English not my native language I still find out many times I created my own Sparks lyrics. The best one is as a 10 year old I turned " get in the swing pall" into getting the sprinkhan (a litteral dutch translation of the word grasshopper) . With Internet I got to do the Sparks all over again and now actually being able to understand every lyrics. This year I finally got to see the Sparks live in Utrecht with my Brothers, very special moment in remembrance of our dad who infected us with the Sparks in the 70's, fantastic concert and one of the best days in recent memory. Up to this day when we go Skiing in the Alpes we only play sparks in the car, we now have infected a new generation in our family with the sparks

@MetaSparks

2 ай бұрын

From now on I’m singing “Get in the sprinkhan” every time :). It’s such a pleasure to be a fan of this band, and I feel fortunate that I found them, and it’s so nice to see the warmth they bring to so many people like us. Their music is a world to get lost in :)

@yerrie1908

2 ай бұрын

@@MetaSparks Have you seen them Live ? Was my fist time this summer, was amazing, not only the Sparks but the fans , one big family with our treasure the sparks

I have always admired Sparks from afar before becoming a frothing 70 year old fan over the last 18 months or so. Your detailed analysis was much appreciated there. There is no doubt there is much more depth to this band than meets the eye. More please and thanks very much for your efforts. You are a true fan.

@MetaSparks

11 ай бұрын

Welcome onboard! There’s definitely more to Sparks than meets the eye - I can’t think of another band where you still notice new things in songs decades later.

Love this. It's great to hear new ideas about their songs! I think 'It Doesn't Have To Be That Way' from the new album can be added to the pantheon of songs about songwriting - a treatise for all aspiring songwriters about following your own muse and not just what perceived wisdom would dictate...

@MetaSparks

11 ай бұрын

Thanks! I completely agree about ‘It doesn’t have to be that way’ - one of their greatest songs in my view. I was going to post about this track because I’m my view it’s saying something very similar to ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ from Terminal Jive (I’ve done a video on that too). “She’s worth it even if you’ve gotta pay a heavy price” is a similar sentiment to “I may be wrong, I’ll pay for it, I’ll pay for it”.

this is great! thank you for taking the time to dig down into Ron's lyrics - especially Strange Animal - my fave song on that Exotic Creatures. And all that overdubbing!!!

@MetaSparks

11 ай бұрын

Thanks! Strange Animal is amazing, one of their best songs in my opinion.

Surrealist pop like none other From mind to brother Back to womb of mother We ❤ dem sparks🎉

The Sparks whisperer. This set of songs about songs are probably my favorite themes. Why not wrote about writing, sing about singing? Only Sparks! Utterly unique.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yep, there's nobody like these two. Write about writing, sing about singing, and then disguise it as a song about Paris or one-night stands!

What a lovely interpretation of Strange Animal! It's one of my absolute favorite songs, and I always thought it was about how critics can't perceive art as anything but a product to the masses. How lucky am I to find this, I've got my own drafts on Sparks stuff so it's very nice to see someone else had the same idea! I also appear to be your hundredth subscriber :) I've really tried to get those lyrics myself and I've had very little luck too, but with the idea that the previous song was about government men, maybe one of the words at the end of a line is "law"? I also very clearly hear "Where all the dangers go..." in the second line. God- there's a lot more to talk about. I remember a few years ago on the Sparks subreddit someone said that they thought Lil' Beethoven and A Steady Drip Drip Drip were both about how they believed their careers were failing (which does have *some* merit). My dad believes that songs like I've Never Been High and I Wish You Were Fun are about Ron being totally unhappy with himself. Again, really happy to see someone dedicate a whole channel to talking about this. I can't wait. Good luck! Hope you like the new album.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! I’d love to read your interpretations if you post them anywhere. I’m a big fan of Strange Animal, it’s so underrated! That’s a good shout with “Law”and “Dangers”, I hope we get to find out sometime. I’ve had a few thoughts about where Sparks songs relate to their career on LB and ASDDD, particularly on Left out in the cold. It feels like it’s about being happy to do the hard work (likening their pioneering spirit to arctic research) while others reap the benefits and have bigger hits with their ideas. But what makes it great is that they don’t seem upset with that situation at all. It’s like they’re happy to be outsiders, knowing “one day I’ll be warm again… one day back on form again.. have another shot”. I’m so glad that you and others are interested in this stuff, and I’d love to hear more of your theories. I’ve still got TONS to talk about on here, including the new album, which has a lot of cool meta ideas in there. I love it so much - how lucky are we to have the Maels?!

@mrnoknowncure

11 ай бұрын

There’s definitely a rich seam of self-doubt and self-depreciation running through Ron Mael’s work, whether ironic or sincere, a dissatisfaction with himself. The Decline & Fall of Me is essentially this “I just shaved my nose off, oh well” self-aware of their capacity to cut off their nose to spite their face (the drive to be ever changing, even in the midst of growing success?) “Chart position bubbling under”… the whole song appears to be an expression of frustration from Ron looking back at what he perceives to have been mistakes on his part.

@MetaSparks

11 ай бұрын

@@mrnoknowncure much like the ‘I married a Martian’ comment on the other thread, I agree with everything you say about it being a self-deprecating song, but I think there’s a meta double meaning too. The decline and fall of me i see as being about the songwriting becoming simpler. Saying that though x I have no idea why he collects frozen pizzas!

So glad to have discovered your channel!!!

@MetaSparks

8 ай бұрын

Glad you like it! Thanks. I hope you enjoy what’s to come too, I’ve got lots to record.

Wow I’ve always wondered what those “hidden words” in strange animal were too and just assumed you all knew Thanks! This is a beautiful video

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

I didn’t notice these lyrics for the longest time. In fact, when I did this as a written blog post I didn’t even know about the hidden verse. Thanks for the compliments, I’m glad you enjoyed it :).

I've wanted to get into Sparks for a while now, and these videos are a wonderful gateway to their world!

@MetaSparks

10 ай бұрын

It’s great to hear that somebody has enjoyed this vid without knowing the songs. I hope you end up loving this band as much as I do!

What a great idea to analyze the work of this so singular band. Discovered them when I was a kid with "Girl From Germany" and I knew that they were not the usual cuppa tea on a lyrical plan. After an interview I did for a music mag, I recently gave to Ron a translation of Marcel Aymé's short stories (I'm French actually) because some of their lyrics share same characteristics of this great writer. Don't know if he read it. Maybe I'm wrong but I think Ron has never been more inspired, lyrically and musically, than in "Lll' Beethoven". I also realized how there were similarities between the story behind this album and Annette's scenario (having great parents and being exceptional, a sort a genetic approach of genius).

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

That’s fascinating! Great point about the “genius in the genes” trope. See also “Talent is an asset” for something similar. I bet Ron loved that gift - maybe it served as an influence.

Upstairs is my first and all time favorite Sparks song. Did anyone see them at the Catalina Island Casino in the early(?) 1980s?!?!?!?

@MetaSparks

4 ай бұрын

Upstairs is such a great song, and I’ve only come to appreciate it in the last year or so. Man, there’s so much stuff in here!

In listening to Exotic Creatures I have recently gone from cherry picking favorites for a listen to now full album listens. It gets better each time. I really enjoyed your interpretation of 'Strange Animal!'

@MetaSparks

11 ай бұрын

I’m glad you enjoyed the vid, and I completely agree about Exotic Creatures. Such a great album with so many interesting ideas on there.

Mind blown! Having rediscovered Sparks thanks to the Edgar Wright doc, I'm still deep-diving. And I only happened upon at the them/it in early 2020, after going down a rabbit hole of Noel Fielding which prompted the Edgar Wright video for Mint Royale's "Blue Song" (Edgar Wright, as in Shaun of the Dead?!) Ergo, that eventually prompted recommends for the doc and Sparks. To quote Alex Kapranos, I was like "This band still exists?!" I vaguely remembered them from the late 70s, but as a Canadian teen (ahem), I then got into British post-punk and new wave, only to find out decades later that it's true - Sparks are my favourite bands' favourite band. And now to have found you and your channel! Brilliant and engaging analysis. Whilst I do listen to Sparks' lyrics, I haven't paid quite that close attention but know that you absolutely nailed it. Sorry for the novel, but there's just something about Sparks that really makes one think...and now there's even more (it's not just me) reason. Thank you!

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

I loved reading that - thank you! I had a similar experience when I first heard them in 94. I couldn’t believe it was the same band singing When do I get to sing my way and This town ain’t big enough for the both of us - both versions of the band were worlds apart but completely, distinctly Sparks! Edgar Wright deserves all the Oscars as far as I’m concerned. I’ve loved his work since Spaced so it was such a treat for him to make that love letter to my favourite band. Thanks for reaching out,

i always wondered if Strange Animal was about Georgio Moroder involvement in the late 70's - 80's. Obviously i was wrong. 😂. Enjoyable video, just subscribed. Thanks.

@MetaSparks

8 ай бұрын

I see what you mean about Moroder, I can imagine him walking into the TJ sessions and saying “you’re in need of a fix or a total remix”! Thanks for subscribing :)

I'm a big Sparks fan since last year, the greatest band ever! New suscriber ;⁠).

@MetaSparks

10 ай бұрын

They’re the best! Even the “bad” albums somehow get into your head after a while. Thanks for subscribing :)

This Is The Number One Vlog On KZread... 👏👏👏👏👏

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

I’m really glad you like it! Stay tuned for more soon.

First time viewer here.I loved this video. I promise to pay more attention to you very soon!

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Fascinating.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Very glad you find this stuff interesting. I’m never sure if it’s just me when I’m making it!

Excellent explanation. Always wondered what these songs were about.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

I’m glad it all adds up, thanks for watching!

Bravo!

Well done sir. This opens up a long held hunch of mine - and so well expounded.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Did you have a hunch these were self-referential songs too?

@winnallrockschool-makingmu1504

Жыл бұрын

@@MetaSparks Writing songs about writing songs is always a good place to start when you lack the initial inspiration.... otherwise we're just 'dancing in the dark', as The Boss once said. Sparks have said it many times in different ways.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

I love the story behind Dancing in the dark, and it might be the thing that got me thinking about this in the first place.

Great Video! Another great example of Songs about themselfes would be missionary Position. A Song using the Most Basic chord progression in Pop music to sing about how doing the Most basic sexual position will do. Fantastic stuff.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

You’re definitely onto something with that! It’s a genius way of songwriting. Plus it’s their first guitar solo in god knows how long, that really supports that “get back to what we do best” theory. Love it!

What makes this wonderful video even more delightful is how, just as you begin your analysis of "Strange Animal" at 4:06, a strange creature makes its way into your video by crawling up your right arm! You (and your mystery friend) have a new subscriber. 😊

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Ha! The couldn’t have been better timed! If my mystery friend is still up there I’ll say hello from you. Thanks for your kind words!

On the subject of secret lyrics, During the "Photoshop me out of your life" section of *Photoshop* there's another vocal going on in the background that sounds sorta like "more money, no one wins" anyone know what he's saying?

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

You’re right! I wish I could make it out but I’ve got no clue. This is really interesting because Strange Animal is about earlier drafts of the same song, and this is about Photoshop, which has a similar revisionalist theme. I hope someone can decipher it.

Has anyone figured out that lost verse yet?

@MetaSparks

9 ай бұрын

Nobody has got back to me, but I might reach out to a sound engineering community. Also, there are some fancy AI tools on the horizon that might do it.

"La Dolce Vita" I'm sure is all about Sparks capitalising on the disco scene, the only bank that's open all night. It's definitely self-referential ("looking real bored's as hard as scrubbing floors"). I don't think it has anything whatsoever to do with gigolos or anything, that's just the cover story. It's really Sparks just talking about their musical career.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

I couldn’t agree more! My theory is that Sparks are always writing about what Sparks are doing at the time, in this case subverting disco music. We have exactly the same view in La Dolce Vita so I’m glad it’s not just me. I want to turn that into a video soon. Beat the clock makes me laugh too - “I was born a little premature” from a band who have just been reborn! Here’s the blog post about it - www.sparks-onefortheages.com/post/what-number-1-in-heaven-by-sparks-is-really-about. Thanks for commenting!

Really wanna know what the back vocals in Strange Animal say. I've tried isolating the vocals and doing some EQ stuff but it was still equally unintelligible. 🤔

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for trying! If only we had access to the stems!

Very well done. I'm going to see if I can play around with some tools to try to get that vocal in Strange Animal a little bit more isolated and hear what he's saying. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if it's purposefully nothing just to throw people like us off. :)

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I hope you manage to figure it out, even if it’s something meaningless like Ron’s shopping list.

@iconicshrubbery

Жыл бұрын

Ron's shopping list would Never be meaningless. 🛒

Ron Mael writes the songs

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, mostly.

@marknewbold2583

Жыл бұрын

@@MetaSparks what? You know nothing

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

@@marknewbold2583 You fail the vibe check, and you’re wrong. Here is Russel Mael’s page on allmusic, showing that he gets writing credits for Sparks music: www.allmusic.com/artist/russell-mael-mn0000177650/credits.

Der Ozean hält sie jung.

@MetaSparks

Жыл бұрын

I don’t understand, please explain! Is it that going on a tough journey keeps them going?

@sabineedelhoff6720

Жыл бұрын

Nein, sie wohnen doch am Meer. Wenn ich in die Niederlande ans Meer fahre, fühle ich mich stärker und jünger.

Sparks are waaaaay too clever to be mainstream and appealing to the masses

@MetaSparks

6 ай бұрын

I’m convinced that they’re literally geniuses.