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.
In for the Kill
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen to it scream
Only lots of paper
But it haunts them in their dreams
Doesn't matter who they are
Doesn't matter where
Some people can't get enough
Going in for the kill
In for the kill
In for the kill, in for the slaughter
In for the thrill of the power game
In for the kill, in for the finish
They've got to win, it's the only way
In for the kill
Sitting in a darkened room
Sharing out the land
Someone holds a document
And smiles as they shake hands.
Going in for the kill
In for the kill.
In for the kill, in for the slaughter
In for the thrill of the power game
In for the kill, in for the finish
They've got to win, it's the only way.
In for the kill
Everywhere you wander,
Wander where you will
Someone's making deals
And going in for the kill
In for the kill, in for the slaughter
In for the thrill of the power game
In for the kill, in for the finish
They've got to win, it's the only way
In for the kill, in for the slaughter
In for the thrill of the power game
In for the kill, in for the finish
They've got to win, it's the only way
In for the kill
In for the kill
In for the kill
In for the kill
In for the kill
In for the kill
In for the kill
In for the kill
The lyrics of Electric Light Orchestra's song "In for the Kill" are a critique of capitalism and the pursuit of wealth and power at all costs. The first verse calls attention to the obsession with money, which is represented as a haunting presence in the dreams of those who seek it. The second verse depicts a group of people dividing up land and resources for their own gain, with one person holding a document and smiling as they shake hands. The chorus declares that these people are "going in for the kill," willing to do whatever it takes to win in the power game of capitalism.
The phrase "in for the kill" also serves as a metaphor for violence and destruction. The imagery of slaughter in the chorus suggests that the pursuit of wealth and power results in harm and suffering for others. The repetition of the phrase "in for the kill" throughout the song emphasizes the inescapable nature of capitalist greed and the destructive consequences that come with it.
Overall, "In for the Kill" is a warning against the dangers of unbridled capitalism and the pursuit of power and wealth at the expense of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to the money talk
Pay attention to the sound of money and what it represents
Listen to it scream
The sound of money can be intense and overwhelming
Only lots of paper
Money is just paper, a physical representation of value
But it haunts them in their dreams
Despite being just paper, money has a powerful hold on people and can consume their thoughts
Doesn't matter who they are
Money affects everyone, regardless of their identity
Doesn't matter where
Money has a global reach and can impact people everywhere
Some people can't get enough
For some, the pursuit of money is unending and insatiable
That is their only care
Money is the sole focus and priority for these individuals
Going in for the kill
Entering into a situation with the intention of achieving complete victory
In for the kill
Fully committed to achieving a desired outcome, without hesitation or reservation
In for the kill, in for the slaughter
Committed to achieving victory at any cost, including harming or destroying others
In for the thrill of the power game
Motivated by the rush of power that comes with attaining victory
In for the finish
Determined to see a situation through to completion and achieve the desired outcome
They've got to win, it's the only way
Winning is the singular focus and the only way to achieve satisfaction
Sitting in a darkened room
Conducting business in secret and away from public view
Sharing out the land
Dividing resources and power among those involved in the deal
Someone holds a document
A legal agreement or contract is being signed to formalize the deal
And smiles as they shake hands.
Those involved in the deal are pleased with the terms and happy to come to an agreement
Everywhere you wander,
No matter where you go or what you do
Wander where you will
Regardless of your travels or pursuits
Someone's making deals
People are constantly pursuing business deals and transactions
And going in for the kill
These individuals are fully committed to achieving success and winning at all costs
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kjemma
Wonderfull music. Secret Messages and Balance of Power are two of my many favourite albums from the fantastic decade the 80s.
Zbyszek Adam H
Kolejna b strona singla Electric Light Orchestra z płyty,, Balance of Power,, znowu Jeff Lynne zaskoczył nowym brzmieniem muzyki rockowej z elementami elektronicznej z jazzem.A potem wydał to na płycie Afterglow.
Welcome to The Machine
Wow Jeff was not in a happy place with this song. I thought Caught in a Trap was dark but this is way beyond that. Love it, great song and thanks for posting.
Shane’s Trains57
Thanks for this. The one on the VEVO channel randomly cuts off a minute early.
Glitch 63
3:01 never thought one day i'll hear this form Jeff Lynne
Paul Outdoors
Has a Secret Messages vibe... Which is good 😊👍
Shane’s Trains57
This song in particular was recorded for Secret Messages 👍🏽
NotOrdinaryInGames
Well, Balance of Power was partly made out of unused material from SM.
Cameron Landers
Reminds me a lot of the song "Magic" by America.
ELE comments
I JUST found Caught In A Trap did not know the exact same tune was used with different lyrics lol which came first???