Daltrey was born in the Chiswick area of London, the same working class suburban neighbourhood that produced fellow Who members Pete Townshend and John Entwistle. He showed academic promise as a child in the English state school system, ranking at the top of his class on examinations that led to his enrollment at the Acton County Grammar School for boys. His parents, Harry and Irene, hoped he would eventually continue on to study at a university, but obeying the rules and learning from his teachers were not in the plans of the self-described "school rebel."
He made his first guitar from a block of wood and formed a band called, "The Detours." When his father bought him an Epiphone guitar in 1959, he became the lead guitarist for the band. Soon after, interested in nothing but rock and roll, he was expelled from school. He became a sheet metal worker during the day, while practising and performing nights with the band at weddings, pubs and men's clubs. At the time, the band included Daltrey on lead guitar, Pete Townshend on rhythm guitar, John Entwistle on bass, Doug Sandom on drums and Colin Dawson on lead vocals. After Colin Dawson left the band, Daltrey switched to vocals and Townshend to lead guitar.
Early on, Daltrey was the band's leader, earning a reputation for using his fists to exercise control when needed, despite his small stature. According to Townshend, Roger "ran things the way he wanted. If you argued with him, you usually got a bunch of fives." He generally selected the music they performed, including songs by The Beatles, various Motown artists, James Brown, and other rock standards. In 1964, he also helped decide on a new name for the group that had been suggested by Townshend's roommate, Richard Barnes — "The Who."
The Who
With the band's first record deal in early 1965, Townshend began writing original material and Daltrey's dominance of the band began to recede. (Their second single, Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere was the only song on which Daltrey and Townshend collaborated.) As Townshend developed into one of rock's most accomplished composers, Daltrey's vocals became the vehicle through which Townshend's visions were expressed, and he gained an equally vaunted reputation as an incomparably powerful vocalist. His habit of swinging the microphone around by its cord on stage became a signature sign of his exuberance.
Daltrey's stuttering expression of youthful anger, frustration and arrogance in the band's breakthrough single, My Generation, captured the revolutionary feeling of the 1960s for many young people around the world and became the band's trademark. Later, his scream near the end of Won't Get Fooled Again became a defining moment for the band.
Yet, in the midst of the band's success, Daltrey repeatedly found himself fighting to keep the other members of The Who away from the drug and alcohol dependence that he believed would destroy them. He once flushed drummer Keith Moon's pills down the lavatory and, when Moon protested, knocked him down with one punch. Later, in October, 1973, with Townshend at a low point after struggling through the Lifehouse and Quadrophenia projects while Daltrey was experiencing some success with his solo projects and acting roles, tension between the two created more sparks. During a recording session (in an incident that Daltrey claimed was overblown), Townshend whacked the singer over the head with his guitar and Daltrey responded by knocking Townshend unconscious, again with a single blow. With each of The Who's milestone achievements, Tommy, Who's Next, and Quadrophenia, Daltrey was the face and voice of the band as they defined themselves as the ultimate rebels in a generation of change. When Tommy appeared as a feature film in 1975, Daltrey played the lead role and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture".
Solo music career
Roger Daltrey's first solo album, Daltrey
While he has always considered The Who his primary ambition in life, Daltrey has released eight solo albums. 1973's Daltrey was not the first solo release by a member of The Who, following albums by both John Entwistle and Pete Townshend. The top single off the album, "Giving It All Away," reached number five in the UK and the album, which introduced Leo Sayer as a songwriter, made the Top 50 in the United States. The emotional range displayed in Daltrey proved that the singer was capable of operating outside the context of The Who and of expressing his own moods, not just Townshend's.
When Sayer launched his own career as an artist, Daltrey called on a widening group of friends to write for and perform on his albums. Paul McCartney contributed the new song "Giddy" to "One of The Boys", where the band included Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee and Mick Ronson.
McVicar was billed as a soundtrack album for the film of the same name, which Daltrey co-produced and starred in. But since it featured all the other members of The Who — Townshend, Entwistle and Kenny Jones — it could almost have passed as a Who album. McVicar included two hit singles, Free Me and Without Your Love and was Daltrey's best-selling solo recording.
The title track to Under a Raging Moon was a tribute to Who drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978. Each of the album's tracks, including "Let Me Down Easy" by Bryan Adams, expresses the frustration of growing older as only a man who sang "Hope I die before I get old" can. On Rocks in the Head, Daltrey is credited (along with Gerard McMahon) for co-writing seven of the eleven tracks.
Daltrey celebrated his fiftieth birthday in 1994 by performing at Carnegie Hall in a show called, "Daltrey Sings Townshend," accompanied by The Juilliard Orchestra, Townshend, Entwistle, Irish dancers and a group of folk musicians. Later he had a short weekly series on BBC Radio 2, presenting a personal choice of rock'n'roll.
Pinball Wizard
Roger Daltrey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 pin ball!
He's a pin ball wizard
There has got to be a twist
A pin ball wizard
S'got such a supple wrist
How do you think he does it?
I don't know!
What makes him so good?
He ain't got no distractions
Can't hear those buzzers and bells
Don't see lights a flashin'
Plays by sense of smell
Always has a replay
'N' never tilts at all
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball
I thought I was
The Bally table king
But I just handed
My pin ball 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 kind
Sure plays a mean pin ball!
Pinball Wizard by Roger Daltrey is a song about a young boy who is a master at playing pinball. The song starts with the boy stating that he has played pinball everywhere, from Soho to Brighton, but has never seen anyone like the "deaf dumb and blind kid." This boy is different; he plays pinball better than anyone else, and the singer is awestruck by him.
The song describes this boy as becoming a part of the machine while playing, seemingly feeling the bumpers and always plays clean. He plays with intuition, and the digit counters fall under his expert control. The singer is amazed and describes him as a "pinball wizard" with incredible flipper fingers and a supple wrist. This boy's incredible talent at pinball is a mystery, and the singer has no idea how he does it, but he is undoubtedly the best.
The song ends with the singer admitting that he had always thought he was the Bally table king, but this boy easily takes his crown. With his unerring sense of smell and perfect intuition, he never tilts at all, making him undoubtedly the pinball king. Not only is the young boy a pinball genius, but his disciples lead him to victory, and he never fails to win. The song remains one of the most iconic classics ever produced and is the quintessential pinball song for enthusiasts worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since I was a young boy
Since my youth, I have been playing pinball.
I've played the silver ball
I have been playing pinball.
From Soho down to Brighton
I have played pinball at many locations.
I must have played them all
I have played a lot of pinball machines.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
I have never seen anyone play like him.
In any amusement hall
Wherever I have played, I have not seen anyone like him.
That deaf dumb and blind kid
He is physically disabled.
Sure plays a mean pin ball!
However, he is incredibly talented at playing pinball!
He stands like a statue
While playing, he stands very still.
Becomes part of the machine
He seems to merge with the pinball machine.
Feeling all the bumpers
He can sense the different bumpers on the machine.
Always playing clean
He never loses his composure or makes mistakes.
He plays by intuition
He relies on his instincts when playing.
The digit counters fall
He scores a lot of points by hitting the right targets.
He's a pin ball wizard
He is so talented at playing pinball that he is a wizard.
There has got to be a twist
There must be some secret to why he is so good.
S'got such a supple wrist
His wrist is very flexible and helps him play well.
How do you think he does it?
I cannot figure out how he plays so well.
I don't know!
I have no idea!
What makes him so good?
I do not understand how he is so talented.
He ain't got no distractions
He is not bothered by any of the sounds or lights on the machine.
Can't hear those buzzers and bells
He is deaf and cannot hear the sounds of the machine.
Don't see lights a flashin'
He is blind and cannot see the lights on the machine.
Plays by sense of smell
He is able to use his other senses, such as smell, to play well.
Always has a replay
He always gets to play again because he earns so many points.
'N' never tilts at all
He never tilts the machine, which would cause him to lose his turn.
I thought I was
I used to think that I was
The Bally table king
The best pinball player.
But I just handed
However, I recently lost my title as
My pin ball crown to him
The pinball wizard I mentioned earlier.
Even on my favorite table
He is so good that he can even beat me on my favorite pinball machine.
He can beat my best
He is better than me at playing pinball.
His disciples lead him in
His friends help him get to the pinball machine.
And he just does the rest
He plays incredibly well without needing any help.
He's got crazy flipper fingers
His fingers move very quickly on the flipper buttons.
Never seen him fall
I have never seen him make a mistake.
That deaf dumb and blind kind
He is still physically disabled and cannot see or hear.
Sure plays a mean pin ball!
But he is still an incredible pinball player!
Writer(s): PETER DENNIS BLANDFORD TOWNSHEND
Contributed by Skyler A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Father AxeKeeper's Archives
Best song ever written about a blind kid who was good at pinball.
TheBfutgreg
Deaf and Dumb too, don't forget, heard he played simply by his olfactory senses
rarefossil
There is no other band that created a sound like the Who. Genius.
William Wallace
Nope, no band other than The Who can create a sound like The Who, stands to reason.
CasperInkyMagoo
Ah, yes. Also worthy of note: the floor is made of floor.
Debra Slattery
Agree! I just saw them Saturday night at Bethel Woods: site of the '69 Woodstock. They still rock!!
Chris Taylor
They are a bit spinal tappish lol. I was listening to the Tommy album the other day, I had to laugh some of the songs were terrible. I still love them of course
Misskitty 123
And none with a front man as gorgeous as Roger. 🥰
Igor Tchernowitzer
The sound Pete Townshend was able to retrieve is still flabbergasting ... it blows my mind and takes beyond real
LastSecondShot
What an amazing idea it was to have Keith Moon in frame 100% of the time! Such an entertaining goofball. And one of the best drummers ever of course!!