Look at Me Now (Electric Light Orchestra song)
{{Short description|1971 song by the Electric Light Orchestra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Look at Me Now
| artist = the Electric Light Orchestra
| album = The Electric Light Orchestra
| released = 1971
| recorded = 31 December 1970–June 1971
| studio = Philips, London
| genre = Baroque and roll
| length = 3:17
| label = Harvest
| writer = Jeff Lynne
| producer = *Roy Wood
- Jeff Lynne
}}
"Look at Me Now" is a 1971 song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), featured on the band's debut album The Electric Light Orchestra (1971). It was written by singer-songwriter Roy Wood and was the second track on the album. Wood plays all the instruments in the song.{{Cite book |last=Delve |first=Barry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XhOHEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22look+at+me+now%22+%22cello%22+%22elo%22&pg=PT9 |title=Electric Light Orchestra on Track |date=2022-08-04 |publisher=Sonicbond Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-78952-224-2 |pages=9–10 |language=en}}
Background
The song takes large inspiration from The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", a fact that several critics note.{{Cite book |last=Kiste |first=John Van der |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U9IxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT54 |title=Electric Light Orchestra: Song by Song |date=2017-08-19 |publisher=Fonthill Media |pages=54–55 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The History of Rock Music. Electric Light Orchestra: biography, discography, reviews, ratings, best albums |url=https://www.scaruffi.com/vol3/elo.html |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Scaruffi}}
Composition and lyrics
"Look at Me Now" is follows a grim, dark narrative about the murder of a former lover, which leads to several ghostly presences.{{Cite web |last=Altrockchick |date=2016-09-27 |title=The Electric Light Orchestra – No Answer – Classic Music Review |url=https://altrockchick.com/2016/09/27/no-answer-by-the-electric-light-orchestra/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Altrockchick |language=en-US}} The instrumentation includes woodwind instruments such as clarinets, flutes, oboes, and recorders, while also having string instruments like the guitar and the cello,{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Robert |title=Electric Light Orchestra - Look at Me Now |url=http://www.jefflynnesongs.com/popup.php?data=LookAtMeNow197135_popupplus |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=Jeff Lynne Songs}} the song having a strong reliance on the latter. A French horn on the track is tuned to sound more like a medieval instrument such as crumhorn or a shawm.
Critical reception
Bruce Eder of AllMusic described the track as a "sweet, melodic follow-up" to The Move's "Beautiful Daughter" (also written by Wood).{{Cite book |last1=Bogdanov |first1=Vladimir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1-pH4i3jXvAC&pg=PA358 |title=All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul |last2=Woodstra |first2=Chris |last3=Erlewine |first3=Stephen Thomas |date=2002 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=978-0-87930-653-3 |language=en}}
Personnel
Electric Light Orchestra
- Roy Wood – French horn, vocals, cello, clarinet, oboe, guitar, recorder, flute
Additional personnel
- Roger Wake - engineering
- Pete Cliff - engineering