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' 1967 song I Am the Walrus 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.
The band split in 1983. In 1985, Lynne, Tandy and Bevan reunited and recorded the album "Balance of Power". This reunion was short lived and the band split once more in 1986. Bev Bevan and Louis Clark, with the consent of Lynne, toured and recorded as ELO Part II from 1988 until Bevan's retirement in 1999. In 2000, Lynne and Tandy reformed Electric Light Orchestra and released a new record, "Zoom". "Zoom" proved to be a commercial failure, and the duo split once more in 2001.
In 2014, following support from BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, Lynne and Tandy reunited as a part of BBC Radio 2's "Festival in a Day" to perform under the new billing, "Jeff Lynne's ELO", a name Lynne devised as a response to ELO tributes, imitation bands, and offshoots who used ELO to promote their own tours.
In February 2015, Jeff Lynne's ELO performed at the Grammy Awards with Ed Sheeran, and in September of that year they announced a new album would be released under Columbia Records. Jeff Lynne's ELO - Alone in the Universe was released on November 13, 2015, and was ELO’s first album of new material in almost 15 years.
The second album under Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Jeff Lynne's ELO - From Out of Nowhere, was released on November 1, 2019.
There is more than one artist with the name "ELO". The vast majority of scrobbles to "Electric Light Orchestra" are for the rock band from England.
ELO, is a South Korean singer, who debuted with the album, 8 Femmes, on August 26, 2016.
Above the Clouds
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, when things ain't goin' right
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
You will remember me
I came along to see your face
But the only thing I got from you
Was telling me it's fantasy
I can tell you that it's true
(I can tell you that it's true)
Oh yes, it's true
I'm waiting here
But it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
But it's alright with me
You better believe me now
I guess it's like a mountainside
You've got to climb it to the top
Floating in a sea of dreams
The only thing that you can see
Is the view above the clouds
(Is the view above the clouds)
(Above the clouds)
I'm waiting here
But it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
Still, it's alright with me
You better believe me now
The first verse talks about being there for someone when they need you the most, even if it's in the middle of the night. The line "no, no, no, you will remember me" suggests that the singer is trying to make a lasting impact on whoever they're talking to. However, the second verse shows that their efforts are futile. They came to see this person, but all they got was a fantasy. Despite the setback, the singer insists that their love is true and that they'll wait patiently for the other person to come around. The chorus talks about climbing a mountain to reach the top, and floating in a sea of dreams, but the only view that matters is the one above the clouds. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and reaching new heights in a relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of "Above the Clouds" convey the idea that love is worth fighting for, even if it feels like an uphill battle. The singer is willing to wait and overcome any obstacle to be with the one they love. The chorus encourages the listener to keep pushing forward, even if the task at hand seems daunting. The song is ultimately a hopeful message about the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Caught in the heat of the night.
Feeling overwhelmed and distressed by a situation that occurred during the night.
There when things ain't goin right
Present during times of strife and turmoil.
No, no, no, you will remember me...
Expressing confidence that the singer will be remembered by the listener.
I came along to see your face,
The singer visited to see the listener in person.
But the only thing I got from you,
The listener offered the singer nothing in return except...
Was telling me it's fantasy,
...saying that their relationship was only a fantasy.
That you would always be with me,
Disappointing the singer by revealing that they cannot commit to a long-term relationship.
I can tell you that it's true
The singer still believes in their relationship despite this revelation.
I'm waiting here,
The singer is patiently waiting for the listener to change their mind.
But it's alright
Despite the listener's response, the singer is still okay.
It's alright with me,
The singer is at peace with the situation.
You better believe me now.
The singer is urging the listener to trust their feelings.
I guess it's like a mountain side,
The situation is like climbing a mountain.
You gotta climb it to the top,
In order to reach success or resolution, the listener has to work hard to achieve it.
Floating in a sea of dreams
Lost in a world of imagination and desires.
The only thing that you can see
Despite the personal struggles, the listener should focus on...
Is the view above the clouds.
...what lies ahead beyond the difficulties in order to achieve ultimate success.
I'm waiting here,
The singer is patiently waiting for the listener to commit.
But it's alright,
Regardless of the outcome, the singer is okay with the situation.
Still it's alright with me,
The singer has come to terms with the listener's decision.
You better believe me now.
The singer is urging the listener to trust their own intuition.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Lynne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Donald's trump
Born in the heat of the night
Yeah, when things ain't goin' right
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
You will remember me
I came along to see your face
But the only thing I got from you
Was telling me it's fantasy
That you would always be with me
I can tell you that it's true
I can tell you that it's true (Oh yes, it's true)
I'm waiting here
But it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
But it's alright with me
You better believe me now
I guess it's like a mountainside
You've got to climb it to the top
Floating in a sea of dreams
The only thing that you can see
Is the view above the clouds
Is the view above the clouds (Above the clouds)
I'm waiting here
But it's alright
It's alright, it's alright
Still, it's alright with me
You better believe me now
Michael boborit
This album is a masterpiece of music history!
Show me your mammary glands!
For me the band is a legend.
TubeFrog
My all-time fave album.
Schnurzel
Yes
Miranda Pickles
A lot of people aren't aware of this song... but it's one of my all-time favorites!
AlMason253
Bacon agrees with Pickles. Beautiful!
midcentry61
This is one of my favorite songs
James Zeveney
I thought I was the only one.
I listened to this album a lot when it first came out. I remember making a mistake breaking up with a girl for another. Then it was too late to ask her back out because she was going with a friend of mine. Some friend. We both wanted to get back together but anytime she tried to break up with him he would cry and say he was gonna kill himself.
I moved away and eventually she did break up with him and he never killed himself. I identified with the heartbreak in this album and it helped me through that tough time.
Georgina Ochoa
Mine too
dannydulido
I love this too, but then again, there's not many with ELO I don't like.