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.
From The End Of The World
Elo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, you, you don't wanna play.
You were no better before,
I sent a letter before,
I sent a dream to you last night
From the end of the world.
Oh, you, you keep me hangin' 'round and 'round
Oh, you, look at the trouble I've found.
You were no better before (oh-oh),
I sent a letter before (yeah-yeah),
I sent a dream to you last night
From the end of the world.
I saw you last night, but you couldn't answer,
You were a lonely little sidewalk dancer.
When I woke up, I could not stand it.
You were gone, but I got to hand it to you.
Oh-oh, yeah-yeah,
Dream to you last night
From the end of the world.
Oh, please, if this is a game, I wish someone would win.
Oh, please, just let it fly to be upon the wind.
You were no better before (oh-oh),
I sent a letter before (yeah-yeah),
I sent a dream to you, baby, last night
From the end of the world.
You were no better before (oh-oh, oh-oh),
I sent a letter before (yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah),
I sent a dream to you, baby, last night
From the end of the world.
I sent a dream to you, baby, last night
From the end of the world.
I sent a dream to you, baby, last night
From the end of the world.
I sent a dream to you, baby,
From the end of the world.
In "From The End Of The World", ELO muses on the theme of an unrequited desire for someone who is difficult to reach. Lead singer Jeff Lynne's distinct voice sings "Oh, you're so hard to get to" and "You don't wanna play", highlighting the frustration the singer feels towards their desired love interest. Despite this, the singer feels the need to keep pursuing, sending letters and dreams to the person they desire. The dream, in particular, is a poignant metaphor for the deep longing the singer feels since it occurs "from the end of the world", indicating the magnitude of their desire.
The lines "I saw you last night, but you couldn't answer" and "when I woke up, I could not stand it" indicate that the singer's affections for this person are a one-sided affair. While they see the other person as a "lonely little sidewalk dancer", the other person does not return their love. The singer asks "if this is a game, I wish someone would win", expressing their desperation to have the situation resolve itself one way or another. Despite their best efforts, the singer can't seem to gain any traction with their desired lover, who continues to make them "hang around and round". Towards the end of the song, the singer resigns themselves to the situation, declaring that "you were no better before" and "I sent a dream to you, baby, last night from the end of the world".
Overall, ELO's "From The End Of The World" expresses the complicated and often painful experience of unrequited love. Despite the singer's best efforts, they are unable to reach the person they desire, leading to a sense of frustration and disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, you, you're so hard to get to.
The subject is difficult to reach or connect with.
Oh, you, you don't wanna play.
The subject doesn't want to engage or participate.
You were no better before,
The subject hasn't changed/improved since a previous interaction.
I sent a letter before,
The artist previously attempted to communicate through a letter.
I sent a dream to you last night
From the end of the world.
The artist had a dream that they sent to the subject from a far-off, remote place.
Oh, you, you keep me hangin' 'round and 'round
And 'round and 'round.
The subject is keeping the singer waiting and unsure.
Oh, you, look at the trouble I've found.
The subject is causing trouble for the singer.
I saw you last night, but you couldn't answer,
You were a lonely little sidewalk dancer.
The artist witnessed the subject, but they were unable or unwilling to respond. The subject was alone and lost.
When I woke up, I could not stand it.
You were gone, but I got to hand it to you.
The reality of the situation (the subject being unresponsive and elusive) was unbearable for the artist, but they still acknowledge the subject's ability to leave a strong impression.
Oh-oh, yeah-yeah,
Dream to you last night
From the end of the world.
Reiteration of sending a dream to the subject from a far-off place.
Oh, please, if this is a game, I wish someone would win.
The singer is frustrated with the uncertainty and lack of progress in their relationship with the subject.
Oh, please, just let it fly to be upon the wind.
The artist wishes to let go of their frustrations and allow things to unfold naturally.
You were no better before,
I sent a letter before,
I sent a dream to you, baby, last night
From the end of the world.
Reiteration of previous attempts to communicate with the subject from a far-off place.
I sent a dream to you, baby, last night
From the end of the world.
Final repetition of sending a dream to the subject from a remote location.
Contributed by Charlie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.