In a retrospective assessment, AllMusic's Ned Raggett lauded the song as "astounding. It was also a hit throughout continental Europe, topping the charts in Italy and Spain. The track entered the UK Singles Chart at number 59, but climbed 51 places over the next four weeks to reach a peak of number 8, becoming the group's first top 10 entry in their home country and one of the 50 best-selling singles in the UK in 1980. This, according to the BBC, helped it become an "unlikely hit". ĭespite its subject matter, the single was released at a time of strong anti-nuclear sentiment in Britain. The song was perceived by some as a gay anthem as such, it was banned from being played on popular BBC1 children's programme Swap Shop. NME said the track has "considerable plusses" including a "glorious melody", but expressed reservations about its commercial prospects, feeling it was destined for "chartless oblivion". Daniela Soave of Record Mirror called it "infinitely danceable, joyous and jumpy", while noting an uneasy juxtaposition between the musical content and sombre lyrics. these guys are right on target." Canberra Times critic Jonathan Green described the track as "super", with "a lovely melody that makes for an utterly infectious song". Greg Reibman of Boston Rock wrote, "With 'Enola Gay', Orchestral Manoeuvres drop another devastating warhead on the world of inferior pop music.
The song met with largely positive reviews. He hoped it "conveyed an ambivalence about whether it was the right or the wrong thing to do". It is identified as an " anti-war" track, although McCluskey stated he "wasn't really politically motivated to write the song", which was informed by a fascination with World War II bombers. The phrase, "It's 8:15, and that's the time that it's always been", refers to the time of detonation over Hiroshima at 8:15 am JST as many timepieces were "frozen" by the effects of the blast, it becomes "the time that it's always been". The phrase "Is mother proud of Little Boy today?", is an allusion to both the nickname of the uranium bomb and pilot Paul Tibbets naming the aircraft after his mother. The lyric to the song reflects on the decision to use the bomb and asks the listener to consider whether the bombings were necessary ("It shouldn't ever have to end this way"). The name of the bomber itself was chosen by its pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets, who named it after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets (1893–1983), who had been named after the heroine of the novel Enola or, Her fatal mistake. The song is named after the Enola Gay, the USAAF B-29 Superfortress bomber that carried Little Boy, the first atomic bomb to be used in an act of war, dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, killing more than 100,000 of its citizens. Title Įnola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress, pictured in 1945 Initially proud of the song, McCluskey's confidence wavered: he re-recorded his vocal, but was dissatisfied with the final mix of the track. Collister did, however, believe it was a surefire hit – a view that drummer Malcolm Holmes did not share. Keyboardist Paul Humphreys and OMD manager Paul Collister were not fans of "Enola Gay" (the latter originally threatened to resign if it were released as a single). The song is based on the 50s progression, which repeats throughout the entire song. Most of the melodic parts were recorded on a Korg Micro-Preset, and the drum machine sound was "about the last thing to go on" the recording. Typical of early OMD compositions, the track does not feature a vocal chorus, and is recognisable by its strong, distinctive lead synthesizer hook and ambiguous lyrical content. It has been named as one of the best songs of its era and genre, and, along with 1986's " If You Leave", is regarded as OMD's signature song.Ĭomposition Arrangement The track went on to enjoy lasting popularity, including within the LGBT community, and achieved sales in excess of 5 million copies. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band's first top 10 entry in their home country. "Enola Gay" met with largely positive reviews but was seen as unlikely to impact the charts aside from its subject matter, the song faced some resistance due to its being perceived as a gay anthem. As is typical of early OMD singles, the song features a melodic synthesizer break instead of sung chorus. Written by vocalist/bass guitarist Andy McCluskey, it addresses the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by the aircraft Enola Gay on 6 August 1945, toward the conclusion of World War II. " Enola Gay" is an anti-war song by the British synth-pop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), and the only single taken from their 1980 album Organisation. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark singles chronology