Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

Written for Song Lyric Sunday –
One if by Land, Two if by Sea, and Three if by Air.
This is my response to the challenge.

Welcome back to Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday. This week, the theme is “One if by Land, Two if by Sea, and Three if by Air”. Our challenge? To write about a song that includes a mode of transportation, either going by land (road or rail), water, or air suggested by our friend Di of pensitivity101. Thanks, Di!

There are a lot of popular songs that fit this week’s challenge but I decided to go with two that you may not know unless you have the albums in your collection. These songs are by two of my favorite bands; while they are both super groups, only one can technically be called a ‘supergroup’. As we learned previously on SLS, a supergroup is a band formed by established, successful musicians who are already famous from being in other bands or having a solo career, essentially creating a musical “all-star team”.

You’ll no doubt notice that the lead singer of my first featured group is also a member of the second group; this was sheer serendipity. Ok, enough fooling around. Let’s get it on!

My first group is Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), an innovative English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan, aiming to fuse pop/rock with classical arrangements. After Wood’s departure, Lynne became the sole leader, crafting futuristic pop symphonies with elaborate strings. ELO reached massive global success in the 70s and 80s with hits like “Don’t Bring Me Down” and albums like Out of the Blue. They were known for their unique sound and massive spaceship stage shows. Later, Lynne’s revival of the name achieved continued success and an induction into the R&R Hall of Fame. Their song “Last Train to London” is my first featured song.

“Last Train to London” is a track on ELO’s 1979 album Discovery, written and produced by Jeff Lynne. In the song, Lynne recalls spending years on trains between Birmingham and London, which formed the basis for the song’s narrative of rushing to catch the last train to meet a lover. The song is heavily influenced by disco, featuring a strong bass line, synthesizers, and ELO’s signature orchestral pop sound. Released as a double A-side with “Confusion”, it reached #8 on the UK Top 10 and #39 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

This is “Last Train To London” by Electric Light Orchestra

🚞 ✈️ 🚙 🚞 ✈️ 🚙 🚞 ✈️ 🚙

Up next is the greatest little supergroup to ever exist; I am, of course, talking about the Traveling Wilburys, the legendary British-American rock group formed in 1988 by George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison. George Harrison needed a B-side for a single from his Cloud Nine album, so he enlisted the help of friend Jeff Lynne of ELO (where have I heard that name before?). Together with their friends Dylan, Petty, and Orbison, they met at Dylan’s studio and recorded the song “Handle with Care,” which was just too good for a mere B-side. The success of that track led to the decision to record a full album, Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1. The Wilburys were known for their spontaneous chemistry, immediately recognizable sound, and award-winning blend of rock, folk, and country. Their legendary lineup was altered by the sudden death of Roy Orbison in December, 1988, before recording their second album, Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3, in 1990.

“Tweeter and the Monkey Man” is a song from Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1; it is a lovingly detailed and playful tribute to the storytelling of Bruce Springsteen, wrapped in a classic Traveling Wilburys musical package. The song tells the tale of two New Jersey drug dealers …. Tweeter and the Monkey Man …. and an undercover cop trying to catch them, with the Monkey Man involved with the cop’s sister, Jan. The entire song is built around mimicking Springsteen’s sound and lyrical world, incorporating numerous song titles and themes from his catalog, set in familiar Springsteen locations like Rahway Prison. While Dylan wrote most of the song, Tom Petty helped with the character names, and Jeff Lynne and George Harrison helped write the story and lyrics, with Harrison’s Dobro guitar, Jim Keltner’s drums, and Jim Horn’s sax adding to the atmosphere. 

This is “Tweeter and the Monkey Man” by the Traveling Wilburys

One If by Land, Two If by Sea and Three If by Air

Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and every week and to Di for her suggestion. Be sure to follow the links and check out their sites.

Thanks for stopping by for a look and a listen.

That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎

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