For My Sunday Song #408, Harrison has picked a song from a band that was no surprise to me. He is a huge Electric Light Orchestra fan and to get a song from them was expected. The song of choice this time around is “Yours Truly 2095” from the band’s 1981 album ‘Time’. It was the band’s 9th album and was a concept album about basically time travel. I mean it is a little more detailed then that, but we aren’t here to talk about the album. We are here to talk about the song which was written by Jeff Lynne.

The song itself is about a guy who travels to 2095 and meets a Fembot (gynoid) and it makes him think of his girlfriend from back in 1981. The robot is smart with an IQ of 1001, but is cold and unkind and is nothing like his girl. Maybe some day he would “feel her cold embrace and kiss her interface”, but for now he won’t touch the fembot. He misses the warm and heartfelt touches of his actual girlfriend. I love the line “I met someone who looks a lot like you / She does the things you do / But she is an IBM”. It says they are trying to recreate the human contact with a robot, but she is really only a computer. A very cold world that would be. But the guys from Big Bang Theory would be ecstatic if this happened. They always wanted to build a sexbot.

The music is pure new wave, early 80’s synth pop. The vocals have the style of “Video Killed the Radio Star” as they are very processed. The song feels metallic and cold in its delivery. Very high tech for the time to with all the synths. Robotic noises throughout and the “2095” lyrics is spoken in a robot voice. A catchy little tune and as strange as it sounds. 

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an 80’s ELO album so this was a first for me. The album sounds interesting though and I might have to spin the whole thing. Thanks to Harrison Kopp for all the choices for this 10 song set. Go check him out on Grab a Stack of Rock as co-host and on his Instagram page where he has a ton of Lego artwork.

“Yours Truly, 2095”

(2095, 2095, 2095, 2095)
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly

I sent a message to another time
But as the days unwind
This I just can’t believe
I sent a note across another plane
Maybe it’s all a game
But this I just can’t conceive
(Can you hear me?)

I drive the very latest hovercar
I don’t know where you are
But I miss you so much ’til then
I met someone who looks a lot like you
She does the things you do
But she is an IBM

(2095, 2095, 2095, 2095)
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly

She’s only programmed to be very nice
But she’s as cold as ice
Whenever I get too near
She tells me that she likes me very much
But when I try to touch
She makes it all too clear

She is the latest in technology
Almost mythology
But she has a heart of stone
She has an IQ of 1001
She has a jumpsuit on
And she’s also a telephone

(2095, 2095, 2095, 2095)
I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly

Is that what you want?
(Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want?
(Is it what you really want?)
Is that what you want?
(Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want?

I realize that it must seem so strange
That time has rearranged
But time has the final word
She knows I think of you, she reads my mind
She tries to be unkind
She knows nothing of our world

Although her memory banks overflow
No one would ever know
For all she says, “Is that what you want?”
Maybe one day, I’ll feel her cold embrace
And kiss her interface
‘Til then, I’ll leave her alone

I love you, sincerely
Yours truly, yours truly

Is that what you want?
(Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want?
(Is it what you really want?)
Is that what you want?
(Is it what you want?)
Is it what you really want?

“Is that what you want?”

Written by Jeff Lynne