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Re: Pinball Wizard An Embarrassment?
> My extensive research indicates there was nothing in PW's place before
> Pete went home and dashed it off. Pete was going to toss Tommy out
> there without that thread and hope it flew.
Alan:
That seems to be the case. And I think we should clarify that it wasn't
just a matter of plunking "Pinball Wizard" down amongst the songs that
were already written, & having that be that.
The pinball element was added late, after most of the songs had already
been written, so Pete had to actually go back & *change* various lyrics
on other songs in order to develop the pinball theme further.
Sort of like a last-minute rewrite. Bit of a gamble.
> So, you're saying Pinball Wizard is supposed to be a joke? Well, to me
> it kind of is. But, I think the joke was missed by a whole bunch of
> people.
Cuz Kev:
It's kind of hard to miss the absurdity in the idea of a deaf, dumb, &
blind pinball champion becoming an idolized messiah-like figure. There's
irony & humor in there. On a high, literate level. Why you only seem to
see it as a lame attempt at humor - an embarrassing, failed joke - is
beyond me.
Most rock fans seem to be able to grasp the idea that the pinball champ-
ion metaphor is an ironic reflection of modern society, & not just a bit
of silliness in an otherwise serious piece of rock music. I don't know
why you're having difficulty accepting that, Cuzzle Kevil. I'm afraid you
& the others you've met who believe it all to an embarrassing joke are in
the minority.
- SCHRADE in Akron