Boy Blue (Electric Light Orchestra song)

10 tracks
Side one "Eldorado Overture" "Can't Get It Out of My Head" "Boy Blue" "Laredo Tornado" "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)" Side two "Mister Kingdom" "Nobody's Child" "Illusions in G Major" "Eldorado" "Eldorado Finale"

"Boy Blue" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) which first appeared as track number 3 from their 1974 album Eldorado.

The album version of the song starts with a Baroque-style brass fanfare – reminiscent of Jeremiah Clarke's "Prince of Denmark's March" (ca. 1700) — and then develops into a minimoog sequence before the song properly begins. The song includes a midway solo of the band's three string players. At the end of the song the string instruments quickly fade, immediately leading into the LP's fourth track "Laredo Tornado".

Bassist Mike de Albuquerque featured on the song but it is unknown just how many tracks he contributed to on the album as he left the band during the recording sessions.

"Mike de Albuquerque left the group after the recording session of Eldorado, on which his mighty voice could be heard for the last time on an E.L.O. record in the sixth verse of Boy Blue." — Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages).

Story

"A song about an all-conquering hero from the middle ages." — Jeff Lynne (Eldorado Remaster, 2001).

The song is an anti-war song set during the Crusades and forms the second dream as part of the overall Eldorado dreamscape. It tells a story about a hero returning from a far off war and the rapturous welcome he received from his town folk. Boy Blue (the character of the song) rebuffs the hero worship and declares his hatred of war and stating his refusal to ever take up arms again.

The song was covered by the tribute album Lynne Me Your Ears by Rick Altizer.^[1] The US edited single version of this song is missing the fanfare intro, parts of the orchestral bridge, and the second to last chorus. The song was released as the second single from the Eldorado album but failed to chart.

References

↑ Damas, Jason. "Lynne Me Your Ears: A Tribute to the Music of Jeff Lynne – Lynne Me Your Ears : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 March 2013.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Electric Light Orchestra singles discography

1970s

1972	"10538 Overture" / "First Movement (Jumping Biz)" "Mr. Radio" (withdrawn)

1973	"Roll Over Beethoven" / "Queen of the Hours" "Showdown" / "In Old England Town (Instrumental)"

1974	"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" / "Daybreaker" (US) "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" / "Oh No Not Susan" (UK) "Can't Get It Out of My Head" / "Illusions in G Major"

1975	"Boy Blue" / "Eldorado" "Evil Woman" / "10538 Overture (live)"

1976	"Strange Magic" / "New World Rising" (US) "Nightrider" / "Daybreaker (live)" "Strange Magic" / "Showdown (live)" (UK) "Livin' Thing" / "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (US) "Livin' Thing" / "Fire On High" (UK)

1977	"Rockaria!" / "Poker" "Do Ya" / "Nightrider" "Telephone Line" / "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)" (US) "Telephone Line" / "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)" and "King of the Universe" (UK) "Turn to Stone" / "Mister Kingdom"

1978	"Mr. Blue Sky" / "One Summer Dream" "Sweet Talkin' Woman" / "Fire On High" (US) "Wild West Hero" / "Eldorado" "Sweet Talkin' Woman" / "Bluebird is Dead" (UK) "It's Over" / "The Whale" The ELO EP

1979	"Shine a Little Love" / "Jungle" "The Diary of Horace Wimp" / "Down Home Town" "Don't Bring Me Down" / "Dreaming of 4000" "Confusion"/"Last Train to London" (UK) "Confusion" / "Poker" (US) "Last Train to London" / "Down Home Town" (US)

1980s

1980	"I'm Alive" / "Drum Dreams" "Xanadu" (duet with Olivia Newton-John) / "Fool Country" (Olivia Newton-John) (UK) "Xanadu" (with Olivia Newton-John) / "Whenever You're Away from Me" (Olivia Newton-John) (US) "All Over the World" / "Midnight Blue" (UK) "All Over the World" / "Drum Dreams" (US) "Don't Walk Away" / "Across the Border"

1981	"Hold On Tight" / "When Time Stood Still" "Twilight" / "Julie Don't Live Here"

1982	"Here Is the News"/"Ticket to the Moon" "Rain Is Falling" / "Another Heart Breaks" "The Way Life's Meant to Be" / "Wishing"

1983	"Rock 'n' Roll Is King" / "After All" "Secret Messages" / "Buildings Have Eyes" "Four Little Diamonds" / "Letter from Spain" "Stranger" / "Train of Gold"

1986	"Calling America" / "Caught in a Trap" "So Serious" / "Endless Lies" (US) "So Serious" / "A Matter of Fact" (UK) "Getting to the Point" / "Secret Lives"

1990s

1990	"Destination Unknown" (promo)

2000s

2001	"Alright" / "Love Changes All" / "Do Ya" (Unedited Alternative Mix) "Moment in Paradise" / "Alright" (PBS 2001 Version) / "Mr. Blue Sky" (PBS 2001 Version) / "Livin' Thing" (PBS 2001 Version)

2006	"Surrender"

2007	"Latitude 88 North"

2010s

2015	"When I Was a Boy"

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