They began as a rock and roll freakbeat band called The Spectres. By 1967, with very little commercial success, they discovered psychedelia and changed their name to Traffic (later Traffic Jam, to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood's Traffic.) At this time the line-up also included organist Roy Lynes and drummer John Coghlan. Late in 1967 they recruited second guitarist Rick Parfitt and became The Status Quo, scoring Top 10 singles with Pictures Of Matchstick Men and Ice in The Sun. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" remains the only Top 40 hit single the group has ever charted in the United States. They have never achieved the same level of success there, that they have enjoyed in their home country.
After their second album Spare Parts they decided to change into a heavy boogie rock band. During the seventies they became one of the UK's leading rock bands, gaining a faithful following due to their excellent live gigs. They showed a great amount of energy during this decade and in the early 80s. They and are best known for songs from this era such as Paper Plane (1972), Caroline (1973), Down Down (1975), John Fogerty's Rockin' All Over The World (1977) and Whatever You Want (1979). Down Down topped the UK charts in January 1975 (their only British No. 1 single to date).
Lynes left in 1971, to be replaced initially by guest keyboard players on album, including Jimmy Horowitz and John Parker, and later on a more permanent basis on record and stage by ex-The Herd and Judas Jump member Andy Bown, though as he was contracted as a solo artist with EMI, he was not credited as a full-time member until 1982. Coghlan left in late 1981, to be replaced by Pete Kircher from 1960s band Honeybus. This short-lived lineup played its last gig in 1984 at the Milton Keynes Bowl, and reformed briefly to open the Live Aid charity event at Wembley in July 1985.
That year Rossi recorded and released two solo singles with longtime writing partner Bernie Frost. Parfitt was also working on a solo album which is still unreleased, although some tracks have been re-recorded by Status Quo and released as 'B' sides. Bass player John Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich, both ex-Judie Tzuke Band and Climax Blues Band, assisted Parfitt in the studio.
In the summer of 1985 Rossi, Parfitt and Bown, along with Edwards and Rich started work on a new album. Lancaster, who was living in Australia at the time, took out a legal injunction to stop the band using the Status Quo name on any records. The injunction was lifted after a court hearing in January 1986. Lancaster had had increasing musical differences with the group, notably during the sessions for the 1983 album Back to Back over two tracks which became hit singles for the group around that time. He had written Ol' Rag Blues, but was angered when the producers chose to release a version with Rossi singing lead vocal in preference to the one sung by himself, and he objected to Marguerita Time, which he thought unduly corny and too pop-oriented for them. He remained in Australia, forming a band called Party Boys, who had no success in Britain.
The commercially successful In The Army Now album was released in 1986, and the band continues to this day with the revised personnel. Rich left in 2000 and was replaced by Matthew Letley. Andrew Bown took a year off at the same time for family reasons and was replaced on stage by Paul Hirsh, formerly of Voyager.
According to Songfacts.com, Quo's 29th studio album, Quid Pro Quo, was released in a deluxe format exclusively at Tesco on 30 May 2011. The regular edition was released elsewhere a week later on 7th June. The LP debuted at #10 in the UK charts, the band's best chart placing for an original album since Don't Stop peaked at #2 in 1996.
Although Quo still release new material every few years, recent years have seen them release a series of greatest hits compilations and covers albums. One of the band's most recent original albums, Heavy Traffic, shows a return to classic form not seen since the late 1970s.
Status Quo have often been characterized, perhaps unfairly, as producing very simple songs, always in the same format: 4/4 rhythm, three chord structure. However, the recordings from their first decade demonstrate a diversity in musical style and complexity to rival most of the late 60s UK bands, and several of their singles and album tracks from later show considerable subtlety, not least the mainly acoustic 1979 single Living On An Island, and the 1980 album track, later a single, Rock'n'Roll, which is ironically one of the least rock'n'roll-like songs they have ever recorded.
They have a loyal group of fans in the United Kingdom, where they have enjoyed more hits than any other group in rock and roll history (over 60 as of mid-2005), as well as a big following in Europe, notably in The Netherlands.
In September 2005 a contestant on the long-running BBC television quiz programme Mastermind chose Status Quo as his specialist subject. That same year they took part in the long running ITV soap opera Coronation Street in a storyline which involved them being sued by the layabout Les Battersby.
In December 2005 it was announced that Parfitt was undergoing tests for throat cancer. All subsequent dates of the UK tour were cancelled as a result. However on 20th December it was further announced that the growths found in Parfitt's throat were benign and had been removed.
Quo have even been the subject of a Doctoral Thesis, purporting to demonstrate that their music composition skills could be favourably compared to the likes of the classical music composers, such as Beethoven!
In Autumn 2008 German techno legend Scooter released new single Jump that rock together with Status Quo.
On 1 February 2016, it was officially announced that Status Quo, in addition to the spring and summer dates already scheduled, would tour Europe starting in October. The final dates would take place in the UK towards the end of the year, after which the group would retire from playing 'electric' tours.
On 28 October 2016, Rick Parfitt permanently retired from live performances after suffering a heart attack earlier the same year. On 24 December 2017, he died in hospital in Marbella, Spain as a result of severe infection, after suffering an injury to his shoulder. Parfitt's funeral was held at Woking Crematorium on 19 January 2017. Irish guitarist Richie Malone, who had substituted for Parfitt during some 2016 live shows, took his place on rhythm guitar.
Elizabeth Dreams
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the day
When the way
That I looked at her
Made her feel
She was real
Elizabeth dreams
She was mine
When she didn't need any more
She was sure
She was sure
Out of sight ??
By candlelight ??
And see green ??
And see green horses ??
I said she's out of sight ??
By candlelight ??
And fairy ??
Fairy stories ??
Elizabeth is not what she seems
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth dreams
Holding fast
Through the past
When a morning
Was something new
Flowers grew
Elizabeth dreams
But it's late
And she waited too long
And tomorrow goes
Now she knows
Now she knows
Out of sight ??
By candlelight ??
And see green ??
And see green horses ??
I said she's out of sight ??
By candlelight ??
And fairy ??
Fairy stories ??
Elizabeth is not what she seems
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth dreams
The song Elizabeth Dreams by Status Quo is a ballad about a woman named Elizabeth who dreams of a time when she was wanted and loved. She longs for a time when she felt the way the song's narrator looked at her made her feel real. Elizabeth dreams of the past when they were together and a morning represented something new, and flowers grew. However, it is now late, and Elizabeth has waited too long as tomorrow comes and goes. Elizabeth realizes that she is not what she seems, and her dreams are all she has left.
The song is rich in symbolism and metaphors, like the reference to "out of sight," "candlelight," and "see green." These may indicate the somber mood, the unrequited love, and missed opportunities. The lyrics are backed by a soft and reflective melody that conveys a sense of sadness and loss.
One interpretation of the song could be that it portrays Elizabeth's unrequited love for the singer. She cherishes the moments they shared together, and she dreams of a life where she was loved the way she wanted to. At the same time, she realizes that her dreams are just that – dreams that will never come to pass.
Overall, the song is a poignant and thought-provoking ballad that speaks to the human condition of longing and loss. It invites the listener to reflect on their own experiences of unrequited love and missed opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth is preoccupied with thoughts that are not real and are beyond her present capacity to achieve or obtain.
Of the day
She dreams of a particular day in her life that brings her joy and happiness.
When the way
Elizabeth has a particular way of doing things, and she remembers a time when she acted this way towards someone else.
That I looked at her
She reminisces about when someone had looked at her in a certain way that made her feel significant and visible.
Made her feel
Elizabeth feels a sense of worth or substance when she is noticed by someone else.
She was real
The attention that she received from others made her feel that she existed and was not just a figment of imagination.
Of the time
Elizabeth thinks back on a specific point in time where she felt happy and content with her life.
She was mine
There was a time when she felt that someone belonged to her and that there was a closeness between them that has since dissipated.
When she didn't need any more
There was a time when she had everything she needed and felt complete, but that time has passed.
She was sure
She was confident in herself and her relationships with others during this time in her life.
Out of sight ??
There is a feeling of something being lost or gone, never to be seen again.
By candlelight ??
Something is being viewed in a dim or artificial light that alters its appearance.
And see green ??
An unexpected or unusual thing happens that causes surprise or confusion.
And see green horses ??
Elizabeth is seeing things that do not exist or are unrealistic.
I said she's out of sight ??
The sense of losing something or someone is reiterated and reinforced.
By candlelight ??
The meaning of things is still obscured or unclear due to the way the situation is being viewed.
And fairy ??
There is a suggestion that something is a fantasy or not real.
Fairy stories ??
The idea of stories that are too good to be true are presented as a possibility in the situation.
Elizabeth is not what she seems
There is a sense of deception or confusion surrounding Elizabeth's character or actions.
Holding fast
Elizabeth clings tightly to her memories and experiences from the past.
Through the past
The past is seen as a constant companion in Elizabeth's life and a source of comfort.
When a morning
There was a time when the morning meant something new and exciting for Elizabeth.
Was something new
Elizabeth is nostalgic for a time when everything was fresh and different.
Flowers grew
There was a sense of beauty and wonder present in Elizabeth's life when she was young.
But it's late
Time has passed, and Elizabeth feels that opportunities have been missed or are no longer available.
And she waited too long
Elizabeth realizes that she should have acted sooner to achieve her goals or happiness.
And tomorrow goes
There is a sense of inevitability that the future will be different than the present or the past.
Now she knows
Elizabeth has gained a better understanding of the passage of time and its effects on her life.
Elizabeth dreams
Elizabeth continues to revisit her memories and experiences from the past in her dreams and in her waking life.
Elizabeth dreams
The repetition of this line reinforces the idea that Elizabeth is preoccupied with her past experiences and the people she has encountered.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARTY WILDE, RONNIE SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaime Alvarado
on Rain
great song ,,, !!!!!!!