Don't Bring Me Down
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
| "Don't Bring Me Down" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Dreaming of 4000" |
"Don't Bring Me Down" is a song by the band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and is the last track from their 1979 album Discovery. It is their highest charting hit in the US to date.
History
It's a great big galloping ball of distortion. I wrote it at the last minute, 'cos I felt there weren't enough loud ones on the album. This was just what I was after.
— Discovery remaster (2001), Jeff Lynne
"Don't Bring Me Down" is the band's second highest charting hit in the UK where it peaked at number 3[1] and their biggest hit in the United States, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] It also charted well in Canada (number 2) and Australia (number 6). This was the first song by ELO not to include a string section.
The drum track is in fact a tape loop, coming from "On the Run" looped and slowed down.
The song was dedicated to the NASA Skylab space station, which re-entered the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean and Western Australia on 11 July 1979.
On 4 November 2007, Lynne was awarded a BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc) Million-Air certificate for "Don't Bring Me Down" for the song having reached two million airplays.
Misheard lyric
A common mondegreen in the song is the perception that, following the title line, Lynne shouts "Bruce!". According to the liner notes of the ELO compilation Flashback, he is saying a made up lyric, Grroosss," which some have suggested sounds like the Bavarian expression "Grüß Gott." After the song's release, so many people had misinterpreted the word as "Bruce" that Lynne actually began to sing the word as "Bruce" for fun at live shows.[3]
Music video
A music video for the song was produced, which showed video of the band performing the song interspersed with various animations relating to the song's subject matter, including big-bottomed majorettes and a pulsating neon frankfurter. The band's three resident string players are depicted playing keyboards in the music video.
Jeff Lynne version
| "Don't Bring Me Down" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song in his own home studio. It was released in a compilation album with other re-recorded ELO songs, under the ELO name.[4]
Cover versions, samplings and remixes
- In 1998, punk rock band J Church recorded a version that appears on the Mailorder is Fun compilation released by Asian Man Records.
- In 1998, North Carolina sludge metal band Buzzov•en covered the song on their album ...At a Loss.
- In 2001, Op:l Bastards covered the song as a single.
- In 2003, Status Quo covered the song on their album Riffs.
- In 2005, Parthenon Huxley covered the song on his Homemade Spaceship album. Huxley's version is a Goons-ish sendup featuring ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt (credited as Jelly Donut) on spoken vocals and ELO violinist Mik Kaminski (credited as Poppadom Screech) on violin.
- In 2006, L.E.O. includes a shortened cover of the song as a hidden track on their album Alpacas Orgling.
- In 2006, J-pop band PUFFY (a.k.a. Puffy Amiyumi) have a cover of the song featured on the B-side of their single "Hataraku Otoko".
- In 2007, Finnish symphonic metal supergroup Northern Kings covered the song on their album Reborn.
- In 2010, Donna Loren covered the song on her album Love It Away.
- In 2012, The Hives released a song called "Go Right Ahead". Though not a direct cover, the main riff in the song is nearly identical to the one in "Don't Bring Me Down", and as a result Jeff Lynne was officially credited as a co-writer.
- OK Go performed the song and released on their Live From SoHo EP in 2007.
- The New Pornographers have covered this song in various concerts.[5]
- Jungle Brothers sample the song on "Because I Got It Like That" from their debut album Straight out the Jungle in 1988.
- "Don't Bring Me Down" was remixed by Remix Artist Collective member Karl Kling.
Appearances in other media
- The song was featured in the 1997 mob thriller Donnie Brasco and also in the 2011 films Paul and Super 8.
- The song is featured in the sky-diving scene in the 2008 comedy College Road Trip.
- Part of the song is performed by LINDA, a group of characters from the Doctor Who episode "Love & Monsters", before they are interrupted by the arrival of the mysterious Victor Kennedy.
- The song appears in the 2011 video game NHL 12.
- The song has been used in numerous film trailers, including those for "Stranger Than Fiction', Flushed Away, Our Idiot Brother and Jack & Jill, and it was featured in the scene in The Pirates! Band of Misfits where the pirate captain makes a course to London.
- The song is played on the December 23, 2012 Family Guy episode "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" during the Ben Hur/Him with Adam Sandler film trailer scene.
Chart positions
| Chart (1979) | Peak Position |
Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart[6] | 6 | |
| Austrian Ö3 Austria Top 40[7] | 2 | |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 | |
| Dutch GfK chart[8] | 5 | |
| German Media Control Singles Chart[9] | 5 | |
| Irish Singles Chart[10] | 6 | |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 6 | |
| South African Singles Chart[11] | 9 | |
| UK Singles Chart[1] | 3 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 4 | RIAA: Gold |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 4 | |
| US Record World Singles[12] | 3 | |
| US Billboard Year-End | 81 |
References
- ^ a b "Electric Light Orchestra". Offfical Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Electric Light Orchestra - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ Wild, David. "The Story of a Rock and Roll Band and the Pop Genius Who Dared to Go Baroque." Flashback.
- ^ "Releases : elo - Mr. Blue Sky - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra". Elo.biz. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ^ http://www.covermesongs.com/2010/08/consequence-of-sound-presents-best-fest-covers.html
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Discographie Electric Light Orchestra". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discografie Electric Light Orchestra". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ "charts.de - Electric Light Orchestra". charts.de. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 6 March 2013. Enter Electric Light Orchestra in the Search by Artist field, then click Search.
- ^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (E)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
- ^ Hawtin, Steve. "Song artist 171 - Electric Light Orchestra". Tsort.info. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
External links
- In-depth Song Analysis at the Jeff Lynne Song Database (jefflynnesongs.com)
- Template:MetroLyrics song
