Track Info
About
Pinball Wizard is a song originally written by Pete Townshend and recorded by The Who for their 1969 album Tommy. Robbie Williams performed the track live during his One More for the Rogue tour in 1998 and 1999, making it one of the few classic rock covers to appear in his early solo setlists.
The cover was not recorded for official release but was performed regularly as part of the tour’s encore segment. Williams’s version remained faithful to the original arrangement, featuring a full live band with guitars, drums and backing vocals that matched the energy of his rock-oriented performances of the period. It was typically presented alongside material from Life Thru a Lens and I’ve Been Expecting You.
Including Pinball Wizard in his set demonstrated Williams’s admiration for classic British rock acts and his interest in theatrical stage presentation. The song’s lively structure and showmanship suited his developing live persona, which drew on both pop and rock traditions.
“The energy of that song is immense. It’s one of those moments where you just have to let the band go full tilt.”Robbie Williams
Although never released as a studio track, Pinball Wizard remains noted among Williams’s early live highlights. Its inclusion in the One More for the Rogue tour setlists reflects his willingness to blend established rock anthems with his own material, bridging eras of British popular music in his live shows.
Lyrics
I've played the silver ball
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball
He stands like a statue
Becomes part of the machine
Feeling all the bumpers
Always playing clean
He plays by intuition
The digit counters fall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball
He's a pinball wizard
There has to be a twist
A pinball wizard's got such a supple wrist
How do you think he does it
I don't know
What makes him so good
Ain't got no distractions
Can't hear no buzzers and bells
Don't see no lights a-flashin'
Plays by sense of smell
Always gets a replay
Never seen him fall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball
I thought I was The Bally table king
But I just handed my pinball crown to him
Even on my favorite table
He can beat my best
His disciples lead him in
And he just does the rest
He's got crazy flipper fingers
Never seen him fall
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball
Credits
-
Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Pete Townshend -
Original Artist
The Who