Who was this Bruce dude ELO was singing about?

[TheMightyFavog]

Don't bring me dowwwnnnnn, Bruce?

Who the fuck was Bruce?

[NYC_SKP]

1. From the wikipedia entry for the song:

Misheard lyric

A common mondegreen in the song is the perception that, following the title line, Jeff Lynne shouts "Bruce!" However, according to liner notes, he is actually saying a made-up word "Grroosss". This is similar to a German word for "greeting", Gruß, possibly referring to the Austrian and Bavarian greeting Grüß Gott that the group would have heard while recording the album in Munich. However, after the song's release, so many people had misinterpreted the word as "Bruce" that Jeff Lynne actually began to sing the word as "Bruce" for fun at live shows.<1>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Bring_Me_Down_%28Electric_Light_Orchestra_song%29

Source material, in-depth song analysis:

http://www.jefflynnesongs.com/dontbringmedown/

:hi:

[Major Nikon]

2. Not Bruce, Grroosss

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Bring_Me_Down_%28Electric_Light_Orchestra_song%29#Misheard_lyric

[last_texas_dem]

3. On that note, am I the only one

who always thought (but wasn't quite sure) that there was a part in "Sweet Talkin' Woman" where Jeff Lynne says "sweet talkin' Lola"?

OK, there's a good chance I am. haha

But, I finally actually made the effort to check these lyrics and it's apparently "sweet talkin' lover" in that part of the chorus.

[OriginalGeek]

4. I don;t know about that but I still sing

"...MEDIEVAL WOMAN..." at the top of my lungs when I'm in the car by myself and that comes on...

[Frank Cannon]

5. I do that too.

And my wife always thought "Strange Magic" was "Space Magic", until I educated her.