"A Quick One While He's Away" is a 1966 medley written by Pete Townshend and recorded by The Who for their album A Quick One. In the performance on their Live at Leeds album Townshend calls the 9 minute "epic" track a "mini-opera" and introduces it as "Tommy's parent". This song tells the story of an unnamed girl who is left stranded by her lover "for nearly a year." Her friends inform her that they "have a remedy"; the remedy comes in the form of Ivor the Engine Driver. As luck would have it, the original lover returns near the end to catch the couple "in the act," as Townshend says. The girl confesses her infidelity, and she is forgiven.

This song is the The Who's first venture into the rock opera genre. A studio recording appears on their A Quick One album, and a live recording appears on Live at Leeds. A video performance was made for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, and can be seen on that video or on Jeff Stein 's documentary film The Kids Are Alright.