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 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.
Confusion
Elo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All around the world, it's shining
But cold winds blow across your mind
Confusion (confusion) - it's such a terrible shame
Confusion (confusion) - you don't know what you're saying
You've lost your love and you just can't carry on
(Can't carry on)
You feel there's no one there for you to lean on
Every night you're out there, darling
You're always out there running
And I see that lost look in your eyes
Confusion (confusion) - I don't know what I should do
Confusion (confusion) - I leave it all up to you
You've lost your love and you just can't carry on
(Can't carry on)
You feel there's no one there for you to lean on
(To lean on).
Dark is the road you wander
And as you stand there under
The starry sky, you feel sad inside
Confusion (confusion) - you know, it's driving me wild
Confusion (confusion) - it comes as no big surprise
You've lost your love and you just can't carry on
(Can't carry on)
You feel there's no one there for you to lean on
(To lean on).
Confusion, confusion
Confusion, confusion.
The lyrics of ELO's Confusion describe a sense of distress and disorientation, specifically in regards to lost love. The first verse sets up a seemingly contrasting image: the sun is shining all over the world, yet there are "cold winds" in one's mind. This highlights the sense of internal turmoil and confusion that the singer is experiencing. The chorus emphasizes this confusion, suggesting that the subject has lost their ability to communicate effectively, and therefore cannot express their feelings to those around them. It is clear that the singer feels somewhat helpless in the situation, as they acknowledge that the subject "just can't carry on" and "feel[s] there's no one there for [them] to lean on."
The second verse emphasizes the theme of running away, describing the subject as "always out there running." The singer, again, admits their own confusion as to how they can help, saying that they will "leave it all up to you." The final verse adds a layer of melancholy, describing a lonely night under the stars, and culminating in the admission that the confusion is driving the singer "wild."
Overall, the song presents a sense of helplessness and frustration in the face of confusion and lost love. The repetition of the title throughout the song emphasizes the weight of this confusion, as it continually reframes the experiences described in the verses.
Line by Line Meaning
Everywhere the sun is shining
Despite the sun shining all over the earth, you are still feeling down
But cold winds blow across your mind
Although the sun is shining, your mind is still in a dark place
Confusion (confusion) - it's such a terrible shame
Feeling lost and confused about love and life is a terrible experience to go through
Confusion (confusion) - you don't know what you're saying
It feels like you are talking but not making sense because of the confusion inside you
You've lost your love and you just can't carry on (Can't carry on)
Losing your love has brought you so much pain that you can't seem to move on
You feel there's no one there for you to lean on (To lean on).
The support system you once had is now gone, leaving you feeling alone in your struggles
Every night you're out there, darling
You are out every night, but you still can't seem to find the answers you are looking for
You're always out there running
You feel like you are always on the move but it's not leading you anywhere
And I see that lost look in your eyes
Your eyes say more than your words, and it's clear that you're lost in confusion
Confusion (confusion) - I don't know what I should do
As your friend, I am at a loss on how to help you deal with your confusion
Confusion (confusion) - I leave it all up to you
It's up to you to find a way out of this confusion because only you know what is best for you
Dark is the road you wander
You are lost in a dark path, unsure of your destination
And as you stand there under The starry sky, you feel sad inside
Even in a beautiful moment, you still feel sad and lost inside
Confusion (confusion) - you know, it's driving me wild
Your confusion is affecting me too, and it's driving me crazy to see you suffer
Confusion (confusion) - it comes as no big surprise
I anticipated that your confusion would continue, but it still hurts to see you struggle
Confusion, confusion
The constant repetition of this word shows how overpowering the feeling of confusion can be
Confusion, confusion.
The repetition of the word 'confusion' emphasizes the overwhelming and all-consuming nature of the feeling.
Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wolfgaenger
Everywhere the sun is shinin'
All around the world it's shinin'
But cold winds blow across your mind
It's such a terrible shame
(Confusion)
You don't know what you're sayin'
(You've lost your love and you just can't carry on)
Can't carry on
(You feel there's no one there for you to lean on)
To lean on
Every night you're out there, darlin'
You're always out there runnin'
And I see that lost look in your eyes
I don't know what I should do
(Confusion)
I leave it all up to you
(You've lost your love and you just can't carry on)
Can't carry on
(You feel there's no one there for you to lean on)
To lean on
Dark is the road you wander
And as you stand there under
The starry sky - you feel sad inside
You know it's drivin' me wild
(Confusion)
It comes as no big surprise
(You've lost your love and you just can't carry on)
Can't carry on
(You feel there's no one there for you to lean on)
To lean on
Confusion
Confusion
Confusion
Confusion
Confusion
Confusion
Confusion
Confusion
Confusion
@alanrabjohns4656
2024 anyone?.. Great song from way back when records were created in studios and NOT DOWN LOADED,!😊😊❤❤❤.
@dupont135
Not a classic, but a great one.
@nickeywilson7883
I love it:))))
@Sam96_64
❤❤❤
@anneliesjodin2969
2024-....till I die ❤
@HeniekKopyto
Yeah. FIRST time i heard this song 30 years ago. That was beautifull time.
No war, no covid
Best time to be happy
@dellacateworld
Who's here in 2023? The classics never go out of style.
@wolfattack402000
That is because there is no style today. It's sad to say that what they call music today pales in comparison to even disco of the mid-late '70's.
@AARONPLAYS360
2023 anyone?
@ruminotalex
Sip