Electric Light Orchestra - I'm Alive [Single/Album Version]Details

I'm Alive newspaper adI'm Alive flier"ELO's first release [of the 1980s] came in May. I'm Alive b/w Drum Dreams (JET 179) was the flagship release from the Xanadu film. It featured a first for ELO; an original (excepting a couple alternate takes) B-side! Admittedly, Drum Dreams (as the title suggests, a drum instrumental) wasn't the most exciting record ever made, but it was a step in the right direction in giving the fans a bit of value for money (incidentally, if you wanted to be really pedantic, you could still say that strictly speaking it wasn't an original B-side because it does actually appear in the film, although it never made it onto the soundtrack). The picture sleeve was quite attractive as well; a blue backdrop with the art-deco Xanadu logo on it; the reverse inevitably featured... you guessed it! The ELO motif. Interestingly, the label design was also blue with the film logo, practically the cover in miniature in fact. A mint condition copy of the single will set you back 3.50 today. As good as any of the singles from Discovery, I'm Alive worryingly stalled at No.20, their first single to miss the Top 10 since Turn To Stone. It remained in the charts for a reasonable nine weeks, but ever-lower chart positions would be the shape of things to come."
Andrew Whiteside (1992 - Face The Music fanzine #12)

"[ELO's side on the Xanadu album] kicks off with I'm Alive, which is different to the version heard in the film. I've always felt this to be an underrated song in the ELO canon, and judging by its performance in our Poll last issue, a number of you agree with me. Semaphored in a chattering Tandy synth intro, the song proper literally erupts thans to a volcanic bass/drum combination, and once again, there were enough beats-per-minute to satisfy ELO's newly-found disco audience. The treacly harmonies are literally spooned on, and indeed there's nothing wrong with a little syrup every once in a while. Towards the end, the track takes on a neo-Mr. Blue Sky proportions when Richard's keyboards propel the song into unheard of heights of pomposity, capped by the phased drum outro. Wonderful stuff."
Andrew Whiteside (1992 - Face The Music fanzine #12)

"The [Xanadu] title track, performed by both Newton-John and ELO, was a world-wide hit, and the singles All Over The World and I m Alive proved to be popular in both the U.S. and the U.K."
Kayla Roth (2012 - South Central Music Bulletin Volume XI, Numbers 1-2 (Fall 2012 Spring 2013))

"I m Alive, All Over The World, and Don t Walk Away were released as singles in Britain, though each one fell short of the top ten."
John Van der Kiste (August 2015 - Jeff Lynne: Electric Light Orchestra - Before and After)

"Flanging is used in nine of the songs in this study. In almost every instance, it is used sparingly as to not oversaturate the listener with the unusual sound, but to draw attention to a particular part of the song. It may be used during the introduction..., the ending..., the chorus..., or in short, arrhythmic instrumental breaks.... The exception is I m Alive, which uses flanging often throughout the song; this is most likely intended to give the entire song an other-worldly feel, as it was written specifically for the introductory scenes in Xanadu in which the Muses spring to life from a painting to incarnate on Earth. [...] Perhaps one of the keys to ELO s appeal is their use of common chord progressions that are easily accessible to listeners. A Roman numeral analysis of the 22 songs in this study found that many of the songs share similar chord progressions with other well-known popular songs; one example is the doowop progression of [I-vi-IV-V] or [I-vi-ii-V], named for the style of music in which it prominently featured (Scott 2003, 204). While the basic model of the progression is kept intact, chords may be added or altered either by way of a borrowed chord or chromatic alteration. For example... in I m Alive, the [vi] is replaced by a [vi ] which adds a Bb to the harmonies and allows the third of the G chord to step down chromatically to the root of the Am chord. [...] The following table illustrates the doo-wop chord progressions as well their locations within each song. [...] Modal mixture is a recurring element in much of ELO s music. Borrowed chords, such as [bIII], [iv], [bVI], and [bVII], function the same as their parallel counterparts and can be heard in... I m Alive... and others. [...] Other non-diatonic chords are the result of chromatic alteration to fulfill a particular melodic line. For example, the bridge of I m Alive includes the chord D#dim. Since the song is in the key of G, this may be analyzed as either a [V7/vi] with a missing root, or as a [vii /vi]; however, when the surrounding chords of D and Em are taken into consideration, it is clear that the D#dim is simply the product of a passing tone. D moves up to D#, and up again to E. Example 1-26 illustrates instances of chromatically altered chords in context as well as the melodic lines formed by them. [...] Each song included in this study begins with an introduction. In thirteen of the twenty-two songs (approximately 59%), the introduction is simply a riff or ostinato pattern that incorporates the chords of the upcoming verse. Examples of this type of introduction can be found in... I m Alive.... [...] In each song, the introduction is followed by the first of several verses, which recur between chorus sections. The labeling of a section as verse is linked more to the music than to the text, as each verse has a similar melody, rhythm, and harmonic progression accompanying different text, although slight variations in the melody from verse to verse is common. In eight of the songs, the verses and chorus are divided by a brief transitional section that can be characterized by a shift in the musical material (such as harmonic progression, rhythm, etc.) as well as by its location. Examples of a typical transition can be found in... I m Alive. [...] An interlude is a formal section that features instrumental solos and lacks texted vocals that is, actual lyrics and not syllables or scat singing. Typically in ELO s music, there is one interlude per song (the exception to this is I m Alive), and it occurs after the second statement of the chorus. In some songs, the interlude is harmonically very similar to other parts of the songs and may be viewed as such. For example... I m Alive (the first interlude)... include[s] instrumental solos that are based on the chords of the verses... [...] Still, the harmonic progressions of the interludes in other songs, such as... I m Alive (the second interlude), include[s] completely new material and may be interpreted as unique formal structures within each song. In popular music, the term 'bridge' is usually used to refer to the penultimate section before the final repeat of any opening materials. Though the label 'bridge' implies some sort of transitional or connecting material from chorus to verse or vice versa, frequently the bridge does not have any harmonic or melodic associations to the surrounding material. By providing a contrast to previous material, the bridge serves to build tension before the resolution of a tonic-based final chorus."
Kayla Roth (2015 - South Central Music Bulletin XII-XIII (2013-2015))

"The first single [from Xanadu], reaching No. 20, begins with one of Tandy's ambient synth introductions, which is overtaken by a thunderous assault of bass and drums, with call-and-respond vocals, and a strong hook on the chorus. About two-thirds of the way through comes a temporary change in pace, with a near-explosion of phased drums and keyboards followed by a swift reprise of the chorus"
John Van der Kiste (July, 2017 - Electric Light Orchestra: Song By Song)

"In 1980, MCA Records suggested I write half the music for the film Xanadu, starring Olivia Newton-John. John Farrar, who normally wrote the music for Olivia, would write the other half of the album and the movie soundtrack. So it just happened like that, and the first song I wrote was I'm Alive, which did well as a single in May of that year."
Jeff Lynne (November 2018 - Wembley Or Bust book)

"It soon became clear that the studio had no idea what to do with Electric Light Orchestra. All of their contributions end up feeling incidental save for I'm Alive, which was paired with a mural of the muses coming to life. [...] I'm Alive went to No. 18 in the U.S., the title track reached No. 8 and All Over the World got to No. 13. But that was the pop chart; rock radio began to turn away from ELO for good."
Nick DeRiso (August 11, 2020 - Ultimate Classic Rock online magazine)

"The first thought most have when thinking of Xanadu is Olivia Newton-John, followed by Gene Kelly, but half of the film s soundtrack (five songs) were written by Lynne and recorded by ELO, including the super catchy I m Alive."
Erica Banas (December 30, 2020 - WMMR radio website)

listenThis sample is the sound heard on the fade out, with the ending fade volume increased to allow it to be more easily heard. The first part is the fade as heard on the song (with the volume increase), then slowed down considerably. In the first part (normal speed), the "X" can easily be heard playing on the descending notes. The "ANADU" section can be heard in the second, slowed-down segment with the "N" being a little sloppy so it's not so clear.
The Morse code section heard on the fade-out is perhaps more interesting. It does not change frequency, and appears to actually spell out "XANADU" (not "ELO" as often reported). It's rather cleverly hidden. The stacatto notes spell out "ANADU" (no "X"); this pattern is (dot-dash (A), dash-dot (N), dot-dash (A), dash-dot-dot (D), dot-dot-dash (U)). Upon closer examination, the "N" sounds more like an "A" and the "dot-dot" in the "D" is rather subtle, however it is believed that any variation is simply because the person playing the code (Jeff or Richard) didn't quite have the pattern down perfectly. The "X" is layed over all this in a different keyboard. "X" in Morse code is dash-dot-dot-dash. It is played in a longer keyboard with descending notes.
listenThis sample is the section heard in the final keyboard bridge. The first part is the "X" (dash-dot-dot-dash) played on the prominently heard keyboard. The second part is the "ANADU" pattern played very quickly (dot-dash (A), dash-dot (N), dot-dash (A), dash-dot-dot (D), dot-dot-dash (U)), followed by this same section slowed down and each letter separated so they can be easily heard.
There is another hidden Morse code spelling out "XANADU" on the final keyboard bridge, just before the song's end. Similar to the fade-out, one keyboard plays the "X" at a slower speed while another keyboard underneath this plays the faster "ANADU" part.


  • Running Time: 3:45
  • Record Date: 1979 (after May) or 1980
  • Record Location: Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany
  • Written By: Jeff Lynne
  • Produced By: Jeff Lynne
  • Engineered By: Mack
  • Performed By: Jeff Lynne (vocals, guitar, synthesizer), Bev Bevan (drums, percussion), Richard Tandy (piano, synthesizer, all other keyboards), Kelly Groucutt (bass), Louis Clark (orchestra conductor)

  • Released On:
    • I'm Alive 7" single (1980 May 24 — UK — Jet JET 179)
    • I'm Alive 7" single (1980 May — USA — MCA MCA-41246)
    • I'm Alive 7" promo single (1980 May — USA — MCA MCA-41246)
    • Xanadu LP album (1980 June — USA — MCA MCA 6100)
    • Xanadu LP album (1980 July 11 — UK — Jet JET LX 526)
    • The Very Best Of The Electric Light Orchestra CD album (1989 — UK — Telstar TCD 2370)
    • ELO's Greatest Hits Volume Two LP album (1992 — UK — Epic 471956 1)
    • ELO's Greatest Hits Volume Two CD album (1992 — UK — Epic 471956 2)
    • Light Years: The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra CD album (1997 October 1 — UK — Epic 489039 2)
    • Xanadu CD album (1998 February 23 — UK — Epic 486620 2)
    • Xanadu CD album (1998 September 8 — USA — MCA MCAD-11857)
    • The Ultimate Collection CD album (2001 October 22 — UK — Sony Music STVCD126)
    • Xanadu: Magical Musical Edition DVD/CD album (2008 June 24 — USA — Universal 61103532)
    • The Essential Electric Light Orchestra CD album (2011 October 10 — UK — Epic/Legacy 88698983612)
    • The Essential Electric Light Orchestra digital album (2011 October 10 — UK — Epic/Legacy 886443171084)
    • The Essential Electric Light Orchestra CD album (2011 October 24 — USA — Epic/Legacy 88697977522RE1)
    • The Essential Electric Light Orchestra digital album (2011 October 10 — UK — Epic/Legacy 886443171084)
    • Xanadu digital album (2015 November 20 — UK — Epic 008811185725)
    • Xanadu digital album (2015 November — USA — Geffen 602517629974)
    • ELO 50th Anniversary Vol. 2 digital album (2021 November 12 — USA — ?)

  • Top UK Chart Position: 20
  • Top US Chart Position: 16

  • Cover Versions:
    • Street Power on their Hits On 33 album (1980)
    • The Music Machine on a Xanadu covers album (1980)
    • The Lettermen on the The Lettermen and WEA Various Artists, Vol. II album (1980)
    • Jack Livingston Orchestra and Singers on their A Tribute To ELO album (early 1980s)
    • La Sound on their Xanadu tribute album (1980s)
    • Hiromi Iwasaki during live performances (date uncertain)
    • King on an album of unknown origin (199?)
    • Top of the Poppers on the Top Of The Pops 80 album (2001)
    • Sun Flower Orchestra during a live tribute concert (October 2003)
    • Broadway Cast at Broadway Xanadu play and cast recording album (2007/2008)
    • Graham BLVD on their Hard Rock 80s Vol. 1 album (2009)
    • C. Scott Davis on the The TM Collective album (2018)

  • Used in the Film or TV Program:
    • My Name Is Earl episode Stole An RV (2008)
    • Suspended In Time Spanish stage play (2012)
    • Juliana Hatfield on the I'm Alive 7" single (2023)

  • Used as a Sample in the Songs: Alive Again by Navarone (2007)