Rockaria
The novel fusion of orchestral and rock sounds that Jeff Lynne wove togethe… Read Full Bio ↴The novel fusion of orchestral and rock sounds that Jeff Lynne wove together in his hits with Electric Light Orchestra reached a zenith with "Rockaria," a stunning tune that combined symphonic swells, operatic vocals, 50's styled guitar riffs and a Beatles-esque melody into one delirious pop song. The story-song lyrics of "Rockaria" offer a fanciful, witty scenario in which a hardcore rock and roller falls in love with a lovely lass who "sings the opera like you ain’t never heard" and decides to teach her how to rock and roll. Lynne plays on the contrast between the differences in their respective worlds, especially in an inspired line where he describes the diva’s favorites in pop-fan terminology: "She’s sweet on Wagner/I think she’d die for Beethoven/She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune/And Verdi’s always creepin’ from her room." The music also plays up the contrast between its protagonists by alternating swaggering rock-styled verse melodies with an ethereal, wordless aria bridge before joining the two on the finale. Electric Light Orchestra’s recording of "Rockaria" could very well be the most impressive of the group’s recordings thanks to a driving arrangement that seamlessly fuses the mock-aria sections with blasts of hard rock anchored by Lynne’s wailing guitar and Bev Bevan’s stomping drumwork. When these two section blend together for the finale, supported by pulsating strings and a choir, the effect is truly breathtaking. The novelty of the sound and the imagination poured into "Rockaria" should have made the song a hit in America but it failed to achieve the same success of the other singles from A New World Record in the U.S. However, it did quite well elsewhere in the world, including a top-ten charting in the U.K. "Rockaria" remains one of the biggest favorites among Electric Light Orchestra and is rightly considered to be one of Jeff Lynne’s finest achievements on record.

Rockaria
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just got back from the downtown palais
Where the music was so sweet
Knocked me right back in the alley
I'm ready, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm ready
Oh, oh, oh, I'm ready and I'm really gonna rock tonight

Sweet little lady sings like a songbird
And she sings the opera like you ain't never heard
But she ain't ready
No, no, no, she ain't ready
No, no, no, she ain't ready
And she ain't gonna rock and roll

She's sweet on Wagner
I think she'd die for Beethoven
She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune
And Verdi's always creeping from her room

Come on, I'll show you how to sing the blues
Now baby, come on over you got nothin' to lose
Are you ready, hey, hey, hey are you ready?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, are you ready?
I wanna show you how to rock and roll

Now listen here baby she said to me
"Just meet me at the opera house at a quarter to three
'Cause I'm ready, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm ready
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm ready
I'm gonna show you how to sing the blues"

She's sweet on Wagner
I think she'd die for Beethoven
She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune
And Verdi's always creeping from her room
Far, far away the music is playing

Well, we were reelin' and a rockin' all through the night
Yeah, we were rockin' at the opera house until the break of light
And the orchestra were playin' all Chuck Berry's greatest tunes
And the singers in the chorus all got off on singing blues

And as the night grew older everybody was as one
The people on the streets came runnin' in to join in song




Just to hear the opera singer singin' rock and roll so pure
I thought I saw the mayor there but I wasn't really sure, but it's alright

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Electric Light Orchestra's song "Rockaria" are about a man who goes out to a downtown music venue and hears a sweet, operatic singer. However, he is disappointed that she isn't interested in rock and roll music. He convinces her to join him at the opera house where he teaches her how to sing the blues and they rock the night away to Chuck Berry's greatest tunes. The song is a fusion of musical genres and serves as a celebration of the power of music to bring people together.


The lyrics highlight the contrasting genres of classical music and rock and roll. The "sweet little lady" is described as being in love with classical composers such as Wagner, Beethoven, Puccini, and Verdi. While this is all well and good, the singer wants her to experience the joy of rock and roll music. He convinces her to break free from her classical training and embrace her inner rock star. This carries two messages. Firstly, it's possible to enjoy different genres of music, even if they seem to be opposites. Secondly, there's no need to be restricted by labels or genres in life.


Additionally, the song's chorus, "Are you ready, hey, hey, hey, are you ready?" is a call to action to join in the fun and excitement of the music. It encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions and embrace the power of the music. This captures the essence of what rock and roll is all about – having a good time, letting loose, and immersing oneself in the music.


Line by Line Meaning

Just got back from the downtown palais
I have just returned from the music hall in the city center


Where the music was so sweet
Where the tunes were mellifluous


Knocked me right back in the alley
Had a major impact on me


I'm ready, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm ready
I'm all set to rock the stage


Oh, oh, oh, I'm ready and I'm really gonna rock tonight
I'm all set to put up my best performance tonight


Sweet little lady sings like a songbird
A melodious lady has a beautiful voice


And she sings the opera like you ain't never heard
She has a unique way of performing the opera


But she ain't ready
She is not prepared


No, no, no, she ain't ready
Not by any chance is she prepared


And she ain't gonna rock and roll
It's unlikely that she will perform rock and roll


She's sweet on Wagner
She likes Wagner's music


I think she'd die for Beethoven
She loves Beethoven's music excessively


She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune
She is attracted to how Puccini composes music


And Verdi's always creeping from her room
Verdi's music has always been of her interest


Come on, I'll show you how to sing the blues
'Come here, and I'll teach you how to sing blues music'


Now baby, come on over you got nothin' to lose
Don't be shy; you have nothing to lose


Are you ready, hey, hey, hey are you ready?
Are you prepared?


Ooh, ooh, ooh, are you ready?
Are you good to go?


I wanna show you how to rock and roll
I wish to demonstrate the art of rock and roll


Now listen here baby she said to me
She spoke to me saying,


"Just meet me at the opera house at a quarter to three
"Meet me at the opera house at 2:45 PM


'Cause I'm ready, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm ready
Because I'm ready to perform on the stage


Ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm ready
I'm prepared for the show


I'm gonna show you how to sing the blues"
I will teach you how to perform blues music


Far, far away the music is playing
The music is playing from far, far away


Well, we were reelin' and a rockin' all through the night
We were dancing and enjoying ourselves all night


Yeah, we were rockin' at the opera house until the break of light
We were enjoying rock music at the opera house till dawn


And the orchestra were playin' all Chuck Berry's greatest tunes
The orchestra played Chuck Berry's best tracks


And the singers in the chorus all got off on singing blues
The choruses enjoyed singing blues songs


And as the night grew older everybody was as one
As the night passed by, everyone united to have fun


The people on the streets came runnin' in to join in song
The by-passers joined us while running towards the music


Just to hear the opera singer singin' rock and roll so pure
They came to enjoy the opera singer performing rock and roll music to its fullest


I thought I saw the mayor there but I wasn't really sure, but it's alright
I believed that the mayor was present too, but I couldn't confirm it; doesn't matter though




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@rmassa8

Is anyone else here in August of 2020 who still think ELO are musical GENIUSES??!! I love all their music, but the blending of opera, rock and roll and strings in this song are just sheer genius. I know I repeated myself, but genius is the only word that fits here. I was attending Boston University in the late seventies and early eighties and ELO brings all those memories back to me like they were yesterday. Rock on everyone!

@jmeyer4321

this tune and Mr.Blue Sky IMHO are a cut above their extremely high rest!

@michaelthompson-li7zs

Still here '22

@rmassa8

Rock on gentlemen, rock on! This is Rochele, rmassa8, and I still am! Cheers!😄

@Soroosh.S83

I agree

@Soroosh.S83

The Music is masterpiece I found it from masquerade repack and from now on I'm an ELO Fan

30 More Replies...

@bobdosomething1810

Mr Blue Sky was the classic for most people, but this is my personal favourite.
The most underrated band in the history of music.

@larrylancaster7877

I love this song too you know it's right up there in my top five elo's but where you get this thing about the Mr Blue skies most people's classic because you know to me dude everything out of the blue forward it's just knocked the edges off I don't know it's like I think everything from Mission back is much edgier and you know I mean the artistry and then those drum sounds in can't get it out of my head and strange magic you know come on man how can you put aria ahead of those? But I definitely love Jeff too ELO is my very first concert it was 1976 I believe and the first laser light tour ever you know and well I love the dude several of his songs I've played I played do ya and livin' thing way back when I was like 14 years old at a party. me and a drummer played at this party for a little 12-year-old girl and stuff you know but we got paid money so we got paid like you know 100. bucks a piece. Not bad money for 1977 the dude got his he was like a senior you know in high school and I was a freshman and he got his mom's van and we drove down to Evansville and did this thing. There's a little side note that first concert that I went to also had a couple other acts up singer-songwriter named Elliot Murphy and a little known band that was brand new and it just been formed by a couple of guys named Greg Rollie and Neal Schon and there was no Steve Perry present yet but yeah I got to see Journey the first tour and well we knew they were going to be big you know. Those were the days of really the best music I mean don't get me wrong I'm not one of these but I still love great bands You know One Republic kudos you know but the most of the music out there is not even music anymore you know Bruno Mars great you know Alicia Keys real talent but you know most of this stuff is like I don't know but you got to look for it Larkin Poe you know. I love the little chicks in first aid kit too but it's just you know you don't hear of these people you know never mind.

@mikeshirleyforever

Yes!!!! I agree!!!! ❤️

@deanoh6414

All over the world trumps all 😊

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