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.
Buildings Have Eyes
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chilly chilly is the air under moonlit sky
The windows watch you as you walk along
And the streets lead back to where you started from
The cities watching and you can't get by
No matter where you hide you know the buildings have eyes
This place is lonely but you can't get away
Silly silly are the thoughts that fill your head
Wish I'd never set out, wish I'd stayed in bed
You see reflections from across the street
So you better start movin' stop draggin' your feet
The cities watching and you can't get by
No matter where you hide you know the buildings have eyes
This place is lonely but you can't get away
No matter what you say you know the buildings have eyes
Money money, gotta get some money and run
It's an issue I find unenviable
It doesn't matter which way you turn
But you gotta keep trying cause you never learn
The cities watching and you can't get by
No matter where you hide you know the buildings have eyes
This place is lonely but you can't get away
No matter what you say you know the buildings have eyes
Funny funny how the world goes round and round
You better watch your step don't make a sound
The windows watch you as you walk along
And the streets lead back to where you started from
The cities watching and you can't get by
No matter where you hide you know the buildings have eyes
This place is lonely but you can't get away
No matter what you say you know the buildings have eyes
Pretty pretty
Chilly chilly
Silly silly
Money money
The lyrics to Electric Light Orchestra’s “Buildings Have Eyes” provide a surreal look at the subject of urban alienation. The first verse sets a haunting scene of a cold, moonlit city where the buildings appear to be watching and following the individual as they walk. The second verse delves further into the individual’s mindset, with their thoughts becoming increasingly paranoid and nonsensical, reflecting the suffocating feelings brought on by their surroundings. The constant refrain of “you can’t get away, no matter what you say,” highlights the inescapability of the individual’s situation.
The repeated use of words such as “pretty,” “silly,” and “money” contribute to the surreal and slightly unsettling atmosphere of the song. These words, mixed with the ominous description of the city, take on a darker connotation. The song touches on themes of isolation, desperation, and the loss of personal freedom within society.
Overall, “Buildings Have Eyes” is a striking commentary on the psychological effects of urban living. Through its lyrics, it paints a vivid and eerie picture of a city where the buildings seem to hold a malevolent power over the individual.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty pretty are the girls as they go by
The beauty of the passing women catches the attention of the singer.
Chilly chilly is the air under moonlit sky
The atmosphere is cool and serene while basked under the rays of the moon.
The windows watch you as you walk along
The singer perceives the surrounding buildings as if they have eyes observing their every step.
And the streets lead back to where you started from
The path taken appears to take the artist back to the starting point of their journey.
The cities watching and you can't get by
The city seems to be watching the artist, and they can't find a way to be out of sight.
No matter where you hide you know the buildings have eyes
The singer feels like they are being watched from every angle, and there's no place to hide.
This place is lonely but you can't get away
Despite feeling isolated and detached from their surroundings, the singer can't seem to leave.
No matter what you say you know the buildings have eyes
The artist understands that regardless of any words they say, the buildings around will always be observing them.
Silly silly are the thoughts that fill your head
Trivial and nonsensical thoughts preoccupy the artist's mind.
Wish I'd never set out, wish I'd stayed in bed
The artist regrets leaving their place of comfort and yearns to go back to it.
You see reflections from across the street
The singer notices reflections of themselves from a distance.
So you better start movin' stop draggin' your feet
The artist urges themselves to pick up their pace and move forward rather than dwell on their thoughts.
Money money, gotta get some money and run
The singer contemplates the importance of obtaining wealth and escaping from their situation.
It's an issue I find unenviable
Despite the perceived significance of money, the singer doesn't find it enjoyable or desirable.
It doesn't matter which way you turn
No matter what course of action the singer follows, the results will not change.
But you gotta keep trying cause you never learn
The artist acknowledges that they must continue to strive for their goals, despite failing in the past.
Funny funny how the world goes round and round
The events of the world seem to repeat themselves in a predictable cycle.
You better watch your step don't make a sound
The singer warns themselves to be cautious and not draw attention to themselves.
Contributed by Andrew B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Cochran
on State of Mind
An overlooked album which more people should listen to
Rodney
on Rockaria!
Weit in die Ferne , man hört, man hört die Musik
Philip Kassabian
on Starlight
A nice ELO song.
Philip Kassabian
on Starlight
A lovely ELO song.
Philip Kassabian
on Wild West Hero
An absolutely beautiful song.
Philip Kassabian
on Last Train to London
Never heard this ELO song before.
Philip Kassabian
on All Over the World
An ELO song that surprisingly few people know about. To me this rivals Mr. Blue Sky.
Philip Kassabian
on Ticket to the Moon
A song about a person being utterly confused in a difficult situation. He can't even fathom the journey he's about to take to the moon. It's surreal to him.
Philip Kassabian
on Strange Magic
A very mysterious and awe inspiring song. Definitely one of ELO's better songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Livin' Thing
It's a great song and to me it symbolizes the meaning of loss and how absolutely devastating it can be for a person.