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.
Nightrider
Elo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The faces of the passers-by
Staring faces broken blinds
I recall the situation clearly
Standing in a crowded car
I can feel the need in me
Hold on, nightrider baby,
Riding the night searching for what is gone
Never reaching the end, so you must travel on
I still see that vision of delight
While cruising on the black of night
But she keeps a step ahead
Looking out the corner of her world
Nobody ever knows a girl
Who once lived along this way
Hold on, nightrider baby
Hold on, you're a nightrider
Riding the night, searching for what is gone
Never reaching the end, so you must travel on
Desolation degradation row
Go on; don't let the feeling show
She's a ten a penny dream
Faces with no name and no address
Keep staring in on my distress
But she kills me with her smile
Hold on, nightrider baby
Hold on, you're a nightrider
Riding the night, searching for what is gone
Never reaching the end, so you must travel on
The lyrics to ELO's song "Nightrider" describe a person's experience of riding through a busy city in the rain at night. They recall seeing the faces of strangers passing by, and feeling a sense of loneliness and longing as they search for something that is missing in their life. The singer is a nightrider, someone who spends their nights cruising and searching for something, but never quite finding it. Even though they are surrounded by people, they feel isolated and alone.
Through the lyrics, we learn that the singer has a specific memory of a woman who once lived along their route. This woman keeps a step ahead of them, always just out of reach. We don't know if the singer is searching for this woman or if she simply serves as a symbol for what is missing in their life. However, what is clear is that they are determined to keep traveling on, even though they acknowledge that they may never reach the end of their journey.
The lyrics of "Nightrider" are atmospheric and evocative, conveying a sense of urban loneliness and longing. They capture the feeling of being lost in a crowd, of searching for something that remains elusive. The song encourages us to keep moving forward, even when we feel like we're not making progress, by reminding us that the journey itself is worth pursuing.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember somewhere in the rain
Recalling a memory of being in the rain
The faces of the passers-by
Remembering the faces of people walking by
Staring faces broken blinds
Looking at faces through broken window blinds
I recall the situation clearly
Clearly remembering the situation
Standing in a crowded car
Being in a packed car with people
I can feel the need in me
Feeling a sense of desire within oneself
Hold on, nightrider baby,
Encouraging someone to continue their journey as a nightrider
Riding the night searching for what is gone
Traveling through the night in search of something that is lost
Never reaching the end, so you must travel on
Recognizing that the journey may not have a definitive end, so one must continue to travel
I still see that vision of delight
Still having a delightful image in mind
While cruising on the black of night
Traveling through the darkness of night
But she keeps a step ahead
The person being pursued stays ahead of the pursuer
Looking out the corner of her world
Observing from a small part of her world
Nobody ever knows a girl
No one truly understands or knows about this girl
Who once lived along this way
Someone who used to live in this area
Desolation degradation row
A place of loneliness and decline
Go on; don't let the feeling show
Continuing on despite feelings
She's a ten a penny dream
A dream that is common and easily attainable
Faces with no name and no address
Unidentified people with no known location
Keep staring in on my distress
Continuing to stare despite being aware of the distress
But she kills me with her smile
The person's smile is incredibly affecting and emotionally hurtful
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@smokinjz
I remember somewhere in the rain,
the faces of the passers-by, staring faces, broken blinds,
I recall the situation clearly standing in a crowded car,
I can feel the need in me.
Hold on, nightrider baby, hold on you're a nightrider
Riding the night, searching for what is gone,
Never reaching the end, so you must travel on.
I still see that vision of delight,
While cruising on the black of night,
but she keeps a step ahead
Looking out the corner of her world, nobody ever knows a girl,
who once lived along this way.
Hold on, nightrider baby, hold on you're a nightrider
Riding the night, searching for what is gone,
Never reaching the end, so you must travel on.
Desolation degradation row,
Go on don't let the feeling show,
She's a ten a penny dream,
Faces with no name no address, keep staring in on my distress
But she kills me with her smile.
Hold on, nightrider baby, hold on you're a nightrider
Riding the night, searching for what is gone,
Never reaching the end, so you must travel on.
@izzynutz2000
Two of the greatest voices in Rock and Roll history with Jeff Lynne and Kelly Groucutt
@michaelkoszowski3716
Yes ...groucutt vastly underated member of the band . 👍....when I got tickets to see elo part 2 , in the summer of 97 , I was a little skeptical on how they would sound without Lynn , but they blew me away !!! ...as well as the group of people I was with . Kelly , Bev , & Mik were fantastic !
@sajadm9625
Most underrated song of history
@isaiahorsborn6097
In today's episode of underrated music
@ericvigil1782
It is I never heard this one besides the others
@beeman2434
I love ELO so much it’s my favorite band of all time
@davidmartin4297
I'm so glad I grew up in the 70's and had such awesome music. ELO played a major roll of my music enjoyment.
@BarbDonnelly
Me too!
@ndschau
I grew up in the 90s, but trust me they still make music like this, you just gotta know where to look.
@steverakes6182
It must be hidden well, I can't find it.@@ndschau