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.
The Way Life's Meant To Be
Elo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I left you so long on this avenue.
And here I stand in the strangest land,
Not knowing what to say or do.
As I gaze around at these strangers in town,
I guess the only stranger is me.
And I wonder (yes, I wonder),
Yes, I wonder, (oh, I wonder)
Although it's only a day since I was taken away
And left standing here looking in wonder
(It's your life, it's your life),
Ah, the ground at my feet, maybe it's just the old street,
But everything that I know lies under
(It's your life, it's your life).
And when I see what they've done
To this place that was home,
Shame is all that I feel.
Oh, and I wonder (oh, I wonder),
Yes, I wonder (wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be.
Too late, too late to cry, the people say,
Too late for you, too late for me.
You've come so far, now you know everything, my friend
(Look and see the wonders of our world).
And I wonder (oh, I wonder),
Yes, I wonder (yes, I wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be.
As I wander around this wreck of a town,
Where people never speak aloud,
With its ivory towers and its plastic flowers,
I wish I was back in 1981.
Just to see your face instead of this place,
Now I know what you mean to me.
Ooh, and I wonder (oh, I wonder,),
Yes, I wonder (yes, I wonder)
Is this the way life's meant to be.
And I wonder (oh, I wonder),
Yes, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be.
Ooh, I wonder,
Oh, I wonder, wonder, wonder
Is this the way life's meant to be.
Oh, oh, is this the way life's meant to be?
Mmm-mmm, is this the way life's meant to be?
I wanna know now
Is this the way life's meant to be.
The Way Life's Meant To Be by ELO is a reflective and introspective song about feeling lost and displaced in a new place. The opening lines indicate that the singer has traveled a long way to be where they are, leaving someone behind on the avenue. They stand in a new and unfamiliar land not knowing what to say or do, feeling like a stranger among strangers. The chorus highlights a deep sense of uncertainty and questioning, wondering if this is the way life is meant to be.
The second verse stresses the disorientation the singer is experiencing. They see that things have changed since they were last here, and the ground beneath their feet is the only thing that's familiar. Yet, the shame and sadness they feel about what they witness in this new place suggest that it's not what they expected coming back home. The "look and see the wonders of our world" line hints at the world's changing nature, and how the world has moved on without them.
The bridge emphasizes the idea that it's too late to cry and that there's nothing they can do about the changes that have occurred. They've come too far and learned too much to turn back now. The final verse finds the singer wandering around a wreck of a town where people never speak out loud. They want to go back to a time before when they were with the person they left on the avenue in 1981, realizing how much that person means to them. The song ends with the repeated questioning of whether this is how life is supposed to be, giving the impression that maybe it's not.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I came a long way to be here today
I traveled far to reach this point in my life
And I left you so long on this avenue.
I abandoned someone for a lengthy period of time
And here I stand in the strangest land, Not knowing what to say or do.
I feel lost, unsure of what to say or do in an unfamiliar place
As I gaze around at these strangers in town, I guess the only stranger is me.
I feel like an outsider observing others who belong here
And I wonder (yes, I wonder), Yes, I wonder, (oh, I wonder) Is this the way life's meant to be.
I ponder if this is how life is supposed to be
Although it's only a day since I was taken away And left standing here looking in wonder (It's your life, it's your life), Ah, the ground at my feet, maybe it's just the old street, But everything that I know lies under (It's your life, it's your life). And when I see what they've done To this place that was home, Shame is all that I feel. Oh, and I wonder (oh, I wonder), Yes, I wonder (wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder) Is this the way life's meant to be.
Even though it's been a short time, I feel homesick and sad looking at the changes in this familiar place. I question whether this is how life is supposed to be.
Too late, too late to cry, the people say, Too late for you, too late for me. You've come so far, now you know everything, my friend (Look and see the wonders of our world).
Others tell me it's too late to lament what has happened. They believe I have gained knowledge from my experiences and should appreciate the good things in life.
As I wander around this wreck of a town, Where people never speak aloud, With its ivory towers and its plastic flowers, I wish I was back in 1981. Just to see your face instead of this place, Now I know what you mean to me. Ooh, and I wonder (oh, I wonder,), Yes, I wonder (yes, I wonder) Is this the way life's meant to be.
I explore a deteriorated area where silence prevails, and everything seems phony. I long to return to simpler times and understand the true value of a person. I question whether this is how life is supposed to be.
And I wonder (oh, I wonder), Yes, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder Is this the way life's meant to be.
I remain curious and doubtful about life's purpose.
Ooh, I wonder, Oh, I wonder, wonder, wonder Is this the way life's meant to be.
I express my doubts and questions about life's direction and meaning.
Oh, oh, is this the way life's meant to be? Mmm-mmm, is this the way life's meant to be? I wanna know now Is this the way life's meant to be.
I have a strong desire to uncover whether this is truly the intended life path.
Contributed by Aaron G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@enzopioly5028
Well i came a long way to be here today
And i left you so long on this avenue,
And here i stand in the strangest land
Not knowing what to say or do.
As i gaze around at these strangers in town,
I guess the only stranger is me,
And i wonder,yes i wonder,is this
The way life's meant to be
Although it's only a day since i was taken away
And left standing here looking in wonder,
The ground at my feet maybe it's just the old street
But everything that i know lies under,
And when i see what they've
Done to this place that was home,
Shame is all that i feel,
And i wonder,yes i wonder,is this
The way life's meant to be.
Too late,too late to cry,the people say,
Too late for you,too late for me
You've come so far,now you know everything
My friend
Just look and see the wonders of our world
As i wander around this wreck of a town
Where people never speak aloud
With its ivory towers and its plastic flowers
I wish i was back in 1981
Just to see your face,instead of this place
Now i know what you mean to me,
And i wonder,yes i wonder,is this
The way life's meant to be.
@jjtonks5005
I ugly cried last night when I saw that Jeff Lynne and ELO is touring 2024... and the cheapest tickets are so out of my price range in TN (I live in SC) that I realized I will never see the most amazing artist/musician in my lifetime. 💔
@DasTubemeister
I wish i was back in 1981.
@AKrause-th9mc
Dieser Song hebt mich über alles hinweg. Einfach großartig.
@gr1mrea9er82
Jeff Lynne was always influenced by the Beatles. A lot of people today fail to realize how popular ELO was in the mid-70s after The Beatles had split... He kinda became their natural heir, having similar compositions and melodies and having been a friend to the band, his and George Harrison's friendship and cooperation later flourished into the Traveling Wilburys.
@johngreener9784
If you are reading this comment, think that this album is now over 40 years old, and yet strangely prophetic. I was 19 when it came out and I just loved the "concept" approach. How hard it has to be to come up with 10 or so songs that all tie together? It was brilliant!! And I lust love that samba/calypso thing going on this song!! (And the kettle drums! A feast for the ears!) Bless you Jeff Lynne!
@The_italy_Mapper
Ok
@Francloy1
With its ivory towers and its plastic flowers, I wish I was back in 1981.
@VegasVixen
I’m 39 , the magic of this band is symphony . I wish popular artists now a days too the time to compose such songs with strategy .
@acw7120
Love the album cover design as well. It almost looks like fizzy "blue "Tizer split by mistake all over a pink piano. Whoops a daisy better leave now lol. Great Artwork and great song.
@xwdogg
You are correct. Exquisitely prophetic and wonderfully sad. Was born in 1971. Found this album in the early 90's and have watched the show unwind since then..