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 ELOâs first album of new material in almost 15 years.
The second album under Jeff Lynneâs 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.
Sweet Is the Night
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the people of the city have all lost and won
In your city dress you stand and stare
And you smoke another cigarette and comb your hair
And the light that shines
Paints a trace of sadness
On the street I wait
Well, you start to sway, check your Cartier
'Cause it's getting late, you can't afford to wait
So you move along where it's going on
And the people of the night are playing 'til the dawn
And the sun that shines
Paints a trace of sadness
In your eyes that cry
Wishing and hoping
Oh
[Chorus]
Sweet, sweet is the night
Now you are near
Dark, dark were the days
They disappear
Sweet, sweet is the night
Now you are near.
Well you did your thing and you lost your wings
And you hurt so bad you lost everything
And the tears that fall on the city wall
Will fade away with the rays of morning light that shines
Paints a smile across your pretty face
I know
Everything is alright
Alright
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Electric Light Orchestra's song Sweet Is The Night describe a person who is wandering around the city at night, feeling lost and alone. The person is dressed up and smoking a cigarette, trying to find some meaning or connection in the late hours. Despite the city's excitement, the person still feels sad and disconnected, unable to reach out to someone who may be able to help them feel better. As the night goes on, the person finds themselves among others who are also seeking solace in the dark hours. Eventually, the night fades away and with it, the pain and sadness that the person was feeling. The morning brings a smile to the person's face, assuring them that everything will be alright.
The lyrics of this song capture the feeling of loneliness and isolation that can sometimes come with living in a big city. The imagery of the city at night is particularly evocative, with its bright lights and dark corners. Despite the person's efforts to find connection with others, they are still unable to bridge the gap between themselves and those around them. The song speaks to the universal human experience of striving for connection and meaning in a world that can sometimes feel empty and meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
When the day is done and there's nowhere to run
At the end of the day, when there are no more options left, and you can't escape your surroundings.
And the people of the city have all lost and won
Everyone in the city has experienced their own victories and defeats, and they are all wandering around, looking for something.
In your city dress you stand and stare
You dress up, stand in the middle of the city, and quietly observe your surroundings.
And you smoke another cigarette and comb your hair
You calm down by smoking a cigarette and fixing your hair.
And the light that shines
The light illuminating the city.
Paints a trace of sadness
The illumination, although bright and beautiful, also reveals sadness.
On the street I wait
I wait alone on the street, observing the city from a distance.
But I can't seem to get to you.
I can't seem to get closer to you, no matter how hard I try.
Well, you start to sway, check your Cartier
You start to move your body to the music, checking your expensive watch.
'Cause it's getting late, you can't afford to wait
You realize that it's getting late, and you need to move quickly.
So you move along where it's going on
You join the crowd where the party is happening.
And the people of the night are playing 'til the dawn
The party-goers are playing and having fun until morning.
And the sun that shines
The bright sun that rises in the morning.
Paints a trace of sadness
The sun reveals the sadness left behind from the night before.
In your eyes that cry
Your eyes shed tears.
Wishing and hoping
You wish and hope for a better outcome or life.
Sweet, sweet is the night
The night that once felt sad now feels sweet with your presence.
Now you are near
Now that you're here, everything feels better.
Dark, dark were the days
The days were once dark and sad.
They disappear
But they disappear thanks to your presence.
Well, you did your thing and you lost your wings
You did what you had to do, but you lost your freedom or spark in the process.
And you hurt so bad you lost everything
You hurt so much that you lost everything that once meant something to you.
And the tears that fall on the city wall
Your tears fall and mix in with the city.
Will fade away with the rays of morning light that shines
The tears and sadness will fade with the bright light of the morning.
Paints a smile across your pretty face
The sun shining on your face causes you to smile.
I know everything is alright
I know that everything will be okay now that you're here.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pandion Birb
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When the day is done and there's nowhere to run (nowhere to run)
And the people of the city have all lost and won
In your city dress you stand and stare (stand and stare)
And you smoke another cigarette and comb your hair
And the light (the light) that shines (that shines)
Paints a trace of sadness
On the street (the street) I wait (I wait)
But I can't seem to get to you.
Well, you start to sway, check your Cartier
'Cause it's getting late (it's getting late), you can't afford to wait
So you move along where it's going on (it's going on)
And the people of the night are playing 'til the dawn
And the sun (the sun) that shines (that shines)
Paints a trace of sadness
In your eyes (your eyes) that cry (that cry)
Wishing and hoping
Oh
Sweet, sweet is the night
Now you are near
Dark, dark were the days
They disappear
Sweet, sweet is the night
Now you are near.
Well you did your thing and you lost your wings (you did your thing)
And you hurt so bad you lost everything
And the tears that fall on the city wall (the city wall)
Will fade away with the rays of morning light (morning light) that shines (that shines)
Paints a smile across your pretty face (your face)
I know (I know)
Everything is alright
Alright
Sweet, sweet is the night
Now you are near
Dark, dark were the days
They disappear
Sweet, sweet is the night
Now you are near.
Brenda O. Bazaldua
One of my favorites -love Kellyâs vocals love Kelly overall
Mr. Blue735
@R Cherry truth
R Cherry
Kelly was the best the heart and soul of the band in my opinion whe not he was fired from the band it was never the same
Brian Clark
This was the first album I ever bought with my own money. It was awesome - the record cover folded open double wide with an illustration of the inside of the spacecraft. It contained a paper model of the spacecraft that you punched out and assembled that stood on a radio antenna. There was a fold out color poster of the band included. Never since have I bought an album that was so incredible to open. This was my favorite song. Still reminds me of listening in the dark in my childhood bedroom with the sound of my mom and sister out in the hall...
Kedric Williams
That sounds like such a powerfull memory.
Skiiipp
It's probably their best album
some nothing
thats awesome
dtforever1973
I have the stuff still in my copy
Wacky Weasel
What a lovely song. I fall in love with almost every ELO song I hear!
Daniel Beck
@D Kompres nah man, i like ur selection haha i think waterfalls the best on that album