21st Century Man by Electric Light Orchestra

Album: TIME (1981)

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Songfacts®:

The "21st Century Man" is John Lennon, who was shot and killed in 1980 when Electric Light Orchestra were making their album TIME. The song was written by group leader Jeff Lynne, a huge fan of Lennon and this group The Beatles. Lynne produced the 1994 Beatles song "Free As A Bird," which was assembled using some of Lennon's outtakes.
The song falls into the genre of science fiction, imagining Lennon as a time traveler. Jeff Lynne explained in a radio interview: "He's listening in present time, but he's still exists in the other time. And it also is that if he could get back to 1981 he'd be like the biggest celebrity ever known 'cause he'd know all this stuff that nobody else knew."
The line, "Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow, you still wander the fields of your sorrow," is a reference to the 1980 John Lennon song "Watching The Wheels" and the 1967 Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever."
There's a bit of backmasking on this song, a common ploy for ELO. In the fadeout, the line, "Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow, you still wander the fields of your sorrow" is played backwards.

Comments: 6

Ed from Canton, OhThis is very cool to find out that this song was a tribute to Lennon. When I saw ELO in Cleveland in 1981 on the Time tour, they played A Day in the Life as a tribute to Lennon. when you think of it....who else but ELO could play A Day in the Life?
Pepper from Athens, TnLast time I looked this was a tribute to Marc Bolan, whom Jeff Lynne was good friends with. Marc also played onstage with ELO a good number of times, and played on a few tracks on a 1977 album.
Todd from Brentwood, CaI've theorized about this album, written as a rock opera many times. Listening to the words of all the songs, it makes sense to me. If it's true, I would love to have seen it produced!
Mitch from Crown Point, InTime is actually a great album - just plain weird though - sent ELO to an early grave (that, and Xanadu).
Logan from Troy, MtPenny in Your Pocket - Penny Lane, Written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

Suitcase in Your Hand - Lady Madonna, "Friday Night Arrives without a Suitcase/ Sunday morning's creeping like a nun."

Fly Across the City - "Flying" - An Instrumental Beatles song from "Magical Mystery Tour", or it could refer to Heaven from John's Song, "Imagine".

One day your a hero, next day your a clown - The infamous "Bigger Than Jesus" statement during the height of The Beatles career.

You stepped out of the dream - Imagine - "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

That's the best I can come up with.
Randy from Suburban, MnThe entire "Time" album is a sort of rock opera about a man who is sent forward, to a time not his own. It's a fearful look at a possible future. This song, in context, is about the fact that the man of the 20th century -- when the song was written -- will not find the 21st century to be what he'd expected.

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