From album
The Who
The Who · 1980 · Track 8
Details
TonalidadD
Compás4/4
Tempo123 BPM
Duración2:21
CompositorPete Townshend
ÁlbumThe Who
Año1980
Credits
Music Pete Townshend
If you like this, try
The story behind
When Pete Townshend sat down to compose Pinball Wizard, he was looking to give a break from the thematic density of Tommy, his rock opera. The idea arose from a conversation with critic Nik Cohn, a pinball enthusiast. Townshend thought it would be interesting for the main character, Tommy Walker, a boy "deaf, dumb, and blind," to have an exceptional skill in that game. The song was conceived almost immediately, and the recording, made in February 1969 at London's Morgan Studios, became a hit. The single reached number 4 on the UK charts and 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The sound, with its pop energy and familiarity, made it a recurring theme in The Who's concerts, sometimes extending to eight minutes in live performances.
The lyrics put us in the shoes of a pinball champion, nicknamed "Local Lad" in the liner notes of Tommy, who marvels at the protagonist's skills. He describes Tommy as someone who "has no distractions," who "hears no buzzers or bells," who "sees no flashing lights," and who "plays by instinct." The line "I thought I was the king of the Bally table, but I've just handed you my pinball crown" encapsulates that admiration. Despite Townshend considering it "the clumsiest piece of writing [he had] ever done," Pinball Wizard solidified itself as one of the opera's most recognizable pieces. The album version, with a duration of 3:04, was slightly sped up for the single, coming in at 2:57. The B-side of the single included "Dogs Part Two," an instrumental piece credited to Keith Moon.
0:00