Livin' Thing

Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIV : Livin' Thing

"Livin' Thing" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra. It was written by Jeff Lynne and appears on their 1976 album A New World Record.

Contents

1 Chart performance
2 Meaning
3 Covers
4 Track-listing

4.1 Livin' Thing - CD1
4.2 Livin' Thing - CD2

Chart performance

It went at #4 in the UK Charts and stayed there for 12 weeks. It peaked at #4 on the Canadian charts for three straight weeks (the final week in 1976 and the first two weeks of 1977). In the United States, the song peaked at #13.

Meaning

The repeated 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.

have been subjected to frequent interpretation because the song never explicitly identifies what "it" is. This has led to the mistaken impression 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.

However, a straightforward reading of the lyrics identifies "it" as:

You and your sweet desire.

Jeff Lynne has confirmed that the song was intended to be about love and the loss of love.

Covers

In 2004, The Beautiful South covered the track for their covers album Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs. It hit #24 in the charts.

The song was featured in a winter 2005/2006 advertising campaign for the U.S. department store chain JCPenney.

"Livin' Thing" plays over the closing credits of P.T. Anderson's Boogie Nights, and is featured on Volume 1 of the soundtrack.

Track-listing

Livin' Thing - CD1

Livin' Thing [3:17]
I'm Living Good [4:00]
(Sony Music UK; 6753711)

Livin' Thing - CD2

Livin' Thing [3:17]
Lovin' You [2:53]
Another Night With The Boys [3:32]
(Sony Music UK; 6753712)

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