Lyrics for singles by Electric Light Orchestra

Roll Over Beethoven

Gonna write a little letter, gonna mail it to my local D.J.
It's a jumping little record I want my jockey to play
Roll Over Beethoven
Gotta hear it again today

My temperature's rising, the juke box's blowing a fuse
My heart's beating a rhythm, singing out rhythm & blues
Roll Over Beethoven
They're rocking in two by two

Well, if you feel you like it
Go get your lover and reel and rock it
Roll it over and move on up now
Go for cover and reel and rock it
Roll it over
Roll Over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news

Early in the morning I'm giving you my warning
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Hey, diddle diddle, gonna play my fiddle
I ain't got nothing to lose
Roll Over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news

She wiggles like a glow worm, dances like a spinning top
She got a crazy partner, you should of seen her reel & rock
Long as she got a dime
The music will never stop

Roll Over Beethoven, Roll Over Beethoven
Roll Over Beethoven, Roll Over Beethoven
Roll Over Beethoven, dig these rhythm & blues

Can't Get It Out Of My Head

Midnight on the water
I saw the ocean's daughter
Walkin' on a waves chicane
Staring as she called my name

And I can't get it out of my head
No I can't get it out of my head
Now my old world is gone for dead
'Cause I can't get it out of my head

Breakdown on the shore line
Can't move, it's and ebb tide
Morning don't get here 'til light
Searching for her silver light

(repeat chorus)

Bank job in the city
Robin Hood and William Tell and
Ivanhoe and Lancelot they don't envy me
Sitting till the sun goes down
In dreams the world keeps going round and round

Evil Woman

You made a fool of me
But them broken dreams have got to end
Hey woman you got the blues
Cause you ain't got no one else to use
There's an open road that leads no where
So just make some miles between here and there
There's a hole in my head where the rain comes in
You took my body and played to win
Ha, ha woman, it's a crying shame
But you ain't got nobody else to blame

Evil woman, evil woman
Evil woman, evil woman

Rolled in from another town
Hit some gold, too hot to settle down
But a fool and his money soon go separate ways
And you found a fool lyin' in a daze
Ha ha woman
What you gonna do
You destroyed all the virtues that the Lord gave you
It's so good that you're feelin' pain
But you better get your face board the very next train
(repeat chorus)

Evil woman how you done me wrong
But now you're to wail a different song
Ha, ha funny how you broke me up
]You made the wine now you drink a cup
I come runnin' every time you cried
I thoughjt I saw love smilin' in your eyes
Ha, ha very nice to know
That you ain't got no place left to go

Strange Magic

You're sailing softly through the sun
In a broken stoneage dawn you fly, so high, I get a

Strange magic, oh what a starnge magic
Oh it's a strange magic, got a strange magic
Got a strange magic

You're walking meadows in my mind
Making waves across my time, oh no, oh no, I get a

Oh I'm never gonna be the same again
Now I've seen the way it's got to end
Sweet dream, sweet dream

Livin' Thing

Sailin' away on the crest of a wave
It's like magic
Rollin' and ridin' and slippin' & slidin'
It's magic

And you, and your sweet desire
You took me, higher and higher
It's a livin' thing
It's a terrible thing to lose
It's a given thing
What a terrible thing to lose

Making believe this is what you've conceived
From your worst day
Moving in line when you look back in time
To your first day

[chorus]

Takin' a dive 'cos you can't halt the slide
Floating downstream
So let her go don't start spoiling the show
It's a bad dream

Rockaria!

Just got back from the downtown palais
Where the music was so sweet
It knocked me right back in the alley
I'm ready, yea, yea, yea, I'm ready
Wo, wo, wo, I'm ready
And I'm really gonna rock tonight

Sweet little lady sings like a songbird
And she sings the opera like you ain't never heard
But she ain't ready
No, no, no, she ain't ready
No, no, no, she ain't ready
And she ain't gonna rock & roll

She's sweet on Wagner
I think she'd die for Beethoven
She loves the way Puccini lays down a tune
And Verdi's always creeping from her room

Come on I'll show you how to sing the blues
Now baby, come on over you got nothin' to lose
Are you ready, hey, hey, hey are you ready
Ooh, ooh, ooh, are you ready
I wanna show you how to rock and roll

Now listen here baby she, said to me
Just, meet me at the opera house at a quarter to three
'cos I'm ready, yea, yea, yea, I'm ready
Woo, hoo, hoo, I'm ready
I'm gonna show you how to sing the blues

(Far, far away)
(The music is playing)

Well we were reelin' and a rockin' all through the night
Yeah we were rockin' at the opera house until the break of light
And the orchestra were playin' all Chuck Berry's greatest tunes
And the singers in the chorus all got off on singing blues
And as the night grew older everybody was as one
The people on the streets came runnin' in to join in song
Just to hear the opera singer singin' rock & roll so pure
I thought I saw the mayor there but I wasn't really sure
But it's alright

Do Ya

In this life I've seen ev'rything I can see, woman
I've seen lovers flying through the air hand in hand
I've see babies dancin' in the midnight sun
I've seen dreams that came from the heavenly skies above
I've seen old men cryin' at their own grave sides
And I've seen pigs all sittin' watchin' picture slides
But I never seen nothin' like you
Do ya, do ya want my love?
Do ya, do ya want my face?
Do ya, do ya want my mind?
Do ya, do ya want my love?

Well, I heard the crowd singin' out of tune
As they sat and sang Auld Lang Syne
By the light of the moon
I heard the preachers bangin' on the drums
And I heard the police playin' with their guns
But I never heard nothin' like you

In the country where the sky
Touches down on the field
She lay her down to rest in the mornin' sun
They came -a-runnin' just to get a look
Just to feel, to touch her long black hair
They don't give a damn

But I never seen nothin' like you
Do ya, do ya want my love?
Do ya, do ya want my face?
Do ya, do ya want my mind?
Do ya, do ya want my love?

Well I think you know
What I'm tryin' to say, woman
That is, I'd like to save you for a rainy day
I've seen enough of the world to know
That I've got to get it all
To get it all to grow

Do ya, do ya want my love?
Do ya, do ya want my face?
Do ya, do ya want my mind?
Do ya, do ya want my love?

Telephone Line

Hello, how are you
Have you been all right
Through all those lonely, lonely, lonely
Lonely, lonely nights
That's what I'd say
I'd tell you ev'rything if you'd pick up
That telephone
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Hey, how you feelin'
Are you still the same
Don't you realize the things we did, we did
Were all for real not a dream
I just can't believe they've all faded out of view
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oo oo oo oo

BRIDGE
Doo wop
Shoo bee doo doo wop
Doo wah doo lang
Blue days black nights
Doo wah doo lang

I look into the sky
Your love ain't really gonna see you through
And I wonder why the little things
Are fin'ly comin' true
Oh, oh, telephone line
Give me some time
I'm living in twilight
Oh, oh, telephone line
Give me some time
I'm living in twilight

O.K., so no one's answering
Well can't you just let it ring
A little longer, longer, longer
Oh, I'll just sit tight through shadows of the night
Let it ring for ever more
Yeah, yeah, yeah

(repeat bridge)
(repeat chorus)

Oh, oh, telephone line
Give me some time
I'm living in twilight

Oh, oh, telephone line
Give me some time
I'm living in twilight

Turn To Stone

The city streets are empty now
(The lights don't shine no more)
And so the songs are way down low
Turning, turning, turning
A sound that flows into my mind
(The echoes of the daylight)
Of ev'ryting that is alive in my blue world

I turn to stone when you are gone
I turn to stone, turn to stone
When you comin' home
I can't go on

The dying embers of the night
(A fire that slowly fades to dawn)
Still glow upon the wall so bright
Burning, burning, burning
The tired streets that hide away
(From here to ev'rywhere they go)
Roll past my door into the day
In my blue world

I turn to stone when you are gone
I turn to stone, turn to stone
When you comin' home
I can't go on
Turn to stone when you are gone
I turn to stone
Yes I'm turning to stone
'Cause you ain't comin' home
If I'm turning to stone
You've been gone for so long
And I can't carry on
Yes I'm turning, I'm turning
I'm turning to stone

The dancing shadows on the wall
(The two step in the hall)
Are all I see since you've been gone
Turning, turning, turning through all
I sit here and I wait
(I turn to stone, I turn to stone)
You will return again some day
To my blue world
Turn to stone when you are gone
I turn to stone

Mr. Blue Sky

Sun is shinin' in the sky
There ain't a cloud in sight
It's stopped rainin' ev'rybody's in a play
And don't you know
It's a beautiful new day hey, hey

Runnin' down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly in the city
On the streets where once was pity
Mister blue sky is living here today hey, hey

Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?

Hey you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race
A celebration, mister blue sky's up there waitin'
And today is the day we've waited for

Hey there mister blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev'rybody smiles at you

Mister blue sky, mister blue sky
Mister blue sky

Mister blue, you did it right
But soon comes mister night creepin' over
Now his hand is on your shoulder
Never mind I'll remember you this
I'll remember you this way

Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?

Hey there mister blue
We're so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev'rybody smiles at you
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba

Sweet Talkin Woman

I was searchin' on a one-way street
I was hopin' for a chance to meet
I was waitin' for the operator on the line

(She's gone so long)
What can I do
(Where could she be)
Oh no, no don't know what I'm gonna do
I gotta get back to you

You gotta slow down
Sweet talkin' woman
You got me runnin'
You got me searchin'
Hold on sweet talkin' woman
It's so sad if that's the way it's over

I was walkin' many days gone by
I was thinkin' 'bout the lonely nights
Communication break down all around me

(She's gone so long)
What can I do
(Where could she be)
Oh no, no don't know what I'm gonna do
I gotta get back to you
(repeat chorus)

I've been livin' on a dead-end street
I've been askin' ev'rybody I meet
Insufficient data comin' through

(She's gone so long)
What can I do
(Where could she be)
Oh no, no don't know what I'm gonna do
I gotta get back to you
(repeat chorus)

Don't Bring Me Down

You got me runnin goin out of my mind
You got me thinkin that Im wastin my time
Don't bring me down, no no no no no
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down

You wanna stay out with your fancy friends
Im tellin you its go to be the end
Don't bring me down, no no no no no no no no
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down

Don't bring me down, grroosss
Don't bring me down, grroosss
Don't bring me down, grroosss
Don't bring me down

What happend to the girl I used to known
You let your mind out somewhere down the road
Don't bring me down, no no no no no
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down

You're always talkin bout your crazy nights
One of these days you're gonna get it right
Don't bring me down, no no no no no
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down

Don't bring me down, grroosss
Don't bring me down, grroosss
Don't bring me down, grroosss
Don't bring me down

You're lookin good just like a snake in the grass
One of these days you're gonna break your glass
Don't bring me down, no no no no no no no no
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down

You got me shakin' got me runnin' away
You get me crawlin' up to you everyday
Don't bring me down
no no no no no
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down

Calling America

(Somebody...)
Told her that there was a place like heaven
Across the water on a 747
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world

And pretty soon she's really got the notion
Of flying out across the big blue ocean
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world

Talk is cheap on satellite
But all I get is (static!)
Information, I'm still here
Re-dial on automatic

Calling America (can't get a message through)
Calling America (that's what she said to do)
Calling America (that's where she has to be)
Calling America (she left a number for me)
Calling America

But I'm just talking to a satellite
Twenty thousand miles up in the sky each night
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world

All I had to do was pick up the phone
I'm out in space, trying to talk to someone
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world

She left a number I could call
But no one's there, no one at all
There must be something going wrong
That number just rings on and on

[chorus]

Said she'd call when she'd been gone a while
Guess she's missing me across the miles
Yeah, we're living in
In a modern world

[chorus]

Calling America, Calling America
Calling America, Calling America...