Livin' Thing

Infobox Single
Name = Livin' Thing


Artist = Electric Light Orchestra
from Album = A New World Record
B-side = "Fire On High" (UK) "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (US)
Released = 1976
Format = 7"
Recorded = 1976 Musicland Studios , Munich
Genre = Art rock, rock
Length = 3:17
Label = Jet Records, United Artists
Writer =
Producer = Jeff Lynne
Certification =
Chart position = * * #1
* * #2
* * #4
* * #4
* * #13
Last single = "Nightrider"
(1976)
This single = "Livin' Thing""
(1976)
Next single = "Rockaria!"
(1977)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = A New World Record
Type = studio
prev_track = "So Fine"
prev_no = 5
this_track = "Livin' Thing"
track_no = 6
next_track = "Above the Clouds"
next_no = 7

"Livin' Thing" is a song written and performed by Electric Light Orchestra.

Overview

The song was written by Jeff Lynne and appears on ELO's 1976 platinum-selling album "A New World Record". In August 2006, it was named by the UK's "Q magazine" as the #1 'Guilty Pleasure' single of all time – a list designed to celebrate 'uncool' but excellent records, and which received considerable publicity [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5237492.stm] . The original single had the added bonus of having "Fire On High" on the flip side, a song that became the band's most popular instrumental piece.

Patti Quatro sang uncredited vocals, particularly the 'higher and higher' parts of "Livin' Thing", according to "Unzipped", an autobiography by her sister Suzi Quatro.

Meaning

The repeated chorus of the song:

:"It's a livin' thing.":"It's a terrible thing to lose.":"It's a given thing.":"What a terrible thing to lose."

… has been subjected to frequent interpretation, because the lyric never explicitly identifies what "it" is. This has led to the mistaken impression by some that the song was intended as an anti-abortion (alluded to in the liner notes of the Beautiful South cover, see below) or a pro-environmentalist statement. Lyrical imagery elsewhere in the song may also give support to these impressions.

However, a straightforward reading of the lyrics identifies "it" as::"You and your sweet desire."Jeff Lynne has confirmed that the song was intended to be about love and the loss of love.

Chart performance

It reached #4 in the UK Charts and stayed there for 12 weeks. It peaked at #4 on the Canadian charts for three straight weeks (the final week in 1976 and the first two weeks of 1977). In the United States, the song peaked at #13, during Christmastime of 1976.

Airplay

Often used as bumper music by late night radio talk show host Art Bell when he hosted Coast to Coast AM in the 1990s.

Covers

The song appeared on soundtrack for the 1997 film "Boogie Nights." In 2004, The Beautiful South covered the track for their covers album "Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs". It reached #24 on the UK charts. Matthew Sweet did a cover of "Livin' Thing" for the 2006 "My Name is Earl: The Album" soundtrack.

Livin' Thing - CD1

Livin' Thing [3:17]
I'm Living Good [4:00]
(Sony Music UK; 6753711)

Livin' Thing - CD2

Livin' Thing [3:17]
Lovin' You [2:53]
Another Night With The Boys [3:32]
(Sony Music UK; 6753712)