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.
Getting to the Point
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out of control, spinning softly through the blue now
And look beyond these walls as the meaning starts to dawn
It's getting to the point, getting to the point
It's out of control, nothing I can do
Like a fire that keeps on burning
And nobody knows what I'm going through
And all you had to say, was that you were gonna stay
It's getting to the point, getting to the point
It's getting to the point where nobody can stop it now
It's getting to the point of no return
And all that I can do is stand and watch it now
watch it burn, burn, burn
It's getting to the point where reasons are forgotten
It's getting to the point where no one knows
And all that I can do is say I'm sorry, but that's the way it goes
It's getting to the point
Forever is a long way, forever takes your breath away
I'd like to talk about it, try to understand
It's getting to the point, getting to the point
It's out of control, nothing I can do
Like a fire that keeps on burning
And nobody knows what I'm going through
And the thoughts just keep returning
And all you had to say, was that you were gonna stay
It's getting to the point, getting to the point
The lyrics of Electric Light Orchestra's "Getting to the Point" suggest a feeling of helplessness and confusion in the face of a situation that is spiraling out of control. The singer acknowledges that they are powerless to stop the chaos unfolding around them; they can only watch as things fall apart. The song uses vivid imagery to convey the overwhelming nature of this experience: the metaphor of a fire that keeps burning, the sense that the singer is lost in a vast expanse of blue. Despite this, the singer seems to be searching for some glimmer of hope or understanding, for someone to help them make sense of what is happening.
The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase "getting to the point," adds a sense of urgency to the song. It suggests that time is running out, that the situation is getting more and more dire with each passing moment. The final lines of the song, "Forever is a long way, forever takes your breath away / I'd like to talk about it, try to understand," suggest a desire to find some way out of this chaos, to make sense of what is happening before it's too late.
Overall, "Getting to the Point" is a powerful meditation on the feelings of helplessness and confusion that can arise when we are faced with situations that are beyond our control. It highlights the importance of finding ways to understand and make sense of these experiences, even when it seems like there is no hope for a happy outcome.
Line by Line Meaning
It's out of control, And there's nothing I can do now
Something is happening and I have no control over it
Out of control, spinning softly through the blue now
This thing is completely out of my control and it feels like I'm spinning aimlessly through it
And look beyond these walls as the meaning starts to dawn
I need to look outside of my current situation to understand what's really happening
It's getting to the point, getting to the point
This situation is reaching a critical point
Like a fire that keeps on burning
This situation is continuing to escalate and it's not slowing down
And nobody knows what I'm going through
No one else understands the full extent of what I'm experiencing
And the thoughts just keep returning
I can't stop thinking about this situation
And all you had to say, was that you were gonna stay
I just needed reassurance that things wouldn't change, but I didn't receive that
It's getting to the point where nobody can stop it now
This situation has reached a point where it can't be stopped or reversed
It's getting to the point of no return
We've passed the point where we can make things right again
And all that I can do is stand and watch it now
I'm helpless in this situation and can only observe as things unfold
It's getting to the point where reasons are forgotten
The reasons why we got to this point are becoming less important as the situation intensifies
It's getting to the point where no one knows
No one knows what's really going on anymore
And all that I can do is say I'm sorry, but that's the way it goes
I can't change what's happening now, all I can do is apologize
Forever is a long way, forever takes your breath away
Thinking about the future is overwhelming and scary
I'd like to talk about it, try to understand
I want to talk to someone to make sense of this situation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yo1347
La difusión del álbum , "Balance of power " ( 1986 ) , al que pertenece esta estupenda canción , que fue single , se vio perjudicada por una huelga de los funcionarios de la empresa discográfica , encargada de su distribución , tanto del long play , como de los discos singles.
Por tal razón , no ranqueó muy bien. Pero es un muy buen álbum , con una propuesta interesante . De él , recomiendo :
" Calling America " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn_XsOUC9s0
" Getting to the point " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSbvZMLJjeU
" So serious " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KvC-m6K9wY
" Heaven only knows " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW6YD9dwEDE
" Sorrow about to fall " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnAbyd8oT-E
" Without someone " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJXqSjCbl8A
Hay canciones que Jeff Lynne ( Líder y cerebro compositor de esta extraordinaria banda inglesa ) compuso durante su permanencia en el Caribe , y otras , en Europa central , durante la estación invernal. Es por esa razón , que algunos temas se palpan fríos y otros , mucho más cálidos.
Por aquella época , Electric Light Orchestra , eran solo cuatro integrantes y , se dice , que la mayor parte del trabajo en este álbum , la realizaron Lynne y Richard Tandy , el tecladista.
Lynne realizó este disco , solo porque había un contrato que lo comprometía con la discográfica.
Ya se habían notado los roces entre los integrantes de la banda . Situación que se venía arrastrando desde comienzos de los años 80´s. Por ejemplo , el tema " Getting to the point " , retrata esos sinsabores de Jeff , quien , en forma muy metafórica e indirecta , relata sus pesares por el fin de esta agrupación , en dicha desgarradora canción.
Saludos desde Chile , Sudamérica.
@donaldstrump911
It's out of control (out of control)
And there's nothing I can do now
Out of control (out of control)
Spinning softly through the blue now
And look beyond these walls
As the meaning starts to dawn
It's getting to the point
Getting to the point
It's out of control (nothing I can do)
Like a fire that keeps on burning
And nobody knows (what I'm going through)
And the thoughts just keep returning
And all you had to say
Was that you were gonna stay
It's getting to the point
It's getting to the point
It's getting to the point
Where nobody can stop it now
It's getting to the point
Of no return
And all that I can do
Is stand and watch it now
Watch it burn, burn, burn
It's getting to the point
Where reasons are forgotten
It's getting to the point
Where no one knows
And all that I can do
Is say I'm sorry
But that's the way it goes...
It's getting to the point
Forever
Is a long, long way
Forever
Takes your breath away
I'd like to talk about it, try to understand
It's getting to the point
It's getting to the point
It's getting to the point
Where nobody can stop it now
It's getting to the point
Of no return
And all that I can do
Is stand and watch it now
Watch it burn, burn, burn
It's getting to the point
Where reasons are forgotten
It's getting to the point
Where no one knows
And all that I can do
Is say I'm sorry
That's the way it goes...
It's getting to the point (getting to the point)
Getting to the point (getting to the point)
It's getting to the point (getting to the point)
Getting to the point
@yo1347
Hola.
La difusión del álbum , "Balance of power " ( 1986 ) , al que pertenece esta estupenda canción , que fue single , se vio perjudicada por una huelga de los funcionarios de la empresa discográfica , encargada de su distribución , tanto del long play , como de los discos singles.
Por tal razón , no ranqueó muy bien. Pero es un muy buen álbum , con una propuesta interesante . De él , recomiendo :
" Calling America " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn_XsOUC9s0
" Getting to the point " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSbvZMLJjeU
" So serious " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KvC-m6K9wY
" Heaven only knows " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW6YD9dwEDE
" Sorrow about to fall " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnAbyd8oT-E
" Without someone " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJXqSjCbl8A
Hay canciones que Jeff Lynne ( Líder y cerebro compositor de esta extraordinaria banda inglesa ) compuso durante su permanencia en el Caribe , y otras , en Europa central , durante la estación invernal. Es por esa razón , que algunos temas se palpan fríos y otros , mucho más cálidos.
Por aquella época , Electric Light Orchestra , eran solo cuatro integrantes y , se dice , que la mayor parte del trabajo en este álbum , la realizaron Lynne y Richard Tandy , el tecladista.
Lynne realizó este disco , solo porque había un contrato que lo comprometía con la discográfica.
Ya se habían notado los roces entre los integrantes de la banda . Situación que se venía arrastrando desde comienzos de los años 80´s. Por ejemplo , el tema " Getting to the point " , retrata esos sinsabores de Jeff , quien , en forma muy metafórica e indirecta , relata sus pesares por el fin de esta agrupación , en dicha desgarradora canción.
Saludos desde Chile , Sudamérica.
@yo1347
Hola.
La difusión del álbum , "Balance of power " ( 1986 ) , al que pertenece esta estupenda canción , que fue single , se vio perjudicada por una huelga de los funcionarios de la empresa discográfica , encargada de su distribución , tanto del long play , como de los discos singles.
Por tal razón , no ranqueó muy bien. Pero es un muy buen álbum , con una propuesta interesante . De él , recomiendo :
" Calling America " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn_XsOUC9s0
" Getting to the point " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSbvZMLJjeU
" So serious " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KvC-m6K9wY
" Heaven only knows " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW6YD9dwEDE
" Sorrow about to fall " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnAbyd8oT-E
" Without someone " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJXqSjCbl8A
Hay canciones que Jeff Lynne ( Líder y cerebro compositor de esta extraordinaria banda inglesa ) compuso durante su permanencia en el Caribe , y otras , en Europa central , durante la estación invernal. Es por esa razón , que algunos temas se palpan fríos y otros , mucho más cálidos.
Por aquella época , Electric Light Orchestra , eran solo cuatro integrantes y , se dice , que la mayor parte del trabajo en este álbum , la realizaron Lynne y Richard Tandy , el tecladista.
Lynne realizó este disco , solo porque había un contrato que lo comprometía con la discográfica.
Ya se habían notado los roces entre los integrantes de la banda . Situación que se venía arrastrando desde comienzos de los años 80´s. Por ejemplo , el tema " Getting to the point " , retrata esos sinsabores de Jeff , quien , en forma muy metafórica e indirecta , relata sus pesares por el fin de esta agrupación , en dicha desgarradora canción.
Saludos desde Chile , Sudamérica.
@snsnshhhs663
Here’s my opinion of the albums tracks if you’re willing to read it:
BAD TRACKS: Heaven Only Knows (album version), Secret Lives (album version), Is It Alright, Endless Lies (Balance of Power version)
MEDIOCRE TRACKS: So Serious, Calling America, Matter of Fact
GOOD/GREAT TRACKS: Heaven Only Knows (Alternative version), In for the Kill, Caught in a Trap, Destination Unknown, Getting to the Point, Secret Lives (Alternative version), Sorrow About to Fall, Without Someone, Send It
@nathansugden9332
My Dad loved ELO particularly this song,Rest Easy Dad,I will see you again 💙
@dankwartdenkhardt5714
Then he must also like "Can´t get it out of my head".
@williammclain4685
The sax is absolutely phenomenal.
@Pineappolis
I was looking forward to it having seen a few of these comments and, man alive, did it deliver. Hit like a freight train.
@lisafridlund
outstanding
@simesh1547
Jeff Lynne had to produce another album as a contractual obligation to Epic records, & came up with this masterpiece, brilliant album!
@SUSIEB0812
If I'm not mistaken, this song is about the breakup of ELO...even the album cover shows the split...such a difficult time and yet Jeff Lynne was still able to create songs that years later are as meaningful as they were when I first heard them. Jeff Lynne is a genius and in my opinion, he has not received the recognition he deserves.
@hansraage1417
Susan Brown His participation in Travelling Wilburys is more worth than the Nobel Price! But your'e right! Overall underrated as hell!
@katfontaine3895
Oh man, all I can think about when I hear this song is the ELO split....my 17 year old stepdaughter Stella heard this song and said, Omg, Bev!!!,when I played it for her last weekend, she insists,it is about him and Jeff's(ELO) split 🙁 And my husband is a graphic artist and he says, Kudos because I totally missed that split reference in the picture!!🖒🖒🖒🎧🎧🎧🎸🎸🎸🎶🎶🎶
@sovereignruler
My friend genius is never recognized long after it arrives. Thankfully, we do.