“Strange Magic” stands out as one of the most mesmerizing singles in the history of the Electric Light Orchestra. As a matter of fact, if you were going to try to come up with a phrase to describe the music of ELO, that song title would work pretty well.
What is the song about? And how did it represent an effort to change the band’s strategy from previous records? Let’s take a deep dive inside “Strange Magic,” one of ELO’s prettiest ballads.
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ELO began as a side project as a way for Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, who were both also members of the popular British band The Move, to indulge their desire to meld classical music elements onto rock-song structures. Wood didn’t stick around long, and Lynne soon made ELO his prime musical outlet.
The band sold increasingly well in the UK with each of their first three albums. Their fourth, Eldorado (1974), represented an artistic and commercial breakthrough for the band. Lynne and company managed to create a full-length LP with recurring musical motifs and lyrical themes. At the same time, a breakout single, “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” put the band in the Top 10 in America.
Even though Eldorado was successful, Lynne didn’t want to get bogged down in another weighty concept with his next record. He decided he’d try to make the goodness on ELO’s next album more the bite-sized variety. In other words, he was looking to make a more pop-oriented record, with songs that would fit nicely on the radio.
That album was Face the Music, released in 1975, and Lynne and his band largely succeeded at what they set out to do. “Evil Woman,” the first single from the album, hit the Top 10 in both the U.S. and UK. Since “Evil Woman” was more of an uptempo track, it made sense to follow that up with a sweet ballad, which turned out to be “Strange Magic.”
One of the interesting facts about “Strange Magic” is the lilting guitar part that opens the song and reappears at different points is played by Richard Tandy. Tandy was normally a keyboardist. But when Lynne, who usually handled lead guitar for the band, struggled to get the fingering just right, Tandy stepped in and did the trick.
Musically, “Strange Magic” contains all kinds of subtle wonders. The strings keep coming up with intriguing countermelodies all around Lynne’s vocal lines. Female backing vocalists take part in a little call-and-response to lend the song a soulful edge. And Bev Bevan kicks in with more aggressive drums as the song progresses to give it some heft.
What is the Meaning of “Strange Magic”?
Jeff Lynne has always been a lyricist who prefers to evoke moods and emotions with his imagery and wordplay, rather than spell it out for the audience. That’s the case with “Strange Magic,” which features just three short verses that paint a kind of mystical, melancholy picture.
He starts the song by addressing someone who seems to have celestial capabilities: You’re sailing softly through the sun / In a broken stone age dawn / You fly so high. In the second verse, he admits to this person the impact they’re having on him: You’re walking meadows in my mind / Making waves across my time. When he follows that up with the exclamation, Oh, no, it’s the first indication that he might not be able to hold onto her as she flies away.
The final verse seems to confirm this: Oh, I’m never gonna be the same again / Now I’ve seen the way it’s got to end / Sweet dreams. Just like the mystical creature in the song, “Strange Magic” casts its spell quickly and then floats away, another ELO gem that leaves us wanting more.
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