Livin' thing - Electric Light Orchestra

'Livin' thing' was written by Jeff Lynne and appears on ELO's 1976 platinum-selling album 'A New World Record'. In the UK and Canada the single peaked at number 4, whereas in the Netherlands ELO scored their first top 10 hit with this, peaking at number 6. According to 'Unzipped', Suzi Quatro's autobiography, her sister Patti sang uncredited backing vocals on the track, particularly the 'higher and higher' parts.

The 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 interpretation by some that the song was intended as an anti-abortion or a pro-environmentalist statement. Lyrical imagery elsewhere in the song may also give support to these impressions. Jeff Lynne has stated that the song was intended to be about love and the loss of love.

My collection: 7" single no. 3819
Found: La La Land, Den Haag, July 2, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Livin' thing' / 'Fire on high'