After ELO's breakup in the mid 1980s, Lynne moved into production work, showing both the influence of The Beatles that characterized much of ELO's work and an influence from rockabilly-style music. The Beatles' connection was strengthened when Lynne produced George Harrison's Cloud Nine, a successful comeback album for the ex-Beatle released in 1987 featuring the popular single "(Got My Mind) Set On You." In 1989, Lynne co-produced the acclaimed album Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty, which included the hit singles "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down" and "Runnin' Down A Dream," all co-written by Lynne. This album and Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, also co-produced by Lynne, both received nominations for the Grammy as Best Album Of The Year in 1989.
In 1990 Lynne released his first solo album Armchair Theatre, featuring the singles "Every Little Thing" and "Lift Me Up." The album received some positive critical attention but little commercial success.
In February of 1994, Lynne fulfilled a lifelong dream by working with the three surviving Beatles on Anthology album series, and reunion tracks "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" (overdubbing John Lennon's demos for the songs). He has also produced records individually for George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and worked extensively on the Roy Orbison album Mystery Girl.
In 2001, Lynne released a new ELO album, Zoom, which--save for original ELO keyboardist Richard Tandy on one track--featured none of the original members of the Electric Light Orchestra, but attempted to "return to the classic ELO sound" [1]. The album received positive reviews but had no hit singles. While a concert of the album was filmed and shown on PBS stations, a planned concert tour was cancelled, although the concert was released on DVD. Also that year, Lynne appeared on a VH-1 Storytellers show filmed in New York, and EMI and Sony released remastered editions of part of ELO's catalog.
Lynne went back to the recording studio as a producer in 2002, co-producing and helping complete George Harrison's posthumously-released album, Brainwashed. He was also heavily involved in the memorial Concert for George, held at London's Royal Albert Hall in November 2002, and subsequently produced the Surround Sound audio mix for the Concert For George DVD released in November 2003. The DVD received a Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video.
Also in 2002, a tribute to Lynne called Lynne Me Your Ears was released [2], featuring two CDs full of artists performing Lynne/ELO songs, including Todd Rundgren, SWAG (featuring members of Wilco, The Mavericks and Cheap Trick), Sixpence None The Richer, Doug Powell, PFR, Jason Falkner, Fleming and John, Jerry Chamberlain of Daniel Amos, Rick Altizer and others.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine Tom Petty revealed that fellow Wilbury and Full Moon Fever producer Jeff Lynne will reunite with Petty on his upcoming solo album, due in 2006.
Jeff Lynn co-wrote, with John Farrar, the lyrics and music for the 2007 Broadway musical Xanadu. The show used several ELO songs, including "I'm Alive," "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic."
In 2012 Lynne's second solo album, a covers album entitled Long Wave, was released on 8 October 2012. A greatest hits collection of re-recorded ELO songs by Lynne titled Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra was also released under the ELO moniker on the same day.
On September 24, 2015, under the name Jeff Lynne's ELO, "When I Was a Boy", the first single from Alone in the Universe was released on the internet with a music video released not long after. The album was released on November 13, 2015 and was followed by promotional shows including the first ELO shows in the United States in 30 years. A 2016 European tour has been scheduled.
Mercy Mercy
Jeff Lynne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have mercy baby
Have mercy
Have mercy on me
Well I went to see a gypsy
And had my fortune read
She said Don, your baby's gonna leave you
And I cry
Have mercy
Have mercy baby
Have mercy
Have mercy on me
I say, if you leave me baby
Girl if you put me down
Well I'm a goin' to the nearest river, child
And jump from above to the ground
Don't leave me
Have mercy
Have mercy baby
Mercy yeah
Have mercy
Have mercy on me
Well hey hey baby, hey hey now
What you tryin' to do, huh?
Hey hey baby, hey hey now
Please don't say we're through
I said if you stay, baby
I tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna work to a job seven days a week
And bring my money home to you
Well I say mercy
Mercy, mercy, mercy
The lyrics to Jeff Lynne’s Mercy Mercy describe a situation where the singer is asking for mercy from his significant other. The singer reveals that he went to see a gypsy who informed him that his significant other would leave him. The singer expresses his sadness by repeatedly asking for mercy. He then tells his significant other that if she leaves him, he will jump into a river, indicating that he could not bear losing her. He continues to plead with her not to leave him, promising to work seven days a week to bring money home to her.
The lyrics are straightforward, with Jeff Lynne’s distinctive voice bringing out the emotions of the singer. The lyrics capture the theme of begging for mercy from a significant other, a theme that is common in love songs. Although the song is a simple love song, the structure of the lyrics, and the unique melody makes it a classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Have mercy
The singer begs for mercy from his lover
Have mercy baby
The singer continues to beg for mercy in a more endearing way
Have mercy
The singer repeats his plea for mercy
Have mercy on me
The singer specifically requests mercy for himself
Well I went to see a gypsy
The singer visited a fortune-teller seeking guidance
And had my fortune read
The fortune-teller read the singer's future
She said Don, your baby's gonna leave you
The fortune-teller predicted that the singer's lover will break up with him
Her back is packed up under the bed
The singer's lover has already prepared to leave him
And I cry
The singer expresses his sadness over the prediction
I say, if you leave me baby
The singer acknowledges the possibility of his lover leaving him
Girl if you put me down
The singer again addresses his lover, pleading with her not to break up with him
Well I'm a goin' to the nearest river, child
The singer threatens to commit suicide if his lover leaves him
And jump from above to the ground
The singer describes the specific way he would commit suicide
Don't leave me
The singer repeats his desperate plea for his lover not to leave him
Mercy yeah
The singer emphasizes his need for mercy
Well hey hey baby, hey hey now
The singer addresses his lover again
What you tryin' to do, huh?
The singer questions his lover's intentions
Please don't say we're through
The singer pleads with his lover not to break up with him
I said if you stay, baby
The singer proposes a solution to his lover leaving him
I tell you what I'm gonna do
The singer promises to take action
I'm gonna work to a job seven days a week
The singer commits to working tirelessly
And bring my money home to you
The singer will use his earnings to support his lover
Well I say mercy
The singer concludes the song by repeating his plea for mercy
Mercy, mercy, mercy
The singer adds emphasis to his plea for mercy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Covay, Ronald Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PeterMerrittMusic
Jeff was seriously the major reason I started recording music. He could literally play everything on his records and that just blew my fuckin' mind. How can a man be THAT good? He just is. And that voice! Chill inducing!
bshaw 88
Love this video, Jeff is so talented. Love his beautiful voice.
Franny1232
A living legend. Pure genius
Robert Wilson
This video explains a lot. I knew there couldn't possibly be so much talent in just one individual. Now I know there's four of them.
Mauri Martinez
Espero que este año, en el 50 ANIVERSARIO de ELO, se lance, por fin, LONG WAVE 2 ... El Cover de Mercy Mercy es una JOYA y el vídeo es otra JOYA para los fans de JEFF... TIC TOC, TIC TOC ... 🔝❤️😎
Paul Williams
so few people deserve the title of genius but Jeff Lynne is one of those people who really does. He is a legend, and his talent is not just as a performer but also a producer. he a megastar but still has the touch of the common man that makes you feel like he is the guy next door to you and no sign of any inflated ego
001silky
Jeff Lynne is a living legend and musical genius!
Ka D'Argo
I love this man with all my heart and always have done since the very first time I heard him!
M Xavier O'Connor
Love Jeff's new album! Can't get it out of my head!
Twan Theunisz
I'd love to see this all jeff band live.