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.
Bluebird
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't realize just what they say
You may fight, you may run, you may know what you've done
It makes me feel so sad to think what I might've had
I watch the stars, I watch the sun, now I watch for anyone
But it's only make believe
You work, you work, you work so hard and then
You may think it's for real, but you know how you feel
The places that I go don't feel good anymore
I see it all rainbows in fall I see her face upon my wall
But it's only make believe
Fly away, bluebird fly away for me
To a place somewhere far across the sea
Fly away, far away, don't look back, go today
The waves that crash upon the sand
Another place, a far off land
And every day, I have to stay, but you are free
You could fly away
But it's only make believe
Electric Light Orchestra's "Bluebird" incorporates different themes such as loss, nostalgia, and detachment. The primary message is about feeling stuck in a situation where one's own desires are in conflict with reality. The song depicts a longing for something more but being unable to grasp it. The imagery used in the song, such as the streets and signs pointing all one way, symbolizes the paths that life takes, emphasizing that things may appear to be set in stone, but they are not. The singer is clearly unhappy with their present situation, wishing they had taken a different path, but at the same time, they understand that they cannot change the past.
The chorus of the song features a bluebird, which represents hope and freedom. In the singer's mind, the bluebird serves as a metaphor for a chance to start over, to leave behind all their troubles and problems. The chorus suggests that the singer wants the bluebird to take flight and fly far away. He desires the bluebird to find happiness somewhere else, a place that's far from where they are currently. However, the singer realizes, deep down, that it's just a fantasy, a dream, something that is not possible. The last line of the song, "but it's only make-believe," emphasizes just how impossible this desire for freedom is.
Line by Line Meaning
The streets, the signs are pointing all one way
There is a definite direction indicated by the streets and the signs.
But you don't realize just what they say
You are not aware of what is being implied by them.
You may fight, you may run, you may know what you've done
You have the option to fight or to run, but either way, you know the consequences of your actions.
It makes me feel so sad to think what I might've had
It is regretful to consider the opportunities that have been missed.
I watch the stars, I watch the sun, now I watch for anyone
Observing the natural world and keeping an eye out for anyone or anything that may come along.
But it's only make believe
It is all an illusion or a fantasy.
You work, you work, you work so hard and then
You put in a lot of effort and hard work.
Someone, someone will come around again
Someone will come back into your life.
You may think it's for real, but you know how you feel
You may believe it to be true, but deep down you are aware of your true feelings.
The places that I go don't feel good anymore
The places that used to bring joy and happiness no longer have the same effect.
I see it all rainbows in fall I see her face upon my wall
Seeing symbols of beauty and love, but they are only fleeting or on display.
Fly away, bluebird fly away for me
Addressing a bird as a symbol of freedom and escape.
To a place somewhere far across the sea
Referring to a far off land as a destination.
Fly away, far away, don't look back, go today
Encouraging the bird to leave its current location and not to hesitate in doing so.
The waves that crash upon the sand
Depicting the scenery of the bird's destination.
Another place, a far off land
Describing the destination as a distant and foreign place.
And every day, I have to stay, but you are free
Expressing the artist's feelings of being trapped while the bird has the luxury of freedom.
You could fly away
Reiterating the bird's ability to escape.
But it's only make believe
Acknowledging the reality that the bird is the only one capable of true escape.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ciudad1780
The streets, the signs are pointing all one way
But you don't realize just what they say
You may fight, you may run, you may know what you've done
It makes me feel so sad to think what I might've had
I watch the stars, I watch the sun, now I watch for anyone
But it's only make believe
You work, you work, you work so hard and then
Someone, someone will come around again
You may think it's for real, but you know how you feel
The places that I go don't feel good anymore
I see it all rainbows in fall I see her face upon my wall
But it's only make believe
Fly away, bluebird fly away for me
To a place somewhere far across the sea
Fly away, far away, don't look back, go today
The waves that crash upon the sand
Another place, a far off land
And every day, I have to stay, but you are free
You could fly away
But it's only make believe
@ChristianBove
Far away in 1988 I lost a good friend by cancer. His Father wanted him to be buried in his hometown So along the travel I was very, very sad. We were just young guys living our amazing twentys and he has gone so early. This song played on the radio in a incredible landscape on the road. I never forgot thhe song but didn't know who was from. Years later and after a tireless search I stood surprised to know: ELO. This song touched my emotion in a hard moment but gaved to me a colourfull beauty and it is part of my hystory of life. Unforgetable forever.
@bbodinefan11
This was played on the radio? Thats pretty amazing.
@Danimal1577
@bbodinefan11 IKR??
@ChristianBove
@bbodinefan11 Yes, sometimes god touches and comforts you in some way.
@jordantran6879
Not many people know this song butbi love it
@DavidMartin-qt1fx
So well said...💯 EXACTLY...
@movietalk4183
Can't believe this was made in 83', damn ELO had some fine music back then. This might not be my favorite ELO album, but this is one of my favorite songs from them.
@mrstein80
MovieTalk i have the same reaction. This album and track gives Tame Impala a run for its money sonically a decade before they were born.
@ZoolGatekeeper
Great that Jeff Lynne searched for another way to use the synths.. He found a way.. He just knows how to do that.. Anyways, the whole album feels fresh today even..
@rommix0
work, work.....work, work.....work, work.....work, work.....work, work.....