Early Music Memories #3 – Electric Light Orchestra

Continuing my series (#1, #2) of formative music – this is the marvellous Mr Blue Sky by the Electric Orchestra, taken from their 1977 album – Out of the Blue. You can wonder at how Jeff Lynne got his hair to look SO HUGE.

I remember the cassette of this album in my dads Mini Clubman estate for years and years, and he loved this tune – it is a 100% happy song, including the uplifting vocoder sounds and the orchestral ‘rock opera’ segment at the end.

There is also a cover version of this on the loose by Ms Lily Allen, which is amusing enough due to the squirly analogue synths she uses. I also just realised the Out of the Blue (the album) shares its name with Ferry Corstens seminal trace track – I wonder if there is any connection?

Lyrics after the jump.

Mr Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra (1977)

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