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.
Helpless
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought about it but I couldn't think of what to say
But I thought about it anyway.......yeah
I tried to tell you what you mean to me
But it didn't come so easily..........no
I never reckoned
Just how it would be on my own
I'd be helpless, without you
I'd be helpless, without you
The dawn that calls beyond the night
Tells its old story.
The shadows fade into the light
In all it's glory.
Helpless
Helpless baby I'm a helpless
Helpless baby
I'm a Helpless
If I could put a good shine on the past
Do you think that we could make it last - oh yeah
Seems to mind the time goes fast
I wonder if the vote is cast
Now that you mention it,
Got my attention
I quite clearly blew me away
I'd be helpless, without you
I'd be helpless, without you
The dawn that calls beyond the night
Tells its old story.
The shadows fade into the light
In all it's glory.
Helpless
Helpless baby I'm a helpless
Helpless baby
I'm a Helpless, without you
I'd be helpless, without you
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
The lyrics to Electric Light Orchestra's song "Helpless" appear to speak to the overwhelming feelings of dependence and vulnerability that can come with being deeply in love with someone. The repeated refrain of "helpless" suggests a sense of powerlessness, as if the singer is completely at the mercy of their emotions and the object of their affection. The opening lines reveal a struggle to express these feelings, with the singer noting that they "couldn't think of what to say" when trying to tell their partner what they mean to them. There is a sense of frustration and a fear of inadequacy that pervades the lyrics, as the singer grapples with the intensity of their emotions and the difficulty of conveying them clearly.
The verse that begins "I never reckoned for more than a second" seems to acknowledge the singer's surprise at the depth of their feelings and how completely they have come to rely on their partner for support and happiness. The use of the word "reckoned" suggests a sense of calculation or estimation, as if the singer had underestimated just how much they would need their partner. The chorus emphasizes this point, stating plainly that the singer would be "helpless" without their loved one.
The final verse turns to the theme of time and the passage of life, with the singer musing on whether they could make their relationship last if they could somehow "put a good shine on the past." There is a sense of regret and longing for things that have been lost or left behind, as if the singer is grappling with the fleeting nature of love and the fear that they may not be able to hold onto it forever. Ultimately, the lyrics of "Helpless" convey a sense of emotional intensity and vulnerability that will likely resonate with anyone who has ever been deeply in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Repeating the word 'helpless' to emphasize the theme of the song
I thought about it but I couldn't think of what to say
Struggling to express thoughts and feelings
But I thought about it anyway.......yeah
Reflecting on the situation despite being unable to communicate
I tried to tell you what you mean to me
Attempting to express love and attachment
But it didn't come so easily..........no
Finding it difficult to find the right words or convey emotions effectively
I never reckoned
Not having anticipated
For more than a second
For only a brief moment
Just how it would be on my own
How difficult it would be without the person they love
I'd be helpless, without you
Acknowledging dependence and vulnerability
The dawn that calls beyond the night
The new day approaching with a sense of hope
Tells its old story.
Reminding us that this is a recurring theme in life
The shadows fade into the light
Things becoming clearer or easier to understand
In all it's glory.
Celebrating the beauty and hopefulness of life
Helpless baby I'm a helpless
Reiterating the helplessness experienced without the person they love
Helpless baby
A term of endearment directed toward the loved one
If I could put a good shine on the past
If they could change the past to improve their current situation
Do you think that we could make it last - oh yeah
Wondering if their love can endure despite past difficulties
Seems to mind the time goes fast
Feeling like time is slipping away too quickly
I wonder if the vote is cast
Questioning whether their fate is already sealed
Contributed by Aiden D. 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.