prefer to be doing something else.’ Then, I think, ‘Well, I’m 80 years old. Why shouldn’t I revel in it? Why shouldn’t I celebrate? “

Townshend’s answers reflected this common feeling among rockers who have spent most of their lives performing that at some point, the thing you love the most becomes not only larger than life but a creation you can no longer control.

While the Who have been a massive force in rock for decades, Townshend knew that it was no longer a band of musicians, “We’re a Who tribute band, “ he continued, but also alluded to something greater. “It’s a brand rather than a band,” he said. “Roger and I have a duty to the music and the history, The Who still [sell] records and we’re millionaires along with the Moon and Entwistle families.”

Moon passed away in 1978, and John Entwistle, the late original Who bassist, died in 2002. The passing of key members of the group, in part, for Townshend, posed other big questions about their stage work.

“It does whet an appetite to think about how we should bow out in our personal lives — what we do with our families and our friends and everything else at this age,” he continued. “We’re lucky to be alive. I’m looking forward to playing. Roger likes to throw wild cards out sometimes in the set, and we have learned and rehearsed a few songs that we don’t always play.”

The Who’s two remaining members have also been at it for a long time , and despite 50 years since their debut record The Who Sings My Generation, rehearsals and new material keep things from being completely routine.

Roger Daltrey on Health, Touring, and Final Tours

Daltrey is an honest man, and at 80, the veteran rock singer has been open about the toll taking a gig can take on him. At the end of the band’s Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert in London this year, Daltrey was transparent with the crowd and his fans when it came to his health.

“If you’re wondering about my health, I think we all are, thank you very much,” Daltrey said on stage. “Fortunately, I still have my voice, because then I’ll have a full Tommy,” he continued, a nod to the lead character in The Who’s 1969 rock opera Tommy. He finished with a lyrical nod to that very same character: “Deaf, dumb, and blind kid.”

In a new interview with The Times published earlier this month, Daltrey also spoke about his health, the band, the potential last tour, and what comes next. While his remarks during the interview may feel somber, longtime Who fans may have been wondering if this was to be it for the band. “This is certainly the last time you will see us on tour,” he said. “It’s grueling.”

Daltrey has also been clear with fans about the work that it takes not just to perform The Who’s music but also to be up to par as performers. “In the days when I was singing Who songs for three hours a night, six nights a week, I was working harder than most footballers,” he said, making it clear that while he’s 80, this grind is not sasy, and 50 years into their career, it is no longer a young man’s game.

One thing that Daltrey wasn’t as clear on was whether or not the Who might perform a future one-off concert or something of that nature. “As to whether we’ll play [one-off] concerts again, I don’t know. The Who to me is very perplexing,” Daltrey said, underlining this truth: it was both all over and just beginning.

In the same interview, he reiterated and also assured fans that his voice is fine. “My voice is still as good as ever,” Daltrey said. “It’s ready to go, baby!”

For now, fans in North America will get to experience what may be the last run with Daltrey and Townshend for the foreseeable future. As for what the future might bring, these two, who have not only been together for the better part of six decades but have been playing music longer than most of their fans have even been alive.