They incorporated the sounds of string ensembles, vocoders and dub echos into rock songs, thereby creating a very sophisticated studio version of rock. The musical content of ELO songs often went far beyond usual chord structures, mixing pop songwriting with classical romanticism and synthesized sounds. The band claim that their music ‘picks up where The Beatles left off.’
Formed in 1970 by Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan (the remaining members of the 1960s rock group The Move). The band used cellos, violin, horns and woodwinds to give their music a classical sound. This was an idea Roy Wood initially had while with The Move, to take rock music in a new direction. In 1970 when Carl Wayne left the The Move, Jeff Lynne, front man with fellow Brum band Idle Race, responded to Wood’s second invitation to join the line-up, with the lure of starting the new band. To help finance the fledgling project, two more Move albums were released during the recording of their eponymous first album in 1971 which produced the UK hit 10538 Overture. In the US this album was released with the mistaken title of No Answer, due to a mix-up with an uncompleted telephone call to the American label and subsequent secretarial message.
However, tensions soon surfaced between Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne. With most of the media attention focused on Roy Wood, differences in musical direction, and a disastrous first live outing, it was no surprise when the band went through the first of its many line-up changes as Wood took Hugh McDowell and Bill Hunt with him to form Wizzard. Despite the music press’s predictions that the band would fold without Wood, Jeff Lynne stepped up to lead the band, with Bevan remaining on drums, bassist Richard Tandy switching to moog synthesizer, Michael d’Albuquerque on bass, Mike Edwards, Colin Walker (cello) and Wilfred Gibson replacing Steve Woolam on violin. They released ELO 2 in 1973, from which came their first U.S. chart hit, a hugely elaborate version of the Chuck Berry classic Roll Over Beethoven. After their second album, violinist Gibson was dismissed and replaced by Mik Kaminski. They also released On the Third Day in 1973, with Mike Edwards playing all the cello parts due to Colin Walker leaving the band. Later that same year saw the return of Hugh McDowell, who had jumped ship the year previous, to replace cellist Colin Walker.
In 1974 Lynne hired a thirty-piece orchestra, choir and Louis Clark, then began work on the next LP Eldorado, A Symphony, a concept album about dreams, scoring their first U.S. Top Ten hit with Can’t Get It Out Of My Head in 1975. Eldorado would become ELO’s first gold album.
After the release of Eldorado, bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt and cellist Melvyn Gale joined, replacing de Albuquerque and Edwards respectively.
I'm Alive
ELO Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm alive - suddenly I am here today
Seems like forever (and a day), thought I could never (feel this way)
Is this really me? I'm alive, I'm alive
I'm alive - and the dawn breaks across the sky
I'm alive - and the sun rises up so high
Lost in another world (far away), never another word (till today)
Suddenly came the dawn (from the night), suddenly I was born (into light)
How can it be real? I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
I'm alive - and the world shines for me today
I'm alive - suddenly I am here today
Seems like forever (and a day), thought I could never (feel this way)
Is this really me? I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
The song “I’m Alive” by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is a celebration of being alive, of experiencing the joy of living, and feeling the world around oneself. The opening lines “I'm alive - and the world shines for me today” signify that the singer is grateful for being alive, and that everything around them is more vibrant and beautiful because of it. The subsequent lines “Seems like forever (and a day), thought I could never (feel this way)/ Is this really me? I'm alive, I'm alive” suggest that the singer has possibly had a difficult past, but they are now surprised by how different they feel being alive, hence the question “Is this really me?”
The second verse of the song continues with a celebration of life: “I'm alive - and the dawn breaks across the sky/ I'm alive - and the sun rises up so high/ Lost in another world (far away), never another word (till today)/ But what can I say? I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive”. The sunrise and the warmth of the sun are used as metaphors for hope and happiness, and the fact that the singer is now able to appreciate the beauty of the world around them.
Throughout the song, the refrain “I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive” is repeated several times, emphasizing the importance of the message. It reminds us all that being alive is something to be grateful for, and it is crucial to appreciate and cherish every moment of it.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm alive - and the world shines for me today
Being alive in this moment makes everything in the world seem brighter and more beautiful
I'm alive - suddenly I am here today
The realization that you exist in this very moment hits you suddenly and powerfully
Seems like forever (and a day), thought I could never (feel this way)
It felt like an eternity and it seemed unlikely that you would ever feel alive again
Is this really me? I'm alive, I'm alive
The joy and disbelief of realizing that you are truly alive and present in the moment
I'm alive - and the dawn breaks across the sky
Witnessing the beauty of a new day dawning is made even more special by the fact that you are alive to experience it
I'm alive - and the sun rises up so high
Feeling alive means that you are able to fully appreciate the majesty of nature, like the rising sun
Lost in another world (far away), never another word (till today)
Feeling disconnected from the world and unable to express yourself until you realized that you were alive
But what can I say? I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
It's difficult to articulate the immense joy and gratitude that comes with being alive, but repeating the phrase 'I'm alive' is the best you can do
Suddenly came the dawn (from the night), suddenly I was born (into light)
Like a rebirth, you emerged from the darkness of feeling dead inside into the light of being alive
How can it be real? I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
Still grappling with the reality of being alive, but experiencing the overwhelming joy that comes with it
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
Repeating this phrase like a mantra, reveling in the wonder and gratefulness of being alive
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.