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.
One Summer Dream
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They never needed you or me.
One summer dream, one summer dream.
Blue mountains high and valley low,
I don't know which way I should go,
One summer dream, one summer dream.
Touching the hearts of those who feel,
One summer dream, one summer dream.
Bird on wing goes floating by,
But there's a teardrop in his eye,
One summer dream, one summer dream.
One summer dream, one summer dream.
The lyrics to Electric Light Orchestra's song One Summer Dream speaks of the transience of life and how everyone and everything inevitably goes back to where they came from. The first two lines of the verse compare the flow of deep waters towards the sea without the need for human intervention, and therefore, it highlights the sense of detachment of the natural world from human society. This sense of detachment and the inevitability of everything in life ending is reinforced with the repetition of the line "One summer dream."
The second verse talks about uncertainty and the confusion that comes with not knowing which path to take in life. The lyrics speak of mountains and valleys, symbolizing life's ups and downs, and how we often find ourselves lost in the in-betweens. However, despite the confusion, the repetition of the "One summer dream" line suggests that even in uncertainty, there is always an end in sight.
In the third verse, the lyrics speak of the warm summer breeze that touches the hearts of those who feel, further emphasizing the emotional connection people have to the natural world. The final line of the verse talks about a bird with a teardrop in its eye, possibly symbolizing the sorrow that comes with accepting the ephemeral nature of everything in life.
Overall, the lyrics of One Summer Dream present a sense of acceptance of the cyclical nature of life and how everything, including our dreams and aspirations, eventually comes to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep waters flow, out to the sea,
The deep waters flow incessantly towards the ocean, without ever concerning themselves with the presence or absence of humans.
They never needed you or me.
The waters have never relied on humans for their existence or purpose.
One summer dream, one summer dream.
The repetition of this line highlights the fleeting nature of the summer season and the inherent beauty in a single dream.
Blue mountains high and valley low,
The artist is surrounded by towering mountains and vast valleys, but is uncertain of which direction to take.
I don't know which way I should go,
The artist is lost or unsure of which path to take in life.
One summer dream, one summer dream.
Despite the singer's uncertainty, there is still wonder and beauty to be found in a summer dream.
Warm summer breeze blows endlessly,
The constant and unending nature of the warm summer breeze is a comforting presence.
Touching the hearts of those who feel,
The breeze has a profound effect on those who are emotionally receptive to its presence.
One summer dream, one summer dream.
Again, the enduring beauty of a single summer dream is emphasized.
Bird on wing goes floating by,
The artist observes a bird in flight, soaring through the skies.
But there's a teardrop in his eye,
Despite the bird's apparent freedom and beauty, there is also a sense of sadness or melancholy.
One summer dream, one summer dream. One summer dream, one summer dream.
The repetition of this final line serves as a reminder of the ephemerality of summer, dreams, and even life itself.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J B
So I go
Though it hurts me so
I'm crying
For your love
Deep waters flow out to the sea
They never needed you or me
One summer dream
One summer dream
Blue mountains high and valley low
I don't know which way I should go
One summer dream
One summer dream
Warm summer breeze blows endlessly
Touching the hearts of those who feel
One summer dream
One summer dream
Bird on a wing goes floating by
But there's a teardrop in his eye
One summer dream
One summer dream
One summer dream
One summer dream
(One summer dream)
Deep waters flow out to the sea
Warm summer breeze blows endlessly
(One summer dream)
(One summer dream)
One summer dream
One summer dream
(One summer dream)
One summer dream
One summer dream
One summer dream (One summer dream)
One summer dream
One summer dream (One summer dream)
One summer dream
One summer dream (One summer dream)
One summer dream
One summer dream (One summer dream)
One summer dream
Play "One Summer Dream"
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Writer(s): Jeff Lynne
Jenna Puhl
My beautiful daughter loved this song. Poor girl had no choice when she was younger I played this music and took her to all of my concerts 😢 😭 💔 I miss that girl!!! She left us Dec 23 2017
Mr. Blue735
May She Rest In Piece
Shannon Brown
Ím so sorry. I know it never gets easier when you lose someone you love
Jenna Puhl
@Shannon Brown Thank you lady! I am just reminiscing 😪 her birthday is coming up Feb 1st. She left behind a beautiful son 12yrs old going on 30??
Cameron White
I am so very very sorry..
Lane Rovito
There is solace, i lost my momma and Homer to a drug adict.he stole mi house hold goods.
Philip Emma
This song is magical. It takes me out of my body and into the tour of the universe. Powerful!
Crystal Sage
Beautiful beyond words. I simply adore this song. Very moving and just simply amazing. I cannot get enough of this in my headphones. Jeff Lynne, you are so gifted. 🌹 ❤ 🎶 🎻 🎸 🎹
Kim
Listening to this song on loop while laying alone in the dark contemplating life is a mood.
sandra mcdonough
Me right now