Shakespeare Quotes That Could Apply To Jeff

[queenofthehours]

In honour of Shakespeare's birthday weekend and the 400th anniversary of his death, I've found something the Bard composed that could relate directly to our Mr Lynne.

In Henry IV, part 1, Act 3, Scene 2, King Henry is giving a dressing down to his son, Prince Hal, for being seen in public too much at the Boar's Head Tavern with his unsuitable pals and not spending enough time attending to serious matters that a future king should be thinking about. The King says that people thought little of the previous King (Richard II) because he "enfeoff'd himself to popularity" and was seen out in public so often that -

being daily swallow'd by men's eyes,
They surfeited with honey and began
To loathe the taste of sweetness, whereof a little
More than a little is by much too much.

This reminded me of what Jeffery Lynne certainly is not! Shakespeare was spot on, I thought, in describing what it's like to be sick of the sight of someone. It's impossible to like any of the so-called celebrities and musicians in the media these days because we always see far, far too much of them. Our Jeff has avoided this; our Jeff is like King Henry (Bolingbroke) who was not lavish with his presence:

By being seldom seen, I could not stir
But like a comet I was wonder'd at;
That men would tell their children 'This is he;'
Others would say 'Where, which is Bolingbroke?'
And then I stole all courtesy from heaven,
And dress'd myself in such humility
That I did pluck allegiance from men's hearts,
Loud shouts and salutations from their mouths,
Even in the presence of the crowned king.
Thus did I keep my person fresh and new;
My presence, like a robe pontifical,
Ne'er seen but wonder'd at: and so my state,
Seldom but sumptuous, showed like a feast
And won by rareness such solemnity.

"Seldom but sumptuous"? That's Jeff in three words! Shakespeare's description here could easily apply to our hero, he is certainly so seldom seen, keeping his person fresh and new, that he is indeed like a comet to be wondered at! I've always liked this passage because it's so acute, only now have I thought of a real person to apply it to. Shakespeare was right - the less we see of someone the more we love them .

I don't know if there are any more quotes anyone can think of?

[vlogdance]

Shakespeare, man of genius, clearly foresaw the greatness of Jeff and ELO that was to come.

He predicted Jeff's gift for writing memorable lyrics:
"Why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and smooth
That thou art even natural in thine art." (Timon of Athens)

He noted that the vocoder is more effective when used sparingly:
"Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice." (Henry VI Part I)

Who's this running around the stage, waving a cello? 
"Yonder he is coming this way, Sir Hugh." (The Merry Wives of Windsor)

Jeff clearly had great ambitions for the Xanadu soundtrack and confided them to his co-star:
"Write loyal cantons of contemned love
And sing them loud even in the dead of night
Halloo your name to the reverberate hills
And make the babbling gossip of the air
Cry out "Olivia!"" (Twelfth Night)

Of course there must have been the odd studio row with Mik and Mr Tandy, when Jeff, annoyed, would threaten to sack the lot of them:
"Have with thee, Pole. Farewell, ambitious Richard." (Henry VI Part I)

But even Shakespeare didn't always get it right. To this day, scholars argue that he misjudged the closing speech for Mr Blue Sky: 
"Prithee, do not turn me about." (The Tempest)

[Horacewimp]

I only did 'enry V at O level but can remember the ELO mention which helped me pass my English Literature.

Shakespeare knew of Jeff's return to touring for possibly the last time.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, O noble English, that could entertain"

[unomusette]

Don't recall a lot of Shakespeare, but surely our ELO fandom can be summed up with:

"If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it..."

The more he creates and plays, the more we love it

[vlogdance]

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be".

Jeff REALLY doesn't approve of people using his ELO band name. Or pinching his music and going on to win Grammy Awards for it.

[queenofthehours]

Apr 24, 2016 19:05:23 GMT vlogdance said:

He noted that the vocoder is more effective when used sparingly:
"Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice." (Henry VI Part I)

Shakespeare foresaw simmering tensions in the ELO camp when Mik decided to try out his prototype exploding violin - 

"Fiddler, forbear; you grow too forward, sir." (Taming of the Shrew Act 3 Sc 1)

[queenofthehours]

A rare case of Shakespeare quoting FROM Jeff - articles.burbankleader.com/2007-08-15/entertainment/blr-othello15_1_electric-light-orchestra-shakespeare-falcon-theatre

I have no idea what's going on but it's so mad we all need to see it -

Othello reimagined through the music of Mr Lynne -

This is how ALL Shakespeare should be

[vlogdance]

Apr 25, 2016 15:34:06 GMT queenofthehours said:

Apr 24, 2016 19:05:23 GMT vlogdance said:

He noted that the vocoder is more effective when used sparingly:
"Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice." (Henry VI Part I)

Shakespeare foresaw simmering tensions in the ELO camp when Mik decided to try out his prototype exploding violin - 

"Fiddler, forbear; you grow too forward, sir." (Taming of the Shrew Act 3 Sc 1)

Sadly, there would be an inevitable clash with Kelly, too: 

"The mean is drown'd with your unruly bass." (Two Gentlemen Of Verona)