View source for Elo Kiddies

{{Infobox song
| name       = Elo Kiddies
| cover      = Elo Kiddies single cover.jpg
| alt        =
| caption    = Dutch single cover
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Cheap Trick]]
| album      = [[Cheap Trick (1977 album)|Cheap Trick]]
| B-side     = Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
| released   = February 1977
| format     =
| recorded   = 1976
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[hard rock]]
| length     = 3:41
| label      = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| writer     = [[Rick Nielsen]]
| producer   = [[Jack Douglas (record producer)|Jack Douglas]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}
"'''ELO Kiddies'''" is a song originally released by [[Cheap Trick]] on the 1977 album ''[[Cheap Trick (1977 album)|Cheap Trick]]''. It was written by [[Rick Nielsen]], Cheap Trick's lead guitarist and primary songwriter. It was released as a single twice, in 1977 as an A-side backed by "Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace", and in 1979 as the B-side of the live "[[Ain't That a Shame]]" from ''[[Cheap Trick at Budokan]]''.
"Elo Kiddies" has been included on a number of Cheap Trick's live and compilation albums, including ''[[Budokan II]]'' and other anniversary editions of ''[[Cheap Trick at Budokan]]'', ''[[Sex, America, Cheap Trick]]'' and ''[[The Essential Cheap Trick]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=ELO Kiddies|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/elo-kiddies-t3458508|website=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=2011-09-05}}</ref>
==Meaning==
"Elo Kiddies" is driven by [[Bun E. Carlos]]' drumming and Nielsen's power chords on the guitar.<ref name=hayes>{{cite book|title=Reputation Is a Fragile Thing|author1=Hayes, M. |author2=Sharp, K.|pages=35, 39|year=1998|publisher=Poptastic|isbn=978-0-9662081-0-8}}</ref> The sardonic lyrics include several [[double entendre]]s and the song has been interpreted in multiple ways, even by members of the band.<ref name=hayes/> The most basic meaning is as a "hello, goodbye" story.<ref name=hayes/> Nielsen viewed the song as being about the "real maniacs from nuclear power plants".<ref name=hayes/> Another interpretation is that the song expresses a "cynical view of education."<ref name=hayes/> Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, who considers this song one of his favorites, interpreted the song as telling kids to "go out and have fun and go nuts and go completely wild", but that even deeper is that the kids need to do this fast before they get older and have ulcers and headaches.<ref name=hayes/> Basically, Carlos sums up his view of the song's message as "let's have fun, but better have it now."<ref name=hayes/> Even the song's title is a play on words, since the "Elo" could simply mean "hello", or it could be "ELO", implying the song borrows ideas from the [[Electric Light Orchestra]].<ref name=hayes/> Author Steve Taylor has noted that the song is "vaguely autobiographical" and that it recognizes the band's admiration of Electric Light Orchestra founder [[Roy Wood]].<ref>{{cite book|title=A to X of Alternative Music|author=Taylor, S.|page=64|year=2006|publisher=Continuum|isbn=978-0-8264-8217-4}}</ref>
==Reception==
[[AllMusic]] critic [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] commented on the song's "thumping [[Gary Glitter]] perversion."<ref>{{cite web|title=Cheap Trick|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/cheap-trick-1977-r3729/review|author=Erlewine, S.T.|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2011-09-05}}</ref> Charles Young of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine regarded both "ELO Kiddies" and "Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace" among the standout songs of the ''Cheap Trick'' album.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Cheap Trick|author=Young, C.|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/cheap-trick-19770505|date=May 5, 1977|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=2011-09-05}}</ref>  ''Classic Rock'' critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Cheap Trick's 8th greatest song, saying that it "established them as doyens of [[power pop]], with the deceptively simple musicianship bringing out the full flavour of the track."<ref>{{cite web|title=The top 10 best Cheap Trick songs|author=Dome, Malcolm|accessdate=2022-06-19|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-top-10-best-cheap-trick-songs|date=June 28, 2016|publisher=Louder Sound|work=Classic Rock}}</ref>  ''Classic Rock History'' critic Michael Quinn rated it Cheap Trick's 10th best song, saying that it "features everything we like about Cheap Trick: groovy guitars, good beats, and inane lyrics about God knows what."<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 10 Cheap Trick Songs|author=Quinn, Michael|date=16 June 2022 |accessdate=2023-02-07|publisher=Classic Rock History|url=https://www.classicrockhistory.com/top-10-cheap-trick-songs/}}</ref>
==Music video==
Cheap Trick filmed a promotional video of the song, directed by Chuck Lashon, in which the band performed the song while mugging for the cameras.<ref name=hayes/>
==Covers==
The song has been covered by [[White Flag (band)|White Flag]] on their 2002 album ''[[History Is Fiction]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=History is Fiction|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/history-is-fiction-r649810|website=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=2011-09-05}}</ref> It was also covered by [[Crash Kelly]] on both their 2003 album ''Penny Pills'' and on their 2008 album ''Love You Electric''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Penny Pills|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/penny-pills-r681634|website=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=2011-09-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Love You Electric|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-you-electric-r1311945|website=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=2011-09-05}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  The Cry! also covered the song on the 2015 "Never Surrender: Cheap Trick Tribute" album, issued by Zero Hour Records.<ref>{{cite web |title= Cheap Trick Tribute |url= https://cheaptricktribute.bandcamp.com/}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Cheap Trick}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1977 songs]]
[[Category:1977 singles]]
[[Category:Cheap Trick songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Rick Nielsen]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Jack Douglas (record producer)]]
[[Category:Epic Records singles]]