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.
Wild West Hero
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then I think there might,
Just be a better life
Away from all we know
That's where I wanna go
Out on the wild side,
And I wish I was
Oh oh oh oh, a wild west hero.
Ride the range all the day
Till the first fading light
Be with my western girl
Round the fire oh so bright
I'd be the indians' friend
Let them love to be free
Ridin' into the sunset
I wish I could be.
I'd ride the desert sands
And through the prairie lands
Tryin' to do what's right
The folks would come to me
They'd say we need you here
I'd stay there for the night,
Oh I wish I was
Oh oh oh oh, a wild west hero
Ride the range all the day
Till the first fading light
Be with my western girl
Round the fire oh so bright
I'd be the indians' friend
Let them love to be free
Ridin' into the sunset
I wish I could be.
The lyrics of Electric Light Orchestra's song Wild West Hero can be interpreted as a desire to escape the monotony and conformity of everyday life. The singer of the song yearns for a better life, one that is free and adventurous, away from the constraints of society. He dreams of becoming a wild west hero, riding the range all day, surrounded by nature, and befriending the indigenous people. The Western landscape symbolizes freedom and individualism, which the singer wants to embrace.
The lyrics also evoke a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era, romanticizing the Wild West and making it appear as a carefree and idyllic place. The reference to a western girl and the warmth of the fire further add to the romanticized portrayal of the West. Overall, the song conveys a sense of yearning and longing for something more, something that is beyond the mundane realities of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I look up high
Occasionally, I gaze up towards the sky
And then I think there might,
And I ponder whether
Just be a better life
There could be a superior existence
Away from all we know
Far from everything we are familiar with
That's where I wanna go
That is where I desire to be
Out on the wild side,
Venturing onto the untamed terrain
And I wish I was
Oh, how I long to be
Oh oh oh oh, a wild west hero.
A gallant figure of the western frontier.
Ride the range all the day
Cover the vast lands on horseback all day
Till the first fading light
Until the initial light of the nightfall
Be with my western girl
Accompanying my cowgirl companion
Round the fire oh so bright
Gathered around the blazing flames
I'd be the indians' friend
I'd make friends with the Native Americans
Let them love to be free
Encouraging their love for liberty
Ridin' into the sunset
Riding off into the sunset
I wish I could be.
How I yearn to live in that world.
I'd ride the desert sands
I'd traverse the sandy expanse of the desert
And through the prairie lands
And journey through the sprawling grasslands
Tryin' to do what's right
Making an effort to do what is just
The folks would come to me
People would come to me
They'd say we need you here
They would request my presence
I'd stay there for the night,
I'd remain there for the evening
Oh I wish I was
Oh how I yearn to be
Oh oh oh oh, a wild west hero
An admirable and gallant figure of the untamed west.
Ride the range all the day
Cover the vast lands on horseback all day
Till the first fading light
Until the initial light of the nightfall
Be with my western girl
Accompanying my cowgirl companion
Round the fire oh so bright
Gathered around the blazing flames
I'd be the indians' friend
I'd make friends with the Native Americans
Let them love to be free
Encouraging their love for liberty
Ridin' into the sunset
Riding off into the sunset
I wish I could be.
How I yearn to live in that world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
An absolutely beautiful song.
@MothOnFire
Lyrics:
Sometimes I look up high
And then I think there might,
Just be a better life
Away from all we know
That's where I wanna go
Out on the wild side,
And I wish I was
Oh oh oh oh, a wild west hero.
Ride the range all the day
Till the first fading light
Be with my western girl
Round the fire oh so bright
I'd be the indians' friend
Let them love to be free
Ridin' into the sunset
I wish I could be.
I'd ride the desert sands
And through the prairie lands
Tryin' to do what's right
The folks would come to me
They'd say we need you here
I'd stay there for the night,
Oh I wish I was
Oh oh oh oh, a wild west hero
Ride the range all the day
Till the first fading light
Be with my western girl
Round the fire oh so bright
I'd be the indians' friend
Let them love to be free
Ridin' into the sunset
I wish I could be.
@jmaxg
@@MONKEYBOY4627 Yes Raven, but Jeff wrote all of the songs and produced in the studio. Also the Wikipedia history of the Electric Light Orchestra backs me up after 1972.
Did Bev Bevan have something to do with it? Of course!
But I'm thinking he was thinking "Is he on a roll? Yes? Ok, let's just go with that."
And a roll it was....
The Electric Light Orchestra (1971)
ELO 2 (1973)
On the Third Day (1973)
Eldorado (1974)
Face the Music (1975)
A New World Record (1976)
Out of the Blue (1977)
Discovery (1979)
Time (1981)
Secret Messages (1983)
Balance of Power (1986)
Zoom (2001)
Alone in the Universe (2015) (producer)
and
Xanadu (1980)
So yes Raven. I think that Jeff Lynne was the powerhouse over all that time and creativity.
@donaldstrump911
[Intro]
Wish I was, yeah, a Wild West hero
[Verse 1]
Sometimes I look up high
And then I think there might
Just be a better life
Away from all we know
That's where I wanna go
Out on the wild side
And I wish I was
Oh-oh-oh-oh, a Wild West hero
[Chorus]
Ride the range all the day
Till the first fading light
Be with my western girl
Round the fire oh so bright
I'd be the Indians' friend
Let them live to be free
Ridin' into the sunset
I wish I could be
{transition music}
[Verse 2]
I'd ride the desert sands
And through the prairie lands
Tryin' to do what's right
The folks would come to me
They'd say, "We need you here."
I'd stay there for the night
Oh, I wish I was
Oh-oh-oh-oh, a Wild West hero
[Chorus]
Ride the range all the day
Till the first fading light
Be with my western girl
Round the fire oh so bright
I'd be the Indians' friend
Let them live to be free
Ridin' into the sunset
I wish I could be
{transition music}
[Bridge?]
Oh, I wish I was
Oh-oh-oh-oh, a Wild West hero
I wish I was
Oh-oh-oh-oh, a Wild West hero
Oh, I wish I was
Oh-oh-oh-oh, a Wild West hero
Wish I was
Oh-oh-oh-oh, a Wild West hero
Wish I was, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, a Wild West hero
@Johnthemanc22
Who is here in 2024 listening to this classic song?
@mikebayliss8598
👍
@nataliesimox5289
My Nana died on 16th December 2023, on her 73rd Birthday. She was so beautiful and full of life. She loved this song. Makes me feel so sad whenever I listen to it. Breaks my heart that she isn’t here anymore😭💔 I love you Nana x
@PopeRecords
I feel you on that, my Nana passed away in 2020. Quite a bit younger than yours, but when I played ELO she loved it. I wish I could've gotten to listen to music with her more often, but I remember the times we got to listen to Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds.
@danyeoldavis
Let’s face it, music isn’t getting better. It struck gold between the 1950’s and early 2000’s and now is quickly falling into the abyss.
@odetteswann7694
Mainstream stuff, yes - but there's still some good modern music out there if you know where to look ..
@arctr00perecho
@@odetteswann7694 agreed bro! There a still plenty of innovative artists in this day and age. One of my favorites has been Avi Kaplan
@odetteswann7694
@@arctr00perecho Princess Chelsea is my current favourite.
@zachwagner9978
I’m a millennial who grew up listening to alternative/metal. Just recently I discovered classic rock and in my opinion, ELO is the greatest band I’ve ever listened to. These guys are simply amazing.