"Don't Bring Me Down" is the ninth and final track on the English rock band the Electric Light Orchestra's 1979 album Discovery. It is their highest-charting hit in the United States to date.

"Don't Bring Me Down" is the band's second-highest-charting hit in the UK where it peaked at number and their biggest hit in the United States, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] It also charted well in Canada (number 1) and Australia (number 6). This was the first song by ELO not to include a string section.

The drum track is in fact a tape loop, coming from "On the Run" looped and slowed down.

The song ends with the sound of a door slamming. According to producer Jeff Lynne, this was a metal fire door at Musicland Studios where the song was recorded.

The song was dedicated to the NASA Skylab space station, which re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and burned up over the Indian Ocean and Western Australia on 11 July 1979

 Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song in his own home studio. It was released in a compilation album with other re-recorded ELO songs and under the ELO name called Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra.

Lyrics

You got me runnin' goin' out of my mind

You got me thinkin' that I'm wastin' my time

(Don't bring me down, no no no no no)

I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor

(Don't bring me down)

You wanna stay out with your fancy friends

I'm tellin' you it's got to be the end

(Don't bring me down, no no no no no)

I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor

(Don't bring me down)

Don't bring me down, groos

Don't bring me down, groos

Don't bring me down, groos

Don't bring me down

What happened to the girl I used to know?

You let your mind out somewhere down the road

(Don't bring me down, no no no no no)

I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor

(Don't bring me down)

You're always talkin' 'bout your crazy nights

One of these days you're gonna get it right

(Don't bring me down, no no no no no no no)

I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor

(Don't bring me down)

Don't bring me down, groos

Don't bring me down, groos

Don't bring me down, groos

Don't bring me down

You're lookin' good just like a snake in the grass

One of these days you're gonna break your glass

(Don't bring me down, no no no no no no no)

I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor

(Don't bring me down)

You got me shakin' got me runnin' away

You got me crawlin' up to you everyday

(Don't bring me down, no no no no no)

I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor

(Don't bring me down)

I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor

(Don't bring me down)

Songwriters: Jeff Lynne

Don't Bring Me Down lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC