Stewart's music career began in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars before moving to the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. Joining Faces in 1969, he also maintained a solo career releasing his debut album that year. Stewart's early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B. His third album, 1971's Every Picture Tells a Story, was his breakthrough, topping the charts in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, as did its ballad "Maggie May". His 1972 follow-up album, Never a Dull Moment, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, while going top three in the US and Canada. Its single, "You Wear It Well", topped the chart in the UK and was a moderate hit elsewhere.
After Stewart had a handful more UK top ten hits, the Faces broke up in 1975. Stewart's next few hit singles were ballads with "Sailing", off the 1975 UK and Australian number-one album, Atlantic Crossing, becoming a hit in the UK and the Netherlands (number one), Germany (number four) and other countries, but barely charting in North America. A Night on the Town (1976), his fifth straight chart-topper in the UK, began a three-album run of going number one or top three in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia with each release. That album's "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" spent almost two months at number one in the US and Canada, and made the top five in other countries. Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) contained the hit "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" as well as the rocker "Hot Legs". Blondes Have More Fun (1978) and its disco-tinged "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" both went to number one in Canada, Australia and the US, with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" also hitting number one in the UK and the top ten in other countries. Stewart's albums regularly hit the upper rungs of the charts in the Netherlands throughout the 70s and in Sweden from 1975 onward.
After a disco and new wave period in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stewart's music turned to a soft rock/middle-of-the-road style, with most of his albums reaching the top ten in the UK, Germany and Sweden, but faring less well in the US. The single "Rhythm of My Heart" was a top five hit in the UK, US and other countries, with its source album, 1991's Vagabond Heart, becoming, at number ten in the US and number two in the UK, his highest-charting album in a decade. In 1993, he collaborated with Bryan Adams and Sting on the power ballad "All for Love", which went to number one in many countries. In the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook.
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists". A Grammy and Brit Award recipient, he was voted at No. 33 in Q Magazine's list of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time. As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and he was inducted a second time into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Stewart
Studio albums
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (1969)
Gasoline Alley (1970)
Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)
Never a Dull Moment (1972)
Smiler (1974)
Atlantic Crossing (1975)
A Night on the Town (1976)
Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977)
Blondes Have More Fun (1978)
Foolish Behaviour (1980)
Tonight I'm Yours (1981)
Body Wishes (1983)
Camouflage (1984)
Every Beat of My Heart (1986)
Out of Order (1988)
Vagabond Heart (1991)
A Spanner in the Works (1995)
When We Were the New Boys (1998)
Human (2001)
It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook (2002)
As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II (2003)
Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III (2004)
Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV (2005)
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time (2006)
Soulbook (2009)
Once in a Blue Moon: The Lost Album (2010)
Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V (2010)
Merry Christmas, Baby (2012)
Time (2013)
Another Country (2015)
Blood Red Roses (2018)
The Tears of Hercules (2021)
Pinball Wizard )
Rod Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I played the silver ball;
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played 'em all.
But I ain't seen nothin' like him
In any amusement hall
That deaf, dumb an' blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball.
He stands like a statue,
Becomes part of the machine.
Feelin' all the bumpers
Always playin' clean.
Plays by intuition,
The digit counters fall.
That deaf, dumb an' blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball!
He's a pinball wizard
There has to be a twist,
A pinball wizard,
Not such a supple wrist.
How do you think he does it?
What makes him so good?
Ain't got no distractions,
Can't hear those buzzes and bells,
Don't see lights a-flashin'
plays by sense of smell.
Always gets a replay,
Never tilts at all
That deaf, dumb an' blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball.
Even my usual 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.
The song "Pinball Wizard" by Rod Stewart is a cover of The Who's song of the same name. The lyrics describe the singer's encounters with a deaf, dumb, and blind boy who has exceptional skills in playing pinball. The boy's abilities are contrasted with the singer's own experience in playing the game. The boy is described as standing like a statue and becoming a part of the machine, feeling all the bumpers and playing cleanly by intuition. His senses of touch and smell compensate for his lack of hearing and vision, and he is able to beat even the singer's best score.
The second verse of the song continues to describe the boy's skills and attributes. He is called a pinball wizard and is said to always get a replay and never tilt the machine. The song questions how he is able to play so well with no distractions and a lack of hearing and vision. The chorus repeats the idea that there must be a twist to his abilities and that he has crazy flipper fingers.
The song takes on a slightly mocking tone towards the end, with the singer admitting that even his own usual table can be beaten by the boy and that his disciples lead him to the machine where he just does the rest. The final line repeats that the deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since I was a young boy,
Since childhood, I've been playing pinball.
I played the silver ball;
Pinball has been my game of choice.
From Soho down to Brighton
I've played in many places.
I must have played 'em all.
I've played on many pinball machines.
But I ain't seen nothin' like him
I've never seen anyone as good as him.
In any amusement hall
On any pinball machine.
That deaf, dumb an' blind kid
Referring to a mysterious child who is deaf, dumb and blind.
Sure plays a mean pinball.
But he plays pinball better than anyone else I've ever seen.
He stands like a statue,
He stands very still.
Becomes part of the machine.
He seems to merge with the pinball machine.
Feelin' all the bumpers
He seems to sense the bumpers on the pinball table.
Always playin' clean.
He never cheats.
Plays by intuition,
He plays the game by instinct.
The digit counters fall.
He racks up a high score.
He's a pinball wizard
He's a master at pinball.
There has to be a twist,
There must be something unusual about him that makes him so good.
Not such a supple wrist.
It's not just a matter of having flexible wrists.
How do you think he does it?
How is he so good?
What makes him so good?
What is it that sets him apart?
Ain't got no distractions,
He isn't distracted by anything.
Can't hear those buzzes and bells,
He is deaf and can't hear the sounds of the machine.
Don't see lights a-flashin'
He is blind and can't see the flashing lights on the machine.
plays by sense of smell.
He plays the game by relying on his sense of smell.
Always gets a replay,
He always gets an extra game when he wins.
Never tilts at all
He never triggers a penalty by tilting the machine.
Even my usual table,
Even on a table I usually win on.
He can beat my best,
He can beat my highest score.
His disciples lead him in
Other people help guide him to the machine.
And he just does the rest.
And he still beats everyone else with ease.
He's got crazy flipper' fingers,
His fingers move quickly when operating the flippers.
Never seen him fall.
I've never seen him lose a game.
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Referring to the same child as before.
Sure plays a mean pinball.
But he is an incredible pinball player despite his disabilities.
Lyrics © ABKCO MUSIC INC.
Written by: PETER TOWNSHEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luke Dabford
I’m gonna be honest, this might be my favourite version. I love how it sounds dramatic and Rod’s vocals just complement it so well.
Juan Jacobo Guzman
Pinball winzard with phillarmonic orchestra and Rod Stewart as main voice is as odd and funny as Frank Zappa's Stairway to Heaven with reagge music. Both are fucking amazing.
Charles Professor.
É lindo demais com Rod Stewart!!
Lee B
Tommy the whole symphonic album is a masterpiece
Nooner27
I recall my dad playing this version for me sometime in the early 80's. He always used to make tapes of 60's and 70's music. I love this version of the song.
Bryan Palmer
I first heard this in the 70s,my father used to do the same thing,make mixtapes of the 60s and 70s on his Phillips reel to reel tape recorder,always good to listen to Auckland New Zealand 2022
Miguel Zambon
Fantastica version con una de voz de primera categoria,el gran Rod Stewart
Kurinto Gurai
First version of this song I'd heard back in the '70s. I like it.
E Farkas
It is a great music! I was a little child when I have listened to it at the first time. It was so magical, how it still is!
Trisha Ramsey
No one does this better than The Who!! Its my favorite rock opera!