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Starlight
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics


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(Starlight callin')
(Callin', callin')

Starlight, I hear you callin' out to me
(I hear you callin', callin', callin', callin')
Sweet love, rollin' across my mind again
(Ooh, you only cross my mind)
I want you, yes, I do, I need you, yes, I do
And then you run

You gotta stop, foolin' around
Keep your feet on the ground, little girl
And starlight will shine all around, little girl

(Starlight callin')
Starlight, your eyes are lookin' out so far away
(I hear you callin', callin', callin', callin')
Constellation in the sky, is smiling down on me
I wonder, wonder why (I wonder, wonder why)
I can feel you're so real, I can see you're so near
And then you run

You gotta stop, foolin' around
Keep your feet on the ground, little girl
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey)
And starlight will shine all around, little girl
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey)
You had me all the summer long, little girl
(It's no good at all, hey)

Moonglow, come light the way up to my window
(I hear you callin', callin', callin', callin')
As you roll across the night don't tell nobody that I told you so
(Don't tell nobody 'bout it)
I need you, yes, I do, I need you, yes, I do
And then you run

You gotta stop, foolin' around
Keep your feet on the ground, little girl
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey)
And starlight will shine all around, little girl
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey)
You had me all the summer long, little girl
(It's no good at all)

Starlight (starlight), your eyes are lookin' down on me
So far away
Starlight (starlight), your eyes are lookin' down on me
So far away
Starlight (starlight), your eyes are lookin' down on me
So far away
Starlight (starlight), your eyes are lookin' down on me

Overall Meaning

The song "Starlight" by Electric Light Orchestra draws a picture of a man listening to the call of starlight, which is a representation of his yearning for love that has eluded him. The repeated call the man hears represents his constant search for love, as it always seems to be just out of reach. He desires the love he hears in the call and is reminded of it when he sees the stars shining in the sky. The man tells himself to "keep [his] feet on the ground" and to stop getting carried away by his search for love because it will always run away.


While the song seems to be about searching for love, it also has a deeper meaning. The starlight can be seen as a metaphor for hope in a world where everything seems dark and hopeless. The man feels like he hasn't found love yet but is comforted by the fact that there is still hope and the starlight will always shine, even when things seem bleak.


Overall, the lyrics of "Starlight" speak to themes of love, hope, and perseverance in the face of discouragement. It is a reminder to keep looking up and to never give up on the things that matter most.



Line by Line Meaning

Starlight, I hear you callin' out to me
The singer hears the call of starlight to them.


Sweet love, rollin' across my mind again
The singer thinks of their love, like starlight rolling across their mind.


I want you, yes, I do, I need you, yes, I do
The singer desires their love.


And then you run
The singer's love leaves them.


Starlight, your eyes are lookin' out so far away
The singer imagines starlight looking at them from far away.


Constellation in the sky, is smiling down on me
The singer imagines the stars smiling down on them.


I wonder, wonder why (I wonder, wonder why)
The singer wonders why the stars are looking at them.


I can feel you're so real, I can see you're so near
The singer feels close to their love, though they are far away.


You gotta stop, foolin' around
The singer tells their love to stop their games.


Keep your feet on the ground, little girl
The singer advises their love to be practical.


And starlight will shine all around, little girl
If their love is practical, the starlight will shine around them.


You had me all the summer long, little girl
The singer's love had them throughout the summer, but it was not good.


Moonglow, come light the way up to my window
The singer asks for moonlight to guide their love to their window.


As you roll across the night don't tell nobody that I told you so
The singer urges the moonlight not to reveal their secrets.


Starlight (starlight), your eyes are lookin' down on me / So far away
The singer feels like starlight is watching them from a distance.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Lynne

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Philip Kassabian

A nice ELO song.

Philip Kassabian

A lovely ELO song.

Comments from YouTube:

@cm-th1ss

I'm 61. I used to play Mr Blue Sky endlessly back in 1977 on the pub jukebox on the grey, wet days in the northern city of Carlisle. I never heard the full album at the time so what an absolute treat to discover this total gem and hear it today for the first time 45 years later. Its like discovering buried treasure from your childhood . This tune is exploding with life, melody and emotion .I love the happy/melancholic vibe . It is as fresh as daisy , I can almost taste 1977 on it. Should have been a number one, Many thanks to Jeff Lynne and ELO for this piece of timeless Starlight magic.

@bradpertner1035

Just played the album today just like I did in '77...

@cherylvisher8533

I'm 61 too. my brother introduced me to this song years ago .omg one of my fav .music was music back then

@bikenband

Same age as you, my sentiments exactly 🎯

@alcahallic4526

the summer it came out the local rock radio station played it every day, I was so crazy about it that I went and bought the double album. To me, the band (Lynne) was at a peak.

@TheWebpadawan

I like that comment!, Im just dont want to ruin that number

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@timothyhadley5699

One of ELO's greatest unknown songs. I wish they would play it in concert.

@conga205

Raised on Jazz and Funk. Heard this song while driving thru the Mojave at 3am way back in 1979 on KSAN. Made me pull over and rewind the cassette so I could lay on the hood of my Gremlin and watch the stars go round......still good today.

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