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.
Believe Me Now
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ahhhhhh, Something, something!
Believe me now,
I could never say goodbye,
Don't leave me now,
Believe me now
The lyrics of "Believe Me Now" suggest a desperate plea for someone to believe the truth being expressed. The lyrics suggest that there is something that the singer is trying to get across, but it seems like the audience is not willing to listen. The repetition of "believe me now" seems to emphasize the urgency of the situation. The line "I could never say goodbye" implies that losing this person would be the ultimate consequence of not being heard.
The repeated use of "Ahhhhhh, something, something" creates a sense of ambiguity and mystery. It suggests that there is something that cannot be put into words, but it is still important enough to warrant a plea for belief. It creates a sense of mystery and suspense, which adds to the tension of the song.
Overall, "Believe Me Now" is open to interpretation, but it seems to express a plea for someone to pay attention and believe what the singer is saying. It creates a sense of tension and desperation that is accentuated by the repetition of key phrases and the ambiguous use of sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you hear me?
Can my words reach you and do you understand my message?
Ahhhhhh, Something, something!
An expression of emotion, perhaps frustration or desperation, which may indicate the struggle to find the right words to convey a message.
Believe me now,
I am sincere and earnest in what I am saying, and I hope that you will trust and accept my words.
I could never say goodbye,
The thought of parting ways with you is too difficult to even consider, for it would cause me great pain and sorrow.
Don't leave me now,
My fear and anguish at the thought of being alone without you is overwhelming, and I implore you to stay with me.
Believe me now
Once again, I urge you to trust and have faith in what I am saying, for it comes from a place of deep sincerity and earnestness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zarrowthehorse
Does anyone else enjoy this orchestral music from ELO more so than their other songs without it? I feel like I'm the only one
@kentclark6420
I like their more up-tempo songs, generally.
@naturalmax8474
you are not alone
@thegrimpeeper8865
I really enjoy it
@TyagiMathsAcademy
Nah you are not the only one
@TanukiDigital
Possibly the greatest interstitial ever... a shame it's so short. When I hear a song like this it grabs me and I can do nothing but listen with my whole being :D
@sarahkinsey5434
TanukiDigital I love melancholy songs
@olegdvinsk9637
@Sarah Kinsey I got a melon, but no collie dog?
@sylviagernitz5126
So ist es!!!🌹
@DefaultName-kd3uy
Whenever I hear this song, picture the same thing I picture when I listen to the 10538 overture. The song sounds like the sequel to the 10538 overture. The song that would play when the prisoner in the song kills himself.