5 reasons why ELO’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is the best song on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 soundtrack
By Erin Qualey
Photo: Courtesy Walt Disney Pictures Press Media/Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Full of joy and boundless energy, ELO’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is the highlight of a mostly-obscure Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 soundtrack.
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When we last left Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), he had discovered Awesome Mix Vol 2. A parting gift from his dearly departed mother, the small cassette held the key to Quill’s heart, and we couldn’t wait to hear it.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 soundtrack was released back in April, but we didn’t get to see the songs in action until the official release of the film last week. While, overall, the tunes run a bit more obscure than the original mix, each moment has been scored for maximum emotional impact. And the most effective soundtrack choice of all is the scene that kicks the whole thing off.
One of the fastest tracks on the new mix, ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by iconic 70’s band Electric Light Orchestra is a fitting and fun way to hop back into the world of the Guardians. Here’s why it’s the best song in the film. Caution: Spoilers ahead.
So danceable.
Unless you’re Drax’s beloved, ELO’s relentlessly cheery beat will have you tapping your toes in no time flat. The packed theater I was at had many people wiggling in their seats with joyful abandon – a euphoric feeling that lasted until well after the final credits rolled.
It’s just a damn good soundtrack song.
Among many other films, ELO’s hit tune also featured prominently in the trailer for the 1999 head trip Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It’s an otherworldly concoction of sound that some critics have called “Beatlesque” but may be best categorized as just good old fashioned fun.
Timing is everything.
Last month, ELO was (finally) inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The prominent – and effective – placement of ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ in a mega-blockbuster such as Guardians suggests that the band’s songs stand up to the test of time, and that their age-proof catalog will now be discovered and enjoyed thoroughly by a new generation of fans.
A highlighter for the giddy joys of comic violence.
Given that Guardians is a PG-13 affair, the violence is mostly bloodless, but it’s always laced with a mega kick of acrobatic adrenaline. We know that our heroes can’t possibly be in actual peril – this is the opening scene, after all – so ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ serves simultaneously as a homecoming and a preemptive victory song as the Guardians shoot, stab, and punch their way to a spectacular win.
All the foreshadowing.
Caution: Super spoilers ahead!
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While the lyrics to ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ are poetic in nature (it’s literally about the sky), the general reference to an celestial blue being is a harbinger of the paternal problems Peter Quill will face as the film progresses. Quill’s father turns out to be Ego (Kurt Russell), aka: Ego the Living Planet, who attempts to take over the universe in his true form – an unstoppable force of blue light. Hmm. Interesting.
Other than color symbolism, nowhere is the ending of the film more specifically telegraphed than in the lines, “Hey you with the pretty face / welcome to the human race.” That’s exactly what happens to Star-Lord, aka: Peter Quill, aka: pretty boy Chris Pratt, in the explosive climax in which Quill bests his god-like father and morphs into a regular old human man. And, even though Quill has lost his immortality by the conclusion of the film, at least he’ll always be Groot.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is currently in wide release. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 soundtrack can be found on Amazon and Spotify.