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.
The Lights Go Down
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One day, I gotta get out of here
I gotta make everything clear
I gotta see you, oh-oh, oh-oh
I know the way that I feel is wrong, so wrong
But I gotta carry on
When you ain't around
I believe things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams have flown away
And the sun won't shine today
The lights go down
(Still want you, baby)
The lights go down
(Still need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
I know you're waiting so close to me
But how will you ever see
As time rolls away? Whoa, whoa
Lonely, but trying to be so proud
And just as I turn around
The lights go down
I believe things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams have flown away
And the sun won't shine today
The lights go down
(Still want you, baby)
The lights go down
(Still need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
The lights go down
(Still want you, baby)
The lights go down
(Still need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
The lights go down
(Still want you, baby)
The lights go down
(Still need you, baby)
The lights go down
(Still want you, baby)
The lights go down
In Electric Light Orchestra's song "The Lights Go Down," the singer expresses a desire to leave his current situation in search of clarity. It's unclear what exactly is causing him to feel this way, but he recognizes that the way he's feeling is wrong. The next lines reveal that this feeling is likely due to the absence of a loved one. When this person isn't around, the singer must continue on with his life even though he knows something is missing.
As the song progresses, a sense of hopelessness sets in. The singer observes that things are going wrong and the night never seems to end. Dreams have flown away, and the sun won't even shine. The chorus repeats the title of the song, emphasizing the idea that the singer feels alone in these dark times. Even though this loved one is nearby, he doesn't feel seen or understood.
Overall, "The Lights Go Down" portrays a feeling of isolation and despair. The singer is searching for a way out of his current situation and is struggling to find hope. Although the song is ambiguous about what is causing these feelings, it's clear that the singer is going through a difficult time.
Line by Line Meaning
One day,I gotta get out of here,
I need to leave this place someday to clear my head.
I gotta make everything clear
I need to sort out my thoughts and feelings.
I gotta see you.
I need to be with the person I care about.
I know,the way that I feel is wrong,so wrong.
I realize that my emotions may be misguided or inappropriate.
But I gotta carry on, when you ain't around.
Despite my conflicting feelings, I have to move forward without you.
I believe things are going wrong,
I have a sense that something is not going as it should.
And the night goes on and on,
The feeling of unease persists through the night.
All your dreams have flown away,
Your aspirations and hopes seem to have disappeared.
And the sun won't shine today
The day seems bleak or hopeless.
[Chorus]
Refrain
The lights go down,
The environment becomes darker.
The lights go down,
The surroundings become gloomier.
The lights go down, and there's no one around.
Everything becomes dark and lonely.
I know,you're waiting so close to me,
You are physically nearby, but emotionally disconnected.
But how will you ever see, as time rolls away,
The increasing passage of time creates an ever-widening emotional gap.
Lonely, but tryin' to be so proud,
I am struggling with loneliness, but trying to maintain my dignity.
And just as I turn around, the lights go down.
As I try to move forward, everything becomes even darker and more difficult.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jmsander91
Lyrics 💛
The lights go down
One day, I gotta get out of here
I gotta make everything clear
I gotta see you, oh, oh
I know the way that I feel is wrong, so wrong
But I gotta carry on
When you ain't around
I believe, things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams, have flown away
And the sun, won't shine today
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
I know, you're waiting so close to me
But how will you ever see
As time rolls away?
Lonely, but tryin' to be so proud
And just as I turn around
The lights go down
I believe, things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams, have flown away
And the sun, won't shine today
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Lynne Jeffrey
The Lights Go Down lyrics © Emi April Music Inc.
@peterhoare3219
I usually burst into tears when Mr Lynne sings with true emotion, "And the Sun, wont shine, today........" 😢😥
And im fifty fucking seven, heard the whole album a billion times since it's release and listening to it over and over at Study Time at boarding school in Australia in '81/'82
And ever since 🙂 .......hence, my comment
Saw em live once. Aistralia, Brisbane. Smallish gig, few thousand. I was PISSED and stoned. I really can't remember it, but i think i thought they sucked, live, at the time
But you know, i wasnt in a state for rational criticism. I couldnt stand ffs.....😂
@jimmykarlsson2567
For real such an underrated song. I mean listen to the harmony of the voices and instruments. This is GOLD
@kye8378
YES PURE GOLD
@senderodeluzterapias
Totally agree
@ericstewart9499
Perfect
@loremeza2150
Hermosa Canción, como se puede traducir en Español?
@LijaMoore
His voice is pure gold ✨️
@jmsander91
Lyrics 💛
The lights go down
One day, I gotta get out of here
I gotta make everything clear
I gotta see you, oh, oh
I know the way that I feel is wrong, so wrong
But I gotta carry on
When you ain't around
I believe, things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams, have flown away
And the sun, won't shine today
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
I know, you're waiting so close to me
But how will you ever see
As time rolls away?
Lonely, but tryin' to be so proud
And just as I turn around
The lights go down
I believe, things are going wrong
And the night goes on and on
All your dreams, have flown away
And the sun, won't shine today
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down
And there's no one around
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down (I need you, baby)
The lights go down (I want you, baby)
The lights go down
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Lynne Jeffrey
The Lights Go Down lyrics © Emi April Music Inc.
@janewagner1601
Lovely thankyou for the lyrics a god idea to match the melody
@trudithirtle5106
❤
@sarahmcpherson3666
I will never tire of listening to ELO. One of my favorite songs.