Can't Get It Out Of My Head

I just had to respond to this because of the interpretation/memory that I have with this song. This song is haunting and beautiful. My sons father, who had moved to Florida years ago, had always loved this song. For some reason, I never had forgotten that he had. Although we did not stay together, we had a son who is now 17. My son never really knew his Dad. His Father was a person with many struggles. He suffered from severe epilepsy, drug addiction and other social problems. He was always searching for a way to heal and be more stable in his life. He had recently lost a girlfriend, who had taken her own life. So much sadness. On the day after Christmas, we got a phone call that my sons Father had died in the middle of the night (midnight) and was found that morning. He had had a heart attack while having a seizure. I made a video tribute to him on Youtube using ELO's song. I think it symbolized all of his pain, my sons confusion and pain, and empty place inside of himself, where his Dad never was. It can also mean, looking for a relationship with a God, or a loved one, or a connection and sense of belonging to this world. My son Dad loved the water and I think found some peace living by the ocean. My son bought a guitar right after his Dad passed away and is playing as if he has played for years. On his 18th Birthday, in March...he is getting the first few lyrics of this song Tattooed down his side in memory of a Dad he never really knew. Life is bitter sweet.

For many of us this song is special.

Especially if you've ever been infatuated with someone in your life and experienced the terrible desperation of "can't to get it out of my head". The first line, "Midnight, on the water", describes the setting, place and mood when love can easily be inflicted. The "ocean's daughter" is Venus the goddess of love who was born from the waves. She is not the object of his infatuation but she is the cause of love occurring between people similar to cupid's role in causing people to fall in love. It's interesting how Jeff deliberately uses the word "chicane" instead of "she came", because he's not referring to the girl that he is in love with but rather this particular situation of love that makes one helpless. Chicane in this context means trickery, and the goddess of love, "walking on the wave", uses her powers and one is tricked and falls into this helpless condition. In the next line, the goddess had called his name, a kind of random act and he fell choicelessly in love. Now he can't get it out of his head. Jeff could have used the word "her" instead of "it", but he uses the word "it" because again he is making a deliberate distinction between this song being about a particular girl and particular situation of love that is desperate. This song is about love’s situation.

This love is dire. It is so engrossing he can't think or do anything else. He can't move, he's breaking down, his old world the one he is familiar and comfortable with is no more. He's is struggling to get it out of his head and in to escape this miserable love condition, he is searching for her silver light. This means he's looking for a way to appease the goddess so she may release him from his love trap.

Robin Hood and William Tell and Ivanhoe and Lancelot, they don't envy me. This line is quite poetic and the pace it is shouted adds dimension to the song. The song is wonderful in the beginning and middle but anticipation keeps building and I always look forward to this line. All these men are great and fearless heroes. Time and time again they faced every kind of danger and countless times they've risked their lives and concurred powerful adversaries. They walk this earth without fear. Except even they are powerless when it comes to love. Fight a dragon, no problem but face love's desperation willingly, that requires a real hero. And for that reason, they don't envy him.

Listen to Livin’ Thing & Turn to stone which are also great song with similar meaning.

Jeff describes the meaning of this song during their storytellers performance, its on youtube. He said it has a bigger theme that only he knows about, but he does give some insight. He says its about a guy who's dreaming and sees a vision of loveliness and wakes up to find that he's actually a clerk working at a bank. He goes on to say that it was supposed to be part of a whole concept album.

My wife died giving birth to our daughter. Although it has been some time I still very often see her in my dreams. It is the most wonderful and surreal of all dreams I've ever had. When I wake up there's nothing. The wound that I have tried time and again, is torn open once again. While I am awake I can't get this out of my head. It is beyond horror. Talk about the Chicanery. In my dream everything is so real. Not only does she talk to me,I can almost feel. It became such a reoccurring every dream, that when I what awake I would be quite despondent. Everything that was said concerning the meaning of this song bye by the person who posted the third time I believe, was right on the money. It is checaine, not she came Concerning music and lyrics I always accept the original lyrics the way the artist intended the song to be. Not the chopped-up version that was made for the public on the radio station.

One of the greatest melodies in all of songdom. Brilliant. The imagery that comes to mind is simply amazing.

This song is from the Eldorado album, with much reference to the Wizard of Oz (eg, picture on the cover was of the Ruby Slippers).

This song in particular has musical quotes from Over the Rainbow (here the strings at 2:10)

Hence, the meaning of this song to me is about paradise (Oz) and the grip it has on our mind (Can't Get It Out...) . Even tho the lyrics don't specifically reference W of Oz, I can't get it our of my head that this song is about Oz.

Yes, it's "chicane"; I copied it off of the lyric sheet. :-)

In this sense, it means "a tight turn or curve"; a chicane is a type of curve on a racetrack.

My suspicion is that he used the word because it rhymed.

junkkillit, that was a fantastic analysis! I thought he meant chicane to mean the crest of the wave. He really does sing chicane too. If you read his lips when he sings it its quite clear. Beautiful song.

This song is amazing in terms of mood and setting. Jeff has said (vh1 storytellers) It's about a dream of falling in love. the subject has a dull 'bank job in the city' - the popular heroes (robin hood, etc) don't envy the guy with the bank job. this dream keeps him going ("in dreams the world keeps going round and round").

When you walk along the shore line, the water meets the beach, not in a straight line, but in curves... a chicane.

junkkillit's review is right on the mark.

Jeff Lynne is an amazing talent. The lyrics, the arrangement and his performance should be recognized. The song in timeless. IMHO, he can still perform these songs just as good if not better. Check out the ELO Zoom DVD.